(Re<'. 7.oul. But. .lfr., XLVI, 1-2). (.·J Jmru le 22 aolill952).

A collection of cavernicolous and termitophilous Arachnida

from the Belgian Congo.

by R. F. LA\VRENCE Ph. D. (Natal Museum, Pictermaritzburg, South Africa)

vVith 9 figures in the text.

The small collection of Ara·chnida kindly entrusted to me for identi­fication by Dr E. DARTEVELLE of the Musee du Congo Beige, consists for the most par.t of Araneae, one species each of uhe orders Opiliones and Uropygi being also represented in it. The material was collected during· the years 19'18 and 1949 by Mr N. LELEUP, mainly in various caves of the Belgian Congo but also in a few loca!J.itie-s outside of caves such as gallery forest, the dried heels of rivers and the nests of termites.

My sincere thanks js extended to Dr E. DARTEVELLE and the autho­rities of the 1\lfusee du Congo Bellge for ena~bling me to examine this interesting collection of Arachnids, some oJ which belong to genera which have not previously been recorded as living in caves.

The faunal list, with the exception of four specimens which are incomplete or are too s.mall to pcnnit identification, can be set out as follows.

ORDER UROPYGI :·:lchi:wmus montanus I-IANSEN.

ORDER OPILIONES Conomrna troglodytes n. sp.

TTiaeris bel'landi n. sp.

ORDER ARANEAE Family OoNol' mAE

-2-

Fan1ily PHOLCJDAJ<:

Pholcus sp. Family TI-IERIDIIDAE

Sphyrotimls sp. F;nni1y ARGYOPIDAE

Pachygnatha leleujJi n. sp. Tetragnalha cylindrifunnis n. sp. Cyrtarachne tennitophila n . .s;p.

Farnily TtiOMISIDAE

Thomisops eTemita n. sp. Pamrnystm·ta flavoguttata ·n. sp.

Fmnily CLUBIONIDAE

Selenops caventicolus n. sp. Ctenus fagei LEssERT.

Ctenus diTus THoRELL.

Ctenus sp.

ORDER UROPYGI montanus HANSEN. - Text~fig. 1. Schizomus

S. mr>ntanus jaro-lVlen.r,

HANSEN, \Viss.. Ergeb. Sohwcd. Zool. Expecl. Kilimand-20. Arachnoidea, 5. Tartarides, 'P· 8J~, Pl. "1, 1910.

a b

Fig. I. - Schizmnus ·mrmfmlus HANHEN Q ; a flagellttm ancl tt>rminal segment of abdomen st~en from ahove, b tarsu;; of pedipnlp from the side.

3-

Four female~ are contained in the collection, three of them from caves at ThysviJle, (N. 5, 7.IX.4,9; N. 10, 22.VII.49; N. 11, 24.VL49); the folll·th female was t:aken in a aave at l\rBoma (N. l, 26.VIII.49). These specimens agree dosely with HANSEN's description but differ in the claw of the pedipa'lp being less than I /2 the upper length of the tarsus and in the inferior s·1)ine of the tarsus beincr long·er and thicker b , I

Fig. I b; the terminal segment of the flagdlum Fig. 1 a, is somewhat longer in proportion to the rest of the appendage. The femur of leg I is considerably longer tihan the tibia, which is again three.fourths the length of the patdla. In sopite of these differences I do not think that these forms merit specific separation from HANSEN's types.

ORDER OPILIONES

SunoRDER Laniatores

FAMILY PHALANGODIDAE

Genus CONOMMA LoMAN

Conomma troglodytes n. sp. - Text-fig. 2.

Type, 1 $, in a cave at Thysville (N. 3, 18.VIII.49).

Colour. Dorsrul and ventral sudaces of body orange, a-ppendages a little lighter.

Donal surface. Ocular tulbercle (Fig. 2 a) low, ris.ing almost direct:ly from the anterior margin of carapace, with a few enlarged pointed granules in the middle of its. posterior surf.ace; area just posterior to ocullar tubercle with small rounded irreg·uJ.ar granules about 3 rows deep, Ill wiuh a pair of enlarge1d pointe'd gTa'nules in the n1.iddle, IV with 1 such granule in the mvddle; free tergites with 2 rows of gTa. n.u,les, those of the anterior one nnaller, at least 1 enlarged conical gTanule in the m:Udclole o£ eai:h posterior row and some others at irre­gulltr intervals more or Jes's enlarged; lateral n1.argin of dorsail scute with a single row of m.inute g-ranules; between this row and the groove defining the .lateral marg·in of the areas, a f.ew minute irregularly scat­tered granules.

