Diagnoses of genera of South East Asia: Long salticids, some flattish. Found on warm walls, rocks and tree trunks in the open. Genera: Afraflacilla & Pseudicius. For many years the genus Afraflacilla was regarded as a synonym of Pseudicius, but was only separated again by Zabka, 1993 on the basis of significant differences in the genitalia. As might be expected, these two genera are very similar in appearance and virtually indistinguishable in the field. They are long, flattish salticids with legs I which are significantly more robust and longer than the other legs. The cephalothorax is thin, flat on top for most of its length before sloping fairly steeply to the rear margin. The sides are more or less vertical and, just below the eyes, there is a characteristic curved row of equispaced tubercles carrying short thin spines. In plan, the carapace is more or less oblong, about twice as long as wide. The sides are slightly curved and the rear margin is wide and truncate. The long abdomen has similar proportions to the carapace, with the sides rather more curved, truncated and wide anteriorly and curving to a point near the spinnerets. The femora, patellae and tibiae of legs I are enormously swollen compared with all the other leg segments. The legs of the female are not particularly long, but legs I of the male are very long compared with its other legs. The legs have reduced, variable spines, with one short, robust spine and two minute strong spines on the inside of tibiae I, and a few weakish spines here andthere on the other legs. Characteristic are the variable, reduced spines and the dorsal, very long trichobothrium (often bent angularly in the middle) on the very swollen and frequently ovoid tibia I. Colours and patterns tend to be smart rather than flamboyant and can vary considerably. For the male of an unidentified south east Asian species the underlying colour of the carapace is orange-brown with a band of white hairs starting from the front row of eyes and tapering to a point on the thorax a little way in front of the rear margin. All along the lateral margins there is a wide band of white hairs. Running the length of the abdomen there is a wide, brown, median band bordered by two widish bands of white hairs. The sides are dark brown. The front legs are shiny, dark brown and the other legs are shiny brownish yellow. Although the patterns of Pseudicius species may differ, the dominant colours appear to be orange, brown and white.
Distribution: Pseudicius is very widespread, but according to Proszynski is absent from the New World. Afraflacilla is widespread in the tropics from Africa and southern Asia to the western and central Pacific region, including New Guinea and Australia. Murphy & Murphy 2000: 321-322. By courtesy of the Authors' and the Malaysian Nature Society.

[Comment by J. Proszynski: I confirm my oppinion that Afrafracilla is a synonym of Pseudicius]

73 species

Copyright © for the page by J. Proszynski, 1999.