Paracedicus baram n. sp.

Figs. 16–22

Holotype. adult male from Bar’am forest, (727397/657688; 750m), Israel, leg. Rakefet Sharon, November 1996, pitfall trap (HUJ 15407); female paratype from Odem forest (754998/677281; 950m), Golan Heights, Israel, leg. Rakefet Sharon, November 1996, pitfall trap (HUJ 15408).

Cedicus flavipes (not Simon, 1875) Lehtinen, 1967, figs. 137, 138,ɗ and Ψ. Misidentification.

Etymology. The specific name is a noun in apposition referring to the type locality.

Description. Carapace deep brown, chelicerae almost black, legs light brown and opisthosoma dark grey and densely covered with bristles.

Male. Measurements (holotype): total length 8.5; carapace length 4.1, width 3.0, index 1.36; clypeal index 1.67; anterior lateral eyes largest; chelicerae with 6 promarginal and 3 retromarginal teeth; leg lengths: I 10.8, II 9.4, III 8.1, IV 11.1; patella-tibia index 0.98.

Palpus. Large, with massive, hook-shaped yellow median apophysis (M) bending proximally towards basal part of palpus (Figs. 16, 17); fine divergent tip of flattened embolus extends over spoon-like expanded conductor (Figs. 16–18); patella bears large, black, conical apophysis alongside strong, blackish projection (best visible dorsally; Figs. 17, 19).

Female. Measurements (paratype): total length 7.7; carapace length 3.6, width 2.7, index 1.33; clypeal index 1.72; anterior lateral eyes largest; chelicerae with 6–7 promarginal and 5 retromarginal teeth; leg lengths: I 8.2, II 7.2, III 6.1, IV 8.6; patella-tibia index 0.83.

Epigynum . Broad, light-coloured, central space bordered anteriorly by fine whitish hood; space traversed posteriorly by thick, lip-like brown rim (Fig. 20). Circular looped spermathecal tubes covered inside by brown stretched membrane (best viewed from the side; Figs. 21, 22).

Diagnosis. The shape of the male palpus with the sizable median apophysis and the peculiar embolus, and the shape of the female epigynum combined with the form of the inner spermathecae, separate Paracedicus baram n. sp. distinctly from all other Paracedicus, Cedicus and Cedicoides species.

Distribution. Israel. Known only from the type and paratype localities. Probably occurs in Lebanon and Syria.

Comment. The place of origin of Lehtinen’s flavipes is not known. Lehtinen (1967) mentions Simon’s (1875) record from Corsica overlooking, however, Simon’s (1937: 982, footnote) amendment of that record to “ Syria ”.