VentTal surface. Inferior surface of ·Coxae cov.,ered with srnall, evenly dis.tributed granules, anterior max,gin o;[ I with 3-4 enlarged granules; trochanter IV at itn dis.ul'l posterior apex witlh a strong point:ecl tooth; free sternites with a regu.l,ar and conspicuous row of rather enlarged

granules, posterior to this row a much less regular one of much smal­ler granu-les.

Pedipalp as in Fig. 2 b seen from the inner side; dorsal surface of femur with a t-ow of 8 conspicuous teeth at fairly regular intervals, inner surface near apex with a large conica•l spine-tipped tooth directed

a

b

c

f d

Fig. 2. - Conomuw troylodytes n. sp. (I; ; a antcdor end of hody from the side b trochanter, fennn· and tibia of p<·clipalp from inner side, c pate-lla and tibia of twdi­p.alp from below, d chelicera from outer side, e tibia of leg II, f atrex llt tlw sanw

enlarged.

inwards ahnost at right angt:es to the segmcn t when seen fl'Olll above, a much smaller tooLh dist:al to it; patcl.la and tibia as in Fig. 2c seen frmn below, i·nner side of patella w·ith I l•argc, I small LOoth, outer side with only 1 small tooth; tanms with B conical S<pitw-tippc-d teeth on each sirle below, the apica·l pair shorter and weaker than the other two.

-5-

Chelicerae a,._ in Fig. 2 cl seen frorn outer side; basaJl segment with 2 conspicuous pointed grm1tt'les above.

Legs Ill and IV distinct,ly stoutcr than the anterior ones, the tr-o­chanters and patellae of bhese legs incrassatc and more or less rounded; coxa IV enlarged, its width distinct<ly exceeding the sum of coxae I­HI, its lateral margin (seen from above) with moderate sized serrated teeth; .femur IV sign1oid, the dorsal an'cl ventral surfaces of femur to rne'tatarsus with a row of s1nall ~nrnules, giving them a serrated appear­ance; remaining legs with rnore or less regular rows of 1ninute granules; tibia of leg li with secondary sexual modification as in Figs. 2 e> f. Tarsal segments 4 : 20 : 5 : 6; terrriin al s·ection of tarsus in legs I an'tl II with 2 segme·nts.

Dimensions. Length of body (chelicerae excluded) 2.8, pedipalp 4.5, leg II 13.7 mm.

Other material, I irnmature specimen (N. 12) from a cave at Thys­ville (22.VIIA9).

This· s'peci.rnen resembles C. annolwmurn ROEWER in the sexual modification of tibia II (6, p. 38, Fig. 63); it differs from it in the much lowe1: O'cular tuberde, in lacking a tooth on patella IV and regular transverse rows of enla1:ged granules on areas I-IV, and in the larger number of tarsaJ segments of the second leg.

ORDER ARANEAE

FAMIL">; OONOPIDAE

Gen.us TRIAERIS E. SIMON

Triaeris berlandi n. sp. - Text-<fig·. 3.

Type, <:;?, entrance to a cave at Thysville (N. 6, 18.VIII.49).

Colorttr. Gephalothorax and dorsal scute orange, cepha1othorax a little darker at the sidm, margination of sternum reddish-brown; ab­domen with two large brownish pur:ple oval markings between the ventra.l scute and spinners.

Cej;halothora.x only a little longer than wide, truncate anteriorly, the ocu.I.ar area occupying hall' its anterior width, its anterior margin with 3 setae on each side, the lateral one muoh shorter than the re­maining two, Fig. 3 b.

Eyes, Fig'- 3 b; large, 1nuch as in macrophthalmtts BERLAND, (1, Fig.

-6-

33), the anterwr eyes s·e.paratetl by more than their dimnctcr and less than their longest cliarncter from the edg·c of the clypcus.

Mouthparts as in Fig. 3d, maxillae at their inner apices with a brush of stiff hairs.

b

c

e

d

/

Fig. 3. - Triaeris l>erlmJ·di n. sp. Q ; a outline nf hndy, b anterior end of cephalothorax, enlarged, c epigastric region, cnlarg·ed,

d labittm and maxillae, e 1Jatella and tibia of leg I, f otw the tibial S1Jincs L'niat"RCd.

Abdomen. Dorsa•! su11face with a wdil defined oval scutc as 111. Fig. 3 a1 occupying more or le&~ the middl<e of the dorsum but nearer to the anterior than to the posterior end o[ ahc.lomen.

