Taxonomy

Phlegra spp. are found in Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia where one species, Phlegra proszynski, occurs on Lord Howe Island. Further information on the Australian species can be found in Żabka (2012) and Richardson and Żabka (2017).

Description

Phlegra proszynski is a medium-sized spider, body length from 4 to 6 mm. The head, viewed from above, is rectangular with slightly-curved sides and rounded corners, widest behind the posterior lateral eyes. The carapace is high, highest at the posterior median eyes. The abdomen is ovate with a somewhat squared-off anterior edge.  Chelicerae have a multi-cusped (fissident) retromarginal tooth and two promarginal teeth. The first pair of legs is stronger than the others. The fourth pair is the longest.

The male of the Australian species is unknown. Some overseas species have a palp with a long, twisted, blunt, distally-pointing embolus arising on the lateral edge of the tegulum. In some species the origin of the embolus is behind the tegulum and forms a complete circle before appearing. The tegulum is roundish with a pointed proximal lobe. The palpal tibia usually has two short, blunt retro-lateral tibial apophyses.

The female has two large, epigynal atria with median guides close to the epigastric fold. The copulatory openings are on the anterior edge of each atrium. The insemination ducts curve medial-anteriorly and then lateral-posteriorly to the spermathecae which are roughly roundish and located anterior to and towards the lateral edges of the atria.

Biology

Nothing is known of the biology of the Australian species.

Distribution

The genus occurs widely across the old world with more than 75 species. In Australia, only the female holotype from Lord Howe Island is known.

References

Richardson, B.J. 2016. New genera, new species and redescriptions of Australian jumping spiders (Araneae: Salticidae). Zootaxa 41, 501-560.

Richardson, B.J. & Żabka, M. 2017. Salticidae. Arachnida: Araneomorphae. Canberra, Australian Faunal Directory. Australian Biological Resources Study, at https://biodiversity.org.au/afd/taxa/SALTICIDAE.

Żabka, M. 2012. Phlegra Simon, 1876, Phintella Strand 1906 and Yamangalea Maddison, 2009 (Arachnida: Araneae: Salticidae) — new species and new generic records for Australia. Zootaxa 3176, 61-68.

* The information sheet should be read in the context of the associated diagrams and photographs. Diagrams explaining anatomical terms can be found in the ‘Salticidae’ pictures at the beginning of the list of genera.