OCR Text |
Show 756 MR. R. I. POCOCK ON ETHIOPIAN SPIDERS. [June 15, Syn. Stromatopelma alicapillatum, Karsch, Berl. ent. Zeits. 1881, p. 218. The Aranea calceata of Fabricius was based upon a fragmentary specimen from Guinea; Sc. aussereri of Becker upon specimens from Liberia ; and St. alicapillatum, Karsch, upon specimens from Accra in Fantee. Judging from the descriptions given by Becker and Karsch, the two species they described are identical. The Aranea calceata of Fabricius is also certainly identical with one of the species of this genus ; and I see no valid reason for dissenting from Mons. Simon's opinion that it is synonymous with the one that Becker and Karsch have established. The British Museum has in all 9 female specimens of this species; namely 6, varying in length from 19 to 48 mm., from Accra (67. A. Hlglett), one from the Cameroons (Capt. Burton), one from Ashanti, and one from the Afran plains, inland of Ashanti. SCODRA GRISEIPES, sp. n. (Plate XLIII. figs. 7-7 a.) 2 . A detailed description of this new species is unnecessary, seeing that it apparently only differs from the foregoing in the colouring of the underside of the femora. In calceata. or, to be strictly accurate, in the forms described as aussereri and alicapillatum, the lower side of the femora of the legs and palpi as well as the inner surface of the femora of the 1st and 2nd pairs and of the palpus are distinctly black, being, like the coxae and sternum, clothed as Becker describes it, " d'une tres epalsse couche de polles noirs courts veloutes," and against the black the bright foxy-red hairs on the outerside of the segments show up conspicuously. But in griseipes, though the sternum and coxae are dark brown, the lower and inner sides of the femora of all the appendages are clothed with whitish-grey hairs, and the long setae on the limbs are rather yellowish brown than foxy red. In the adult the length of the carapace is a little less than or about equal to that of the patella and tibia of the 4th leg, a little greater than those of the 2nd leg, and by about the same amount less than those of the 1st, whde it falls short of the length of the tibia and protarsus of the 1st leg by more than one-third of the protarsus, and is just about equal to those two segments on the 3rd leg. The proportions seem to be practically the same in Sc. calceata. 3 . In this sex the legs are relatively longer and more hairy, with longer fringes ; the carapace broader, flatter and more woolly ; the upperside of the abdomen with a thick woolly clothing of hairs copiously intermixed with bristles ; the hairs on the sterna and coxae are paler in colour than in the female, the maxilla showing up darker on account of its scantier clothing. Length of carapace equal to that of 4th protarsus, slightly shorter than patella and tibia of 3rd leg, equal to protarsus of 1st 4- the area to the base of the spot on the tarsus, about equal to the patella and tibia of the palpi; less than the tibia 4- the area to the spot on the 1st leg. The protarsus of the 1st 1 |