Ventral su1·[ace as in Fig. 3 c, th.e infcrim· scntc divided, the posterior haU passing backwards beyond the epigastric region.

-7-

Legs moderately long a'lHl fairly thi,ckset, trochanter 1 longer than those of the remaining legs; tibia and patella I as in Fig. 3 e, seen from the side, tibia inferiorly with two fairly regu.lar rmvs of 3-5 enlarged spines, patella inferiorly with 2-2 similar spines. These spines not essc·ntially different from the nu1nerous setae of the legs hut di­stinctly largn, provided with accessory filaments, Fig. 3 f, and springing from large con vex chi tinous processes.

Dimensious. Length oJ cephalothorax 0.7-1, total length 1.9 mm. This species, though also rcsc·mlbling T. wacrojJhfhalrna BERLAND,

appears to be nmst closely allied to the Eun)lpean species T. slenaspis SIMON, judging from the figures given by BrusTOWE of this species (2, p. 878). It differs from macwphthalma in the shape o[ the cepha­lothorax and the size and position of the dorsal scute, as well as in the shape of the maxillae and labium. It differs from the other J-\fri­can spe-cies, T. equestTis SIMoN, in the dorsa.l scute being oval and not parallel-sided. From T. stenasjJis it differs in the more posteriorly situated dorsal sn1te, judging by BRISTOWE's Fig. 13, loc. cit.

FAMILY PHOLCIDAE

Genus PHOLCUS WALGK.

Pholcus sp.

I immature J (N. 9). In the bed of a dried stream at Kyende (7. VII.49).

FAMILY THERIDIIDAE

Genus SPHYROTINUS SIMON

Spbyrotinus sp.

1 immature ~ (N. 7) from a cave at Kakontwe (l.VIII.48).

This specimen judging by the arrangement of the eyes, should be attributed to this genus. BERLAND (1, p. 164:) ha;s des-cribed the ~ o£ a species, SphynJtinus chopardi from British East Africa, which he assigns with reservatians to this genus. In view of the fact that Sphyro· tinus is properly limited to South America, both these forms may per­haps be re.garded as be•longing to a separate but allied African genus when more material is available [or study.

-8-

FAMILY ARGYOPIDAE

Genus PACHYGNA THA Sul'm.

Pachygnata leleupi n. sp. - Texbfig. 4.

Type, I 'i! (N. 9) beneath stones at the entrance to a ca·vc at Ka­kO'ntwe (l.VIII.48).

Colour. Cephalothorax and sternum d;u·k reddish-brown, contrast­ing strongly with the yeUow legs; abdomen above light brown, speck­led with white spots; two lateral rows, each of g_,l triangular brown

a c

Fig. 4. - Pacltygnatha lclcut•i n. sp. <jl ; a chelicera fl'Om inner side, b from below, c vulva.

n1arkiJngs•, lbel:iwcen thetn some s·hort irrcg·ular t·rans-verse bars, those a'bove the s•pinners more dti•stinct and much wi'de.r; sides and ventral sur{ace with symmetrical dark stripes _and S~)ots on a li'151ht brown bat;k­ground; legs yellow, tarsi and to a ,Jess extent metatars·i, a litdc darker.

Eeyes. Anterior median eyes separated by about I 1/'2. times their dia,meter; pos,terior .row moderately recurv-cd, the mcdi<rns about twice t'heir diameter a:part, a little further from the latcra.ls; median eyes sub equal or the antedors a little- larger; median q lHtdrangle as wide in front as behind, a little long·cr than wide; la terals contiguous on eaoh side, the anterior a little larger than the posterior; a·n terior medians the length of dlC median quad1•angle frorn edge of the clypeus.

Chelicerae seen from the inner side as in Fig. •1 a, from bc·low as in

-9

Fig. 4 b. Anterior margin with a conical projection near the base of the fang, in addition with 3 large sharp teeth, the rniddle nearer to the basal than to the apical one; posterior (inferior) margin ··with 5 smaller teeth, 2 near the base of the fang· separated by a space fron1 3 more proximal teeth, these equidistant, the n10st distal o:f these three the largest of the series.

Vulva as in Fig. 4 c.

Legs I, 11, IV, Ill. long and slender, es•pcciaJI1y the tarsi and rnet·a­tarsi, unspined, the tibiae and distal segments with a regular row of setae dorsally and ventraJly.

