In addition to the genus diagnosis, the following features characterize the species:MALECephalothorax: thorax and upper sides of cephalothorax light yellow with thin light brown streaks on dorsum: one median and two marginal. Eye field dark brown, covered with inconspicuous adpressed, colourless setae; there are remnants of two whitish lines of denser and longer whitish setae running along eye field from a white spot on median rims of ALE, medially to eyes II and III and joining light thoracic streaks. These white lines may be much more conspicuous in some specimens. Abdomen with typical light and dark striped pattern. Two median light yellow and two darker brown stripes, whose width are each 1/5 of abdomen width, marginal light stripes are 1/10 of abdomen width. Upper sides light greyish brown, lower whitish. Dark streaks, covered with brown adpressed setae, light yellow streaks with colourless setae. Frontal aspect. Dorsal surface of eye field appears black with fawn adpressed setae, a striking spot of white setae above medial half of ALE rim, the remaining half has inconspicuous fawn setae. Orbital setae around AME dorsally fawn with a few white, laterally greyish, ventrally colourless. Clypeus low, slightly higher than 1/3 of AME diameter, space beneath AME is greyish brown, with slightly lighter median vertical line, with stronger setae dark brown, pointing diagonally down. Part of these setae diagonally overhang cheliceral bases. The dark area beneath AME is delimited laterally by light yellow area running from the rim of ALE to carapace edge and extending onto sides of cephalothorax, upper half of that lighter area, under ALE rim, is covered with conspicuous white, adpressed setae. Chelicerae laterally brown, medially fawn, with lighter, almost white apical part. This contrasts with black cymbium (with a whitish grey tip), tibia and medial half of pedipalpal patella; the retrolateral half of patella is lighter, grey with a spot of white setae. Palpal femur is dark grey with a crest of longer white setae along its dorsal surface. Legs I in this position are light yellowish grey, tibia and metatarsus I fawn; prolateral surface of femur I is darkened, which on femur II is followed by narrower dark streak. Palpal organ resembles Ph. particeps, from which it seems to differ by slightly broader bulbus, posterior part of protruding tip of embolus seems to be broadened. Ventral aspect light greyish yellow, abdomen whitish. Female. Cephalothorax yellow with dark eye field and two thin, light brown streaks of adpressed setae along marginal edges of dorsal and upper lateral surfaces of thorax. There are remnants of median streak of dark adpressed setae on slope of thorax, which may suggest presence of median streak in some specimens, dividing light dorsal surface into two light streaks, apparently somewhat broader than the dark median one, just as in males. Eye field dark brown (in the younger specimen dark olive brown) with inconspicuous colourless, adpressed setae and sparse black bristles. Abdomen whitish yellow, with two light greyish brown pigmented streaks, thinner than three light streaks, there is also a thin dark rim on the edge with sides. The setae on the dorsal surface are very inconspicuous, small, sparse and dark. Spinnerets yellowish grey. Frontal aspect: upper part of face dark with tiny white setae, eyes I surrounded by orbital setae dorsally yellow, ventrally whitish. Space beneath eyes light yellow, without any contrasting setae.In the paratype specimen clypeus is light grey, also without contrasting coloration, but partially hidden by a triangular patch of inconspicuous long whitish setae, protruding from under eye rims diagonally forward and down, there are also thin and colourless, almost invisible sparse setae overhanging cheliceral bases. Chelicerae yellow. Pedipalps whitish yellow, with tibiae and tarsi yellowish brown, covered with upright, dense and long, colourless setae. Ventral aspect almost uniformly whitish Legs yellowish or yellow except tibiae and metatarsi I-IV fawn, femora I-II with prolateral surface darkened or with dark streak, covered with small and sparse dark setae.Measurements (mm). Male. Length of cephalothorax: 1.87, length of abdomen: 1.81, length of 5 segments of leg I 2.75. Female. Length of cephalothorax: 2.00, length of abdomen: 2.37, length of 5 segments of leg 3.19. © PRÓSZYŃSKI 2003 Body: Markings: dark or bright vertical stripes. Eyes: AER: dorsal edge procurve. Labium: Length: wider than long. Distribution: Geographical Distribution: Middle East. FEMALEBody: Markings: dark or bright vertical stripes. Eyes: AER: dorsal edge procurve. Labium: Length: wider than long. Distribution: Geographical Distribution: Middle East.COMMENTSDiagnosis. Typical striped pattern, lighter than in other species, particularly in females, in which dark streaks are reduced to thin, light brown lines. Pedipalps darkly contrasting, embolus long and thin, broader near edge of bulbus, space between tibial apophyses slit-like, tips of apophyses slightly bent. Epigynum with angular meeting point of anterior rims located in its mid-length.Seasonal appearance of adult specimens. Male - I, female - I. Etymology. Named for Dr. Stefania Hęciak, of Siedlce, Poland, an arachnologist who has contributed valuable redescriptions of types of over 20 species of Phlegra (in a PhD thesis,), which I used in my studies, and also consulted for my identifications, including this species. © PRÓSZYŃSKI 2003 |