Evarcha pulchella ( Thorell, 1895 )

Ali, Pir Asmat, 2025, The first record of Evarcha pulchella (Thorell, 1895) (Araneae: Salticidae) from Pakistan with the first description of its female, Journal of Insect Biodiversity and Systematics 11 (1), pp. 253-258 : 254-256

Evarcha pulchella ( Thorell, 1895) ( Figs 1–11)

Ergane pulchella Thorell, 1895:391 (♂); Eugasmia pulchella : Roewer, 1955:1045; Evarcha pulchella : Prószyński, 1984:49 (♂); Evacin pulchella : Prószyński, 2018:142, fig. 6L (♂); Evarcha pulchella : Trivedi et al., 2023:131, figs, 1–13 (♂)

Materials examined. 1♂ (PAA#2022-06-140), PAKISTAN: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: Swabi ( Kotha village ), 34°3'36"N, 72°34'48"E, 501 m ., 29-VII-2022, handpicked from foothills and mud hills with long grasses (P.A. Ali). 1♂ (PAA#2022-06-141), and 1♂ (PAA#2022-06-142) same data as PAA#2022-06-140 . 1♀ (specimen PAA#2022-06-143), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: Swabi ( Kotha village ), 34°3'36"N, 72°34'48"E, 501 m ., 29-VII-2022, collected from grasses on foothills and mud mounts on hand picking (P.A. Ali). 1♀ (PAA#2022-06-144), and 1♀ (PAA#2022-06-145) same data as PAA#2022-06-143 .

Re-description. Male (PAA#2022-06-140). Habitus as in Figures 1–2. Carapace length 2.07, width 1.63, height 1.26. Abdomen length 1.98, width 1.29. For a detailed description see Trivedi et al. (2023). Palp as in Figures 3–4.

Female (PAA#2022-06-143). Habitus as in Figures 5–7. Carapace length 2.33, width 1.98, height 0.99. Ocular area widest at PLE row; 1.89, width PME row 1.66, AER width 1.76. Abdomen length 2.38, width 1.89. Leg I: 4.07 (1.26, 0.66, 0.96, 0.62, 0.57). Leg II: 3.64 (1.16, 0.73, 0.65, 0.59, 0.51). Leg III: 5.04 (1.74, 0.83, 0.96, 0.87, 0.64). Leg IV: 3.97 (1.29, 0.57, 0.79, 0.83, 0.49).

Carapace flat at cephalic region, thoracic area slopes gently. Chelicerae with two promarginal teeth and one retro-marginal tooth. Abdomen elongated. Posterior lateral spinnerets longer than others. Epigyne ( Figs 8, 9) with broad forwarded-opening atrium; copulatory ducts turning medially, leading to vertical spermathecae anteriorly opening into fertilization ducts. Carapace brown, with cephalic sides black covered by black and white bristles traces. Eye field from ALE to PE with black integument and bristles, AME pale brown with pale setae. Clypeus almost pale covered with pale and scarce white setae; chelicerae light brown to pale towards apex with brown fangs, sternum pale yellow. Legs pale to yellow. Abdomen dorsum light grey with scattered dark dots, laterally a pair of dark grey to black bands enclosing central light grey band; venter light grey with scattered dark grey to black dots. Spinnerets pale with dark tips.

Remarks. The female of Evarcha pulchella can be distinguished from congeners by the broad forwardopening atrium ( Figs 8, 9). There are other congeners with broad atria that open anteriorly, namely: E. arcuata (Clerck, 1757) ( Peng, 2020: figs. 171, 173), E. falcata (Clerck, 1757) ( Metzner, 1999: fig. 111d), and E. michailovi Logunov, 1992 ( Logunov, 1992: fig. 3a–b). The epigynes of E. michailovi and E. arcuata are perhaps most similar to that of E. pulchella , in that the atrium faces directly to the anterior, but it is more spacious in E. arcuata and the distinctive fold of E. pulchella is lacking.