doriae species group

Diagnosis. Chelicerae without intermarginal denticles; ventral opisthosoma pale in colour (Fig. 58b); ST small in size and located behind EM (e.g. Fig. 67a); AMLL of epigyne not fused anteriorly (e.g. Fig. 67b); GP present.

Species composition. Seven species: Eusparassus doriae (Simon, 1874); E. oculatus (Kroneberg, 1875); E. potanini (Simon, 1895); E. maynardi (Pocock, 1901); E. kronebergi Denis, 1958; E. fuscimanus Denis, 1958 and E. mesopotamicus Moradmand and Jäger, 2012 (for full descriptions, see Moradmand & Jäger 2012a).

Distribution. From the Middle East to Central and parts of South Asia (Fig. 72a).

Species with unclear group affiliation

The following three species, Eusparassus xerxes (Pocock, 1901), E. pontii Caporiacco, 1935 and Cercetius perezi Simon, 1902 cannot be placed in the species groups recognized above. They show a transition in character states. Eusparassus pontii is closely allied to the members of the doriae group but differ from them by having a distinct dark marking on the ventral opisthosoma (Fig. 56f). Eusparassus pontii is also similar to E. xerxes (presence of ventral opisthosoma marking) but differs by having a single bristle instead of four at the basal segment of the chelicerae. This species is probably derived from the members of the doriae group in the Himalayas. For full description of E. pontii, see Moradmand & Jäger 2012a. The distribution of these three species is shown in Fig. 72b.