Poecilochroa taborensis Levy, 1999

Levy, Gershom, 2009, New ground-spider genera and species with annexed checklist of the Gnaphosidae (Araneae) of Israel, Zootaxa 2066, pp. 1-49 : 20-21

Poecilochroa taborensis Levy, 1999

Figs 44–46

Poecilochroa taborensis Levy, 1999b: 436 , figs 17, 18, Ψ from Mt. Tabor, Israel.

Hitherto unknown mate: Adult male from Devira, Israel, leg. Yoni Gavish, July 22, 2008 on Lycium (HUJ15560).

Description. Relatively small. Colouration of carapace and legs yellow, opisthosoma pinkish (in alcohol) bearing a large dark scutum. Dark AME touching ALE; PME rectangular shaped and a little larger than AME; eyes of posterior row strongly procurved in dorsal view. Labium longer than wide. Sternum oval. Chelicerae without teeth, barely with a low keel.

Male. Measurements (1ɗ): total length 3.0; carapace length 1.4, width 1.0, index 1.4; labial index 1.39; clypeal index 0.5; MOQ index 5.19; legs length: I 2.8, II 2.4, III 2.2, IV 3.0; patella-tibia index 0.78.

Palpus. Small. Whitish, fleshy conductor partly envelopes brown cylindrical, slightly sinous embolus ( Figs 44, 45 ). Large apically distended tibial apophysis ends with spur-like ectal projection ( Fig. 45 ).

Female. Described by Levy (1999b); an illustration of a fresh epigynum of a female from Lakhish is here added ( Fig. 46 ).

Diagnosis. The shape of the male palpal conductor, embolus and the peculiar tip of the tibial apophysis separate P. taborensis distinctly from all other Poecilochroa species.

Distribution. Israel. Records: Mt. Tabor, Lakhish , Devira.

Figures

FIGURE 46. Poecilochroa taborensis Levy, 1999, Ψ, from Lakhish, epigynum, ventral view.

FIGURES 44, 45. Poecilochroa taborensis Levy, 1999, ♂, left palpus. 44. Ventral view. 45. Retrolateral view.