Genus  Plexippus  C.L.Koch, 1846


 The main and sure characters of this genus are special structures of palpal organ in males and epigyne in females as shown in figs.210-209.
 Plexippus is one of historic names used during 19 century for variety of not related species.
 The genus contains still about 70 species from all continents, large part of them not related to its type species, Plexippus paykulli, which is a cosmopolitan species, limited to warm areas.
 There are new species of true Plexippus still being discovered in the Oriental Region and in Africa.


Species  Plexippus paykilli (Savigny et Audouin, 1825)


Material. 1 female - Plexippus paykulli (Audouin) Japan. Mt.Yoshino, Nara Pref.,3.IX.1955, leg.T.Yaginuma - coll.J.Proszynski.

Comparative materail. 1 male, 1 female - Plexippus paykulli Senegal, Dakar - coll.E.Simon 916, MNHN - Paris.
 

 Female (from Japan). Cephalothorax brown with yellowish median streak along the thorax.
 Abdomen greyish, whitish dotted and with whitish median streak expanded transversally in two thirds of length.
 Margins of dorsal surface also whitish.
 Frontal aspect brown, numerous and long but not very dense white setae overhanging cheliceral bases.
 Ventrally yellowish fawn, with abdomen greyish (fig.255); epigyne (figs.222,224).
 Fig.233 shows imprint of epigyne on a waxy stopper blocking epigyne and disfiguring its external appearance, removed during preparation.
 The female from Senegal appears identical with that described above, with epigyne blocked with wax in a similar way.
 As that stopper has not been removed, there is no certitude that it really was identical.
 It should be mentioned that drawings of epigyne of P.paykulli published in various papers represent in fact different species.
 As we have not revised the species yet we cannnot comment upon identity of these species, the above described including.
 Palpal organ of male from Senegal is shown on figs.226-227.
 As we have not seen any male from Japan, we cannot say whether they are identical.

 Measurements (male from Senegal - female from Senegal - female from Japan):
 length of cephalothorax 4.54-4.54-4.05,
 length of abdomen 5.40-5.18-6.88, 
 length of eye field 1.92-1.85-1.85,
 width of eye field I 2.63-2.63-2.41,
 width of eye field III 2.63-2.63-2.34,
 height 1.85-2.06-1.92.
 Length of segments of legs: 
I   1.42-1.06-1.14+2.27-1.56-1.49+3.05-1.92-1.77+2.97-1.92-1.63+3.19-2.48-2.63;
II  1.14-1.14-1.06+1.92-1.42-0.99+2.06-1.78-1.28+1.79-1.78-1.21+3.12-2.56-1.99;
III 1.35-1.49-1.28+2.97-1.99-1.77+1.92-1.70-1.63+1.70-1.42-1.49+2.98-2.63-2.48;
IV  1.14-1.35-1.28+2.70-2.34-2.13+2.90-1.70-1.92+1.63-1.49-1.49+3.19-2.84-2.63.
 Ratios:
 a 0.42-0.41-0.45;
 b 1.00-1.00-1.03;
 c 0.73-0.70-0.76;
 d 1.15-1.00-1.17;
 h 0.41-0.45-0.47.

  
(from Bohd. and Prosz.,1987, 115-117)
 
  
Species  Plexippus setipes Karsch, 1879


Plexippus setipes Karsch, 1879: 89, Yaginuma 1970: 672, 1974: 108, f.294, Prosznski 1973b: 120-124, ff.61-66,
Dexippus berlandi Schenkel, 1963: 456, Proszynski 1973b: 120 (syn.Plexippus setipes).


Material. 1 female - Plexippus setipes Karsch - Japan, Amagasaki, hyogo Pref., X.1954; 1 male - Plexippus setipes Karsch - Japan, Tokyo, VIII.1964, leg.S.Matsumoto, det.T.Yaginuma - coll.J.Proszynski.

Comparative materail. 1 male, 1 female - Plexippus paykulli Senegal, Dakar - coll.E.Simon 916, MNHN - Paris.
 

 Male. Cephalothorax multicoloured: eyes surroundings black;
eye feild with a metalic gleam, fawn with brown bristles (longer over eyes I and laterally to eye field),
anteriorly covered with whitish grey long adpressed setae, posteriorly to the eyes II level setae are whitish;
posteriorly to lateral eyes a pair of broad brown stripes with brown setae (continued on the abdomen),
laterally and medially carapace fawnish yellow covered irregularly with whitish long adpressed setae;
ventral margin gark brown, bordered dorsally with brown (anteriorly whitish) setae.

 Length of cephalothorax 2.77,
 length of eye field 1.21,
 width of eye field I  1.77
 width of eye field III 1.70,
 Leg I yellowish fawn with 5 spines on metatarsus, 10 on tibia, 1 on patella, 8 on femur;
other legs similar but spines more numerous on posterior legs.
 Length of segments of legs: 
I   0.78+0.99+1.21+0.92+1.49;
II  0.71+0.85+0.92+0.85+1.56;
III 0.99+0.99+0.92+0.85+1.63;
IV  0.85+1.42+1.14+0.99+1.85.

 Abdomen whitish yellow, with sparse long brown bristles and posteriorly with setae of the same colour as the local pigmentation of tegument,
anteriorly with big oval yellowish orange patch;
median (inconspicuous anteriorly) grey bown narrow stripe similar to a herring bone pattern,
laterally a pair of broad brown stripes with small lighter dots;
lateral surfaces with dark brown broken lines.
 Anal tubercle and spinnerets greyish brown.
 Length of abdomen 2.98.
 Clypeus brown with whitish setae and hairs;
eyes I densely surrounded by distally bent setae:
ventrally whitish and some other whitish yellow.
 Chelicerae fawn with 1 retromarginal posterior and 1 (2 on right) promarginal teeth.
 Palpal organ shown on figs.228-230.
 Sternum yellow with yellowish setae.
 Abdomen ventrally yellowish white with narrow longitudinal stripes:
median short and grey, lateral brownish black with small irregular grey brown patches;
lateral surfaces with blackish longitudinal lines.

  Female. Cephalothorax similar to that of male but darker, setae more scarce dorsally (probably worn out), eye feild glossy;
thorax fawnish brown with brown setae and with median fawnish orange stripe, ventral margin dark brown bordered dark grey.

 Length of cephalothorax 3.76,
 length of eye field 1.49,
 width of eye field I  2.34,
 width of eye field III 2.34,
 Leg I stronger than in male, fawn, with 2 pairs of spines on metatarsus, 8 spines on tibia, 1 on patella, 6 on femur,
other legs similar but spines more numerous.
 Length of segments of legs: 
I   0.78+1.06+1.42+1.28+1.92;
II  0.92+0.99+1.35+1.21+1.99;
III 0.99+1.28+1.21+1.06+2.06;
IV  1.06+1.77+1.42+1.14+2.27.

 Abdomen covered with yellowish brown setae and brown bristles, with median yellowish white broad stripe, laterally and on lateral surfaces grey net with yellowish dots forming longitudinal 
 Anal tubercle retracted, spinnerets yellowish brown.
 Length of abdomen 4.76.
 Clypeus broad, fawnish brown with long transparent bristles, eyes surrounding similar as in male but less distinct.
 Chelicerae fawn, teeth as on left chelicerae of male.
 Palpal organ shown on figs.228-230.
 Sternum as in male but setae darker.
 Venter similar to that of male.
 Epigyne shown on figs.231-232.

  
(from Bohd. and Prosz.,1987, 117-119)