Pellenes geniculatus (Simon, 1868)

Wesolowska, W. & van Harten, A., 2010, Order Araneae, Arthropod fauna of the UAE, Abu Dhabi: Dar Al Ummah, pp. 27-69 : 43-47

Pellenes geniculatus (Simon, 1868) Plates 13-16, Figures 44-51

Specimens examined: 7 km S of al-Jazirat al-Hamra , 1♀, 1.xii.2004, WT ; 1♀, 22.xii.2004, WT . Near Mahafiz , 16, 2 l—28. iii 2006, LT. S of Ra’s al-Khaimah 1♂ ‘, 25—26.iii.2008, WT, leg. J. Bosák . Sharjah Desert Park , 1♂, 3 ♀, 3 juv., 5-6. x.2004, HC; 1♀, 4- 8. 2.2004, WT ; 18, 1♀, ljuv., 6-28.xii.2006, PT ; l 1♂ ‘, l— 30. xi.2008, PT ; 1♀, 1-12.ii.2009, PT ; 1♂, l 6. iii.2009, WT, leg. C. Sclnnid-Egger . Near Um al- Quwain , 2♂, 23-26.vi.2008, WT . Wadi Maidaq , 1♂, 14-2512006, WT ; 2♂, 4 ♀, 29.iii-10.iv. 2006, WT ; 2♂ ‘, l 8. xi—l 5.xii.2007, PT . Wadi Safad , 1♂, 26.xii.2005 - 2.i.2006, WT . Wadi Shawkah , 2♂, 3 ♀, 31.x—27. xi.2006, WT ; 7♂ ‘, 5 ♀, 5 — 12.v.2007, WT ; 2♂, 1 ♀, l 9—22.v.2007, WT ; 5♂, 3 ♀, 9 24.vi.2007, WT ; 7♂, 6 ♀, 1 juv., 30.vi-2.viii.2007, WT ; 1♂, 28.. x-1 5. xi.2007, WT ; 3♂, 2 ♀, 19—28. xi.2007, WT ; 2 ♀, 20.i—l 8.ii.2008, WT ; 3♂, 25.v—12.vi.2008, WT ; 3♂, 1 ♀, 11.viii-ll. ix.2008, WT . Wadi Wurayah , 1♂, 16—28. i.2009, WT . Al-Wathba wetland reserve , 2 ♀, 4 juv., 23.viii.2004, HC .

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Description. Measurements (male/female). Cephalothorax length 1.2 e 1.9/ l.6~1.8, width 11% 1.4/1.2-1.4, height 0.5—0.8/0.7—0.8. Abdomen length l.1†1.8/1.9~2.1, width 0.9 — l.21.3—1.6. Eye field length 0.6—0.9/0.8 » 0.9, anterior width 0.7— 1.l.2/0.9 — l.1, posterior width 0.8- 1.3/1.0-1.3.

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Male. Diminutive spider, considerable variability in body size and colouration ( Plates 13, 14). Carapace high, oval, brown with black eye field. Long brown setae in vicinity of eyes, white scales cover anterior half of ocular area, in some specimens white area reduced to small patch in centre of eye field. Thorax with large crescent white spot, sometimes divided medially. Anterior median eyes surrounded by yellowish scales. Clypeus brown with white line. Chelicerae brown, with vertical lines composed of white scales. Mouthparts and sternum yellow to brown. Abdomen brown with white anterior margin and irregular median belt, marginally two pairs of diagonal light spots (but pattern variable — Plates 13, 14). Sides and venter light. Abdomen clothed in dense clinging light hairs, among them sparse brown bristles. Spinnerets dark. First pair of legs slightly larger than remaining, brown with blackish long scales on tarsi. Legs II-IV yellow to light brown. Pedipalp brown, only tip of cymbium whitish. White scales cover distal part of palpal femur and tibia. Palpal structure as in Figures 44-46. Tibial apophysis long, lying in shallow cymbial groove (Fig. 45). Embolus with large accompanying apophysis (Fig. 47).

Female. Colouration similar to male, less white hairs on ocular area, usually only small light spot in centre of eye field. Abdominal pattern variable ( Plates 15, 16), in some specimens lighter, sometimes composed of three pairs of dark spots.

Dark scales on first leg absent. Epigyne typical for the genus, with central pocket (Figs 48, 49). lntemal structure as in Figures 50 and 51.

Distribution. Species widely distributed in southern Palaearctic. New to the UAE.