Rafalus feliksi Prószyñski, 1999

Wesolowska, W. & van Harten, A., 2010, Order Araneae, Arthropod fauna of the UAE, Abu Dhabi: Dar Al Ummah, pp. 27-69 : 55-56

Rafalus feliksi Prószyñski, 1999 Figures 76-82

Specimens examined: Wadi Shawkah , 1 ♀, 31. x 27.xi.2006, WT ; 1♀, 5-12. v. 2007, WT ; 2♂, 19 22.v. 2007, WT ; 2♂, 30. vi- 2. Viii.2007, WT ; 3♂, 25. V l 2. vi. 2008, WT . Near Um al-Quwain , 1♂, 1 ♀, i-soxizoos, PT .

Description: Measurements (male/female). Cephalothorax length 3.1-3.3/3.0-3.2, width 2.1- 2.6/2.3 2.5, height 1.3 1.4/1.2-1.3. Abdomen length 2.7-3.5/3.5-3.7, width 1.9 2.4/2.5-3.0. Eye field length 1.2/ 1.0 1.1, anterior 1.9/1.6-1.8, posterior width 1.8/ 1.7-1.9.

Male. Medium-sized, very pilose spider. Carapace dark brown with black eye field, densely clothed in delicate whitish grey hairs, among them sparse brown setae, denser and very long on anterior part of eye field. Anterior eyes surrounded by white scales. Chelicerae brown, their bases dorsally clothed in dense reddish hairs, some white hairs on clypeus. Labium orange with darker base, gnathocoxae with whitish inner margins. sternum light brown. Abdomen greyish brown, its dorsum covered with small brown scutum, occupying less than half of the abdomen length, posterior" part clothed in brown and reddish hairs. Venter yellow. Spinnerets dark. Legs yellow, femora I and II covered With very dense, long white hairs (sometimes with admixture of black, scale-like ones), in some specimens at distal end of femur I and II ventrally dark patch. Spines numerous, long. Leg hairs dense, blackish Dark scopulae on all tarsi. Pedipalps yellow, densely covered with long white hairs and scattered dark brown hairs. Palpal structure as in Figures 76 and 77, ernbolus hidden, only its tip visible, with accompanying terminal apophysis (Figs 78, 79).

Female. Carapace as in male, chelicerae dark brown, without reddish hairs. Traces of two parallel streaks below anterior" lateral eyes, on ‘ cheeks’ Mouthparts brown with lighter tips, sternum yellowish grey. Abdomen blackish grey, densely covered with light grey and fawn hairs (abdominal pattern composed of greyish and brownish fawn patches), among them sparse brown setae, venter yellow tinged with grey. Spimrerets dark. Legs yellow to light brown with darker rings and spots. Epigyne weakly sclerotised, with single pocket at epigastric furrow (Figs 80, 81). Seminal ducts tube-like, receptacles strongly sclerotised, five-chambered, compact (Fig. 82).

Remarks: The first description of the male is given here. The male of the species is similar to Rafalus christophori Prószynski, 1999 , and may be recognized by the presence of dense orange hairs on the dorsal surfaces of the chelicerae.

Distribution: So far this species was known only from Egypt. New to the UAE.