Pellenes brevis
Pellenes brevis is a species of jumping spider in the genus Pellenes. Initially named Attus brevis, the species was first identified in 1878 in France and Spain. It has subsequently been found in many countries in southern Europe and western Asia from Portugal to Iran. The spider is very dark brown or black, with a distinctive white semi-circle marking on the abdomen. The female is larger than the male, measuring up to in length. It lays its eggs in snail shells.
Taxonomy
Originally allocated to the genus Attus as Attus brevis, the species was first identified by Eugène Simon in 1868. It was moved by Simon to the genus Pellenes in 1878.Description
The spider has a very dark brown or black body with a slight golden tinge. The abdomen is black, with a white semi-circle marking at the front. It has black thighs and brown legs, the front legs looking swollen and the third legs thin and long. The female is larger at between long, compared to the male that is between long. The male has a brown carapace that is typically long and wide and abdomen long. The female carapace is typically long and wide and abdomen long and.wide.The species is similar to other members of genus, differing in details. For example, it can be differentiated from Pellenes allegrii by the size of the embolus in the male and the shape and size of the central blind-ending pocket in the female, and from Pellenes pseudobrevis by the female genitalia and male pedipalps.