Plexippus clemens (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1872 )

Prószyński, Jerzy, 2017, Remarks on the genus Plexippus C. L. Koch, 1846 (Araneae: Salticidae), Ecologica Montenegrina 13, pp. 39-69 : 54-55

Plexippus clemens (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1872)

Figures 3 A-D, E-F, G-H, 5B-C1

Salticus clemens O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1872 a: 335 .

Menemerus clemens Prószyński, 1984 a: 85 (drawing of holotype).

Plexippus clemens Logunov, 2010b: 87 , f. 11-12.

Euophrys clemens Prószyński, 1971: 405 (name in Catalog, following Simon 1876: 196).

Plexippus similis Wesolowska & van Harten, 1994: 72 , f. 147-149 (Df).

Plexippus clemens Prószyński, 2003: 142 , f. 592-593

Plexippus clemens Wesolowska & van Harten, 2007: 246 , f. 165-168 (misclassified = P. similis ).

Plexippus clemens Logunov, 2010b: 87 , f. 7-12 (drawings of holotype).

Plexippus clemens Coşar, Danişman & Yıldıran, 2014: 92 , f. 8A- C, 9A-B (f).

Plexippus clemens El-Hennawy, Mohafez & El-Gendy, 2015: 131 , f. 1-7 (mf).

Plexippus clemens Caleb, 2016b: 274 , f. 6-17 (mf, proposed synonymy of P. bhutani and P. yinae not accepted).

Material and documentation studied: Holotype female - "21" " Attus clemens Cambr. " "B. 1821". O. Pickard-Cambridg coll. - Mus. Oxford.

Documentation studied. Summary of world's literature provided by "Monograph of Salticidae ( Araneae ) of the World 1995-2016. Part I & 2" by Prószyński (2016 a, b) and current literature.

Diagnosis. Species recognizable by anterior pocket in epigyne, which is broad, and equally broad median furrow, following it (as in epigyne on holotype specimen - Fig. 5B). Internal structures of epigyne ( Fig. 5B 1 ) were studied on specimen from Algeria (coll. Bosmans), identified as conspecific with holotype by similarity of epigyne (epigyne of holotype was not prepared to save it from damage). Copulatory opening located in mid-length of epigyne, copulatory duct very broad, with thick, sclerotized walls, runs diagonally towards outer edge of transversally oval spermatheca. Bulging armature of pheromone exuding opening is located on outer surface of copulatory duct, before its junction with spermatheca ( Fig. 5B 1 ). Photographs of epigyne of females from Egypt ( Figs 3 C-D) and from Turkey ( Figs 3F ) confirms their conspecificity, which permits also to identify matching male ( Fig 3B ), appearance of photographed female and male of these specimens permits in turn to identify P. clemens from India ( Figs 3 G-H) .

Discussion.The first drawing of epigyne of the holotype specimen was done by Prószyński (1984 b: 85) [ Fig. 5B] who abstained, however, from making preparation of epigyne to save precious, unique specimen from damage. Drawings of epigyne of the same holotype specimen, this time with its internal structures, was subsequently published by Logunov (2010: 87, f 7-12) [ Fig. 5 C-C1], looking very different with strikingly narrower pocket and furrow, also ducts are narrower and longer. Unfortunately Logunov failed to notice existence of previously published drawings and did not comment on their differences, although he was in perfect situation to resolve apparent conflict of documentation. Since his representation of these structures has somewhat diagrammatized appearance, I delay comments on the described above discrepancy, until new, revisonary data become available. I must add, however, that narrowness of the epigyne's pocket and furrow shown by Logunov, resembles features of epigyne of syntype of " Attus " devorans O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1872 a: 327 " Attus devorans Cambr. ""41", "jar 1739" [original label of the species described as Salticus devorans ] kept in the same collection - I abstain temporarily from commenting on that coincidence, the remaining syntypes of that species are kept in the NH Museum in London, not yet revised. More information on that species - see Plexippus devorans , below.

Similarity of palps of P. clemens from Egypt and India with palps of P. similis from Yemen ( Figs 3J 1 ) poses question of correctness of identification, and previously suggested synonymy with female ( Fig. 5 C-C1), originally described as P. similis Wesolowska & van Harten, 1994 . These questions cannot be answered without further research.

Environmental information. Species described on "...single female found on low plants on the plains of Jordan ", an area collected by the Reverend Octavius Pickard-Cambridge "...between 16th of March and 18 of May, 1865", "...for the most part, within a circuit of about a mile from Elisha's Well (Ain es Sultan) [water supply of Jericho]".

Distribution. Algeria, Egypt, Israel, India, Iran [?], Turkey, Yemen.

Correcting synonymy:

Plexippus clemens (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1872) (in part) = Plexippus bhutani Zabka, 1990 - reinstated as separate species.

Plexippus clemens (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1872) (in part) = Plexippus tectonicus Prószyński, 2003 - reinstated as separate species.

Plexippus clemens (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1872) (in part) = Plexippus yinae Peng & Li, 2003 = Plexippus tectonicus Prószyński, 2003 - reclassified as synonym of the latter name.

Figures

Figure 1. Modern standard of taxonomic documentation of a species of Salticidae (on example of Plexippus petersi (Karsch, 1878, male A-F and female A1-F1), as befitting in 2017. It consists of precise diagnostic drawings of palps - E-F, epigyne and internal structure of epigyne E1-F1, repeated also as color photograph (to reduce inadequacies resulting from subjective interpretation by an artist) - D-D1, color photographs of unchanged habitus of specimens of both sexes (dorsal, frontal and ventral views, missing lateral view) A-C1. The size of individual illustrations permits clear perception of diagnostic characters.

Figure 3. Color pattern and body shape of species of Plexippus. A-D - Plexippus clemens (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1872) - Egypt, E-F - Plexippus clemens -Turkey, ventral view of epigyne (uncleared soft tissues embedding spermathecae and ducts hamper perception of details of structures!), G-H - Plexippus clemens - India.