Plexippus dushanbinus Andreeva, 1969

Prószyński, Jerzy, 2017, Remarks on the genus Plexippus C. L. Koch, 1846 (Araneae: Salticidae), Ecologica Montenegrina 13, pp. 39-69 : 57

Plexippus dushanbinus Andreeva, 1969 upgraded from subspecies

Figures 4K 1 , 6G, 7F

Plexippus strandi dushanbinus Andreeva, 1969: 90 , f. 2 (Dmf)

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. Differs distinctly from Plexippus strandi by color pattern of body, with notable absence of transverse black belt in the anterior abdomen, a character noticed by Andreeva (1976: 88, f. 121-124). Palp resembles P. strandi , but prolateral part of embolar basis seems to be less swollen and located more symmetrically along the length of bulbus. Epigyne with pocket located centrally, seems to be larger than in P. strandi .

Description (condensed translation of original Russian description by Andreeva). Male carapace yellow covered by indistinct whitish setae, except eyefield covered with brownish red setae, with indistinct spot of white setae, and thin black line along ventral edge. Eyes III located on pair of black spot, there is an indistinct, elongated spot of dark setae along posterior one third of posterior slope of thorax. Legs and palps brownish yellow, with longitudinal spots of dark setae, clypeus with dense and long white "beard". Abdomen dorsally yellow, with two lateral reddish brown streaks. Length of body 5.5 mm. Female. Carapace (damaged) dark brown with eyefield still darker. Eyes Median Anterior surrounded ventrally by whitish setae, dorsally brownish red. Clypeus, chelicerae and palps brown with whitish setae, legs brown without white setae. Abdomen dark with light median streak, beginning from diamond shaped spot. Length of body 6.2 mm.

Remarks. The description require completing by more precise drawing documentation, especially providing drawing of internal structure of epigyne. Placement of dushabinus as a subspecies of P. strandi disagree with principles of taxonomy limiting description of subspecies only to interpopulational studies. Without populational research on P. strandi there are no reason to suggest populational relationships of these forms. Differences in color pattern are sufficiently distinct to elevated this subspecies to the rank of full species.

Therefore:

Plexippus strandi dushanbinus Andreeva, 1969 = Plexippus dushanbinus ( Andreeva, 1969) - elevated to rank of full species.

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 4a. Diagnostic characters of species of Plexippus. A - Plexippus paykulli (Audouin, 1826) (palp 1/3 larger than remaining species), B - P. gershomi sp. n., C - P. sp. [devorans?? - unlabeled specimen in O. Pickard-Cambridge collection, from a jar with specimens from Palestine], D - P. bhutani Zabka, 1990, D1 - P. minor Wesolowska & van Harten, 2010, E- P. petersi (Karsch, 1878), F - P. tectonicus Prószyński, 2003, G - Plexippus yinae Peng X., Li S., 2003 = P. tectonicus [?], H - Plexippus strandi Spassky, 1939 - from Turkmenistan, K - P. strandi Spassky, 1939, K1 - P. dushanbinus (Andreeva, 1969), L - P. setipes-1 Karsch, 1879, L1 - "P. setipes-2" Peng & Li, 2003, [another palp, hypothetically matching holotype of P. setipes - see Figs 9R-S], M - P. setipes.

Figure 7. Body pattern diversity in Plexippus. A - Plexippus tectonicus Prószyński, 2003, - body and palpal "flag", B - P. gershomi sp. n. - body and palpal "flag, C - P. "coccineus"[?] by Metzner, D - P. strandi Sspassky, 1939 male and female abdomen by Wesołowska, E - P. strandi Spassky, 1939 - male abdomen by Adreeva, F - P. dushanbinus - male body and female abdomen by Andreeva, G - P. similis - female abdomen by Wesołowska, H-I - P. kondarensis (Charitonov, 1951) - body of male by Charitonov and by Logunov & Rakov, J - P. bhutani Zabka, 1990 - male and female, K - P. pokharae Zabka, 19, L - P. yinae Peng & Li, 2003 =[?] P. tectonicus Prószyński, 2003, L1 - P. setipes Karsch 1879 - type from Japan, Prószyński, 1973: 120, f. 61, L2 - P. setipes-2 Peng & Li, 2003, L3 - P. setipes from Vietnam, M - P. paykulli (Audouin, 1826), N - P. baro Wesolowska & Tomasiewicz, 2008, O - P. robustus (Bösenberg & Lenz, 1895), P - P. [?] rubroclypeatus (Lessert, 1927), Q - P. [?] stridulator Pocock, 1899.