Pseudicius procerus

Pseudicius procerus is a small spider. The male has a cephalothorax that is between 1.8 and 2.0 mm (0.071 and 0.079 in) long and between 1.3 and 1.4 mm (0.051 and 0.055 in) wide.^[13] The carapace is oval and flat, dark brown apart from a patch of white hairs in the very middle and black-lined white streaks on the sides, with a covering of delicate colourless hairs. There is a streak in the middle It has a black eye field with long thin bristles around the eyes themselves. The spider has a low clypeus covered in white hairs. The abdomen is between 1.8 and 2.0 mm (0.071 and 0.079 in) long and between 1.2 and 1.3 mm (0.047 and 0.051 in) wide. It is dark brown and ovoid with two a lattice-like pattern of white stripes running down the middle crossed by three other white stripes running from side to side, one at the very front, another in the middle and the last near the rear.^[14] The underside is yellowish-brown and the spinnerets are dark. The chelicerae are dark brown while the labium and sternum are light brown. The legs are brown and a sparse covering of very long brown hairs. The forelegs are longer, thicker and darker. The spider has row of stiff bristles below the eye field and short bristles on its femur that it uses to stridulate. The pedipalps are brown. There is a single very long, pointed and slightly curved tibial apophysis, and a medium-sized embolus that joins to the ovsl tegulum.^[15]

The female is similar to the male. The carapace is approximately the same size, measuring typically 1.6 mm (0.063 in) long and 1.2 mm (0.047 in) wide.^[13] It is generally lighter, particularly to the rear, with a more indistinct pattern. The abdomen is typically 2.04 mm (0.080 in) long and 1.3 mm (0.051 in) wide. It has similarly dark brown with a lighter pattern. The design is different to the male. Instead of two stripes down the middle there is a vague stripe to the rear while the lateral stripes are more distinct and the rearmost stripe is broken so that it looks more like chevrons.^[14] The underside is light. The spinnerets are greyish and the legs, apart from the brown front legs, are whitish-yellow. The epigyne has two pockets to the front and copulatory openings to the rear. The spider has long looping insemination ducts that lead to elongated spermathecae that lie longwise at the rear of the epigyne.^[15]

The species is similar to Pseudicius matabelensis but differs in the design of its copulatory organs. The male can be distinguished by the shape of the spike on the palpal tibia, longer embolus and more oval palpal bulb. The female has longer and broader seminal ducts.^[13]

Pseudicius spiders can be found across Afro-Eurasia and the Eastern hemisphere.^[16] Pseudicius procerus is endemic to South Africa and Zimbabwe.^[1] The holotype was found near Kakamas in Northern Cape during 2017. It is a tree-dwelling spider that lives in Nama Karoo habitats. It particularly can be found in small shrubs and bushes.^[15]