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Show 252 MR. F. PICKARD CAMBRIDGE ON THE [Apr. 15, b. Eyes of anterior row not equidistant, centrals nearer together than to the laterals l. [Note.-The following three species are, so far as I a m able to judge from the material at hand, all of one fundamental form, namely, tredecim-guttatus Fabr., but they fall into certain groups more or less limited by locality. Subjoined are the characters of extreme examples.] a2. Legs of first pair longer in proportion; tibia i. at least one-fourth longer than the carapace. 1. Abdomen either entirely black or brown, or with a central red band more or less broken up into distinct spots and three or more oval-elongate lateral spots. Ventral spot either absent or represented by a transverse band immediately below the genital rima, and often one above the spinners; probably also confluent, forming a larger spot tredecim-guttatus Rossi. 2. Abdomen black, with an oblong-oval, central, posterior apical red spot, with three very small white spots on each side. Ventral spot usually represented by a transverse bar below the genital rima menavodi Vinson. 3. Abdomen black, with a single central longitudinal red band, anteriorly either constricted or broken off to form a separate spot. Ventral spot either absent or with one or two transverse spots, or with a large dumbbell-shaped blotch hasseltii Thorell. b". Legs of first pair shorter in proportion; tibia i. not longer than the carapace. Spider usually smaller katipo Powell. II. LIST OF SPECIES AND SUB-SPECIES RECOGNIZED IN THIS PAPER. (For references and dates of synonyms, see Alphabetical List.) 1. LATRODECTUS HYSTRIX E. Simon, 1889. (Plate XXVI. fig. 2.) (Species.) This form is quite distinct from any others that have been taken in any part of the world, being clothed with short, stiff, stout black spines, and cannot be mistaken for anything else. Posterior row of eyes straight, approximately equidistant; centrals one diameter from each other, slightly further from the laterals. Posterior centrals much larger than the anterior centrals. Central anteriors less than one diameter apart, one diameter from the laterals, and distinctly smaller. Laterals half a diameter apart. The example figured was kindly lent by M. E. Simon, and another example was found by Col. Yerbury at Aden. Hab. Aden (Simon and Yerbury). 2. LATRODECTUS GEOMETRICUS C. L. Koch, 1841. (Plate XXVII. fig. 7.) (Species.) Synonym. L. zickzack (Karsch), sub Theridium. This form is more distinct from the others than any except 1 See note on p. 251. |
