Pseudicius alter : Wesolowska 1999

Pseudicius alter Wesolowska, 1999

Figs 152–155

Pseudicius alter: Wesolowska 1999 a: 169, figs 67–73.

See Wesolowska (1999 a) for description of both sexes.

Redescription:

Male.

Measurements: Carapace length 1.7, width 1.2, height 0.7. Abdomen length 2.0, width 1.1. Eye field length 0.7, anterior width 0.9, posterior width 1.0.

Spider with flattened and elongate body. Carapace elongate, very flat, dark brown with black eye field, covered with colourless hairs, with long brown bristles in vicinity of eyes. Stridulatory apparatus present, consisting of row of setae on sides of carapace, below lateral eyes, and corresponding setae on femora of first legs. Mouthparts and sternum dark brown. Abdomen elongate, black, with three pairs of submarginal white patches, composed of light hairs, venter brown; spinnerets dark. Legs brown; first pair clearly stouter than others; first tibia swollen (Fig. 152) with single short prolateral spine, metatarsus with two pairs of ventral spines; legs clothed in long, fine, brown hairs. Pedipalps as in Figs 153–155; tegulum irregular, embolus long, two tibial apophyses, dorsal one small.

Material examined: 1ơ Western shore of Shokwe Pan, 26 ° 52.013'S: 32 ° 12.982'E, F. sycomorus forest, Ficus bark, 4.xii.2000 (NCA 2008/2752).

Distribution: Hitherto known only from Zimbabwe; recorded for the first time from South Africa.

Habitat and biology:This species was very rare and only a single specimen was collected. This contrasts dramatically to P. venustulus sp. n., described below, which was very common under A. xanthophloea bark.