Dimensions. Total length 3 mm. The species resem.lblcs P. rnucronata TULLGREN (9, p. 147, Fig. 68) in

its colouring anrd in having the chelicerae rather s"'vollen; it differs in the detailed structure of the chelicerae, having 5 instead of 4 teeth on the inferior margin and with the fan.g longer in relation to the whole chelicera.·

Genus TETRAGNATHA LATR.

Tetragnatha cylindriformis n. stp. -· -Text-fig. 5.

Type> 1 ~,(N. 13) in galle1~y forest of the Kashibi, Kanzenze (1.49). Co.lout·. Cephalothonax, a;ppendages, sternum and maxiHae yellow,

without markings, labium yeHowish~brown, ab'domen brown. Byes. Anterior rorw -~:trongly recurverd, distinctly more so than poste­

rior row, a line touching the u,pper margins of the n1cedians would .pass .in front of the lateral;s; medians I 1/2 times di<LIUeter of 1aterals, 1 1/2 times their own diameter apart and a little more from the late­rals. Posterior row moderately recurverd, medians a littJe smaller than anterior med-ians, th.eir own diameter apart and a little further from the laterals; median quadrang•le as wide in front as behind and a little longer than wide; laterals. on each side nearer to each other than are the medians to eaoh other, the posterior larger than t;he anterior; clypeus 1 l /2-2 tfue diamet,er cl an anterior median eye.

Chelicerae. Superior margin with 6 stout triangular teeth decreasing progressively in size towaPds the base of segment, Fig. 5 c; in-ferior margin with 10 much smaller te·eth, more or •les:> equal-sized except the third from the base, whioh is disti·nctly smaller, Fig. 5 a; both margins in addition with a large api•cal tooth, tha•t of the inferior margin smaller and distinctly curved; fang seen from the inner side with a signmid fle:xure, bent downwards i•n the middle hut more or 1ess,parallel to the segment in its clistal half, Fi.g. 5 b, a <lis,tinct tooth near its basal insertion above.

10-

Legs, I, ll, IV, II I, very long- and s.lcnder; anterior femora, espe­cially of leg 1, distinctly stouter tha·n those of posterior leg-s; leg I much longer than II. All leg'' with a rcw ·weak setae on the femora, patellae ( 1) and ti1biae, 1 at the b-as{: o[ each m.etatarsus above.

Abdomen long cylindrical and of almost even width from bas-e to a.pex; spinners situated at extrc.u1e apex.

lt b c

•

Fig. s. - Tetmyna/ ha cylhrd.ri/ol111lis n. sp. ~ ; a in fcrior surface of chelicera, b from inner side, c superior surface.

Di?nensions. Length of carapace 2·.7, o.f chelicera 2.5, o[ abdomen 6 1Ull1.

This spedes appears to belong to SIMON's s<.~ction D (7, p. 27·1). It is very similar to T. foai SIMON (8), differing from it in dctai1ls of the dentition o[ the cheli.cerae, in the posterior median eyes being a little further from the laterals uhan from cad1 other, and lackin•g a black apical a·nnulaction on the tibiae and metatarsi of the legs.

Genus CYRTARACHNE Tumu:u.

Cyrtarachne termitophila n. sop. - Text-fig. li.

Type, 1 i5 (N. 11), in a small termite nest, Kunddungu P'latcau (I. I. 1949) .

ColouT. Cephalothorax orange, a little darke1· anwrio11ly; dorsal

- ll-

scutc of abdomen orange, a little lighter than cephalothorax; ventral surface of abdomen, stennun and legs yeHow; apices of femora, patel­lae and tibiae of the legs ting'ecl ·with light reddish-brm.vn.

Cephalothomx with 3 .large bllack setae, a [ounh considerably smaller behind the posterior .n1edian eyes.

Eyes. Anterior row (seen from a:bove) strongly recurved, Inedians the largest of the eyes ( l l /2 times as large as posterior medians) , their

Fig. 6. -· C}"rta.rachne lcrmitopJd/a n. sp. ~ ; a cephalothorax rm\ abdomen, /J pedipalp ft-om below and a little to the side, c the same from directly above,

d patella and tibia of leg- I from above.

b

c

d

own diameter apart or a little nrore, a little nearer to the laterals; posterior row moderately re·curved, 1nerdia111S almost twice as large as the l<l'tcrals, a little more than their diameter apart aN cl l 1/2-2 as far from the .latera.l1s as from each other; median quadrangle (seen from above) twice as wide as long and much wi~er in front then behind;

12-

laterals O'n ea·