Taxonomy

Proszynellus has three Australian species, Proszenellus nasalis, P. wandae and P. occidentalis. Further information on the genus and described species in Australia can be found in Richardson and Żabka (2017).

Description

Proszynellus spp. are small to medium-sized spiders, ranging in body length from 2.5 to 6 mm. The head, viewed from above, is pear-shaped, widest behind the posterior lateral eyes. The carapace is low, with an almost flattened upper surface. The abdomen is elongate-ovate with a somewhat squared-off anterior margin. Chelicerae have a two-cusped (fissident) retromarginal tooth and two promarginal teeth. The legs are long and slender, the fourth pair longest. The first pair of legs is stronger than the others, with strong spines on the tibiae and metatarsi.

The male’s palp has a short pointed embolus arising from a broad base on the distal edge of the tegulum. The embolus may be pointed, blunt or oddly shaped and can be accompanied by a membranous filament. The tegulum is wide at the centre, roughly diamond-shaped, with a large proximal lobe. The latter includes a distinct, lateral membranous structure. There is a cymbial flange in one species. The tibia of the palp has a single, variously-shaped apophysis and there is a distinct bump on the femur.

The female has two, large, poorly-sclerotised atria with copulatory openings at their distal edges. Long, thin insemination ducts lead posteriorly to the spermathecae which are more or less continuations of the insemination ducts. They are located adjacent to or overlapping the posterior margins of the atria, at some distance from the epigastric fold.

Biology

Proszynellus spp. have been collected on the ground, on tree trunks and in pitfall and bark traps.

Distribution

The genus is known only from southwestern Western Australia.

References

Patoleta, B. & Żabka, M. 2015. Proszynellus—a new jumping spider genus from Australia (Araneae: Salticidae). Zootaxa 3926, 257–267.

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.

* 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.