In addition to the genus diagnosis, the following features characterize the species:FEMALECephalothorax brown; eye field blackish brown; dorsum of thorax lighter brown with sparse adpressed dark setae; very indistinct lighter streak along dorso-lateral edge with indistinct, short thin whitish and slightly denser setae; sides brown; ventral edge of carapace dark with minute sparse, whitish setae ventrally. Abdomen dark brown, sparsely mottled yellow; median streak along the posterior half lighter and narrow (3/10 of abdomen width) with remnants of a mixture of dark and colourless setae.Frontal aspect: AME surrounded dorsally by reddish setae, laterally and medially by whitish setae which ventrally become sparser, short and very inconspicuous; ALE surrounded dorsally by longer whitish setae with yellowish hue, laterally and ventrally by shorter whitish setae; clypeus brown, almost bald, with a few thin, very sparse and inconspicuous whitish, adpressed setae, not influencing its appearance, and a few brown bristles. Chelicerae brown; pedipalps brown, their patellae lighter with whitish setae; legs I brown with remnants of inconspicuous transverse rows of thin white adpressed setae across prolateral edge of tibia and patella. Ventral aspect light brown, margin of ventral abdominal surface lighter but sides of abdomen much darker. Epigynum: grooves almost oval, with slight anterolateral expansion, encircled by sclerotized rim; septum narrow, slightly boadened posteriorly; copulatory openings narrower than in Phlegra fulvastra and Ph. pori, narrowing funnel-like before passing into first convoluted chamber, located laterally to the median, indistinctly narrower chain of chambers, which reaches level of rim of copulatory opening. Legs I: tarsus light brown, darker brown basally, with indistinct short scopula; metatarsus short, brown, darker brown at both extremities; tibia broadened and somewhat swollen medially, with three pairs of ventral spines, brown, with two indistinct transverse stripes of white, adpressed setae, prolaterally lacking conspicuous setae; patella similar with two indistinct, lighter stripes prolaterally; femur apical half brown, basally slightly lighter, with both dark and white setae, small, thin and short. Legs II: similar to I, but lighter and darker stripes developed into somewhat more visible annuli. Legs III-IV: general coloration brown, pattern similar to I but annuli more contrasting. Measurements (mm). Female. Length of cephalothorax 2.63; length of abdomen 3.31; length of 5 segments of leg I 3.97. © PRÓSZYŃSKI 2003 Body: Markings: dark or bright vertical stripes. Eyes: AER: dorsal edge procurve. Labium: Length: wider than long. Distribution: Geographical Distribution: Middle East. COMMENTSDiagnosis. Specimen without distinct striped abdominal pattern. Orbital setae around AME dorsally reddish, laterally and medially whitish; clypeus brown without strikingly contrasting setae. Epigynal grooves oval, narrowing posteriorly.Remark. The species is entirely different from Phlegra v-epigynalis, also collected on slopes of Mt. Hermon, but at higher altitude - of 2000 m. Seasonal appearance of adult specimens. Females - IV Etymology. Named for Miss Ilana Ferber and her parents. © PRÓSZYŃSKI 2003 |