OCR Text |
Show 1897.] MR. R. I. POCOCK ON ETHIOPIAN SPIDERS. 747 will apparently come under heading V\ being related in all probability to Monocentropus and Anoploscelus, but certainly differing in that the legs are without spines, and the protarsal scopula of the 4th leg extends almost to the base of the segment, as in Hysterocrates, near which Mons. Simon places it. There is a single species named rubida, which was obtained inland of Zanzibar. Solenothele, Simon (Ann. Soc. Ent. France, 1891, p. 297), based upon a female, named decemnotata, from the Upper Congo. Seeing that the length of the specimen is given as only just over 16 mm., there is strong presumptive evidence that it is immature, and therefore no stress is to be laid upon the division of all the tarsal scopulae by bands of setae. Similarly with the colouring from wdiich the specific name is taken, the young of many species of this group, e. g. Avicularia, being spotted on the abdomen. The genus is said to differ from Ischnocolus in having the external spinners nearly as long as the abdomen, and the anterior two pairs of legs broader than the posterior and with wider scopulae ; the tibiae and protarsi are spined, and the fovea is transverse, very lightly recurved. Judging from these characters, the genus would fall under section a4 in the table, but should certainly be recognizable from Mlaschlstopus by its long spinners, widely scopulate 1st legs, &c. Lastly the Madagascar genus Encyocrates would apparently fall under section hi, but since the characters of the male are unknown and there is no mention in the original description of the position of the sternal sigilla nor of the armature of the claws, it is hard to say whether it would come under a ° or o5. The tibiae of the legs, however, are said to be unspined, which would separate the genus from both Monocentropus and Anoploscelus. Moreover a young specimen of a Theraphosine from Senbendrana (Madagascar) which I identify as an Encyocrates, has the sigilla submarginal and the claws untoothed. The three following genera belonging to the Mediterranean area and occurring, at least in the case of Chcetopelma and Ischnocolus, in the countries of North Africa, do not, so far as is at present, known, spread into the true Ethiopian Eegion. Chcetopelma, Ausserer (Verh. z.-b. Wien, 1871, p. 190), might be introduced into the table under section d\ having the legs richly spinous &c. ; but it certainly differs from Miaschlstojrus in having the tarsal scopulae of 3rd and 4th leg divided, two tibial spurs on the 1st leg on the male &c. In these respects it resembles Seleno-gyrus, but is quite distinct owing to the form of the thoracic fovea which is broad and transverse. This genus has representatives in Egypt, Syria, and Arabia. Cratorhagus, Simon (Act. Soc. Linn. Bord. xliv. p. 330, 1892), with two Mediterranean representatives, namely, concolor and tetramera from Syria (see Simon, M e m . Soc. Liege, (2) v. 1873, p. 31 &c), is apparently closely related to Chcetopelma, but at least differs in having the tarsal scopulae of the 1st and 2nd legs in the adult as well as of the 3rd and 4th divided by a band of setae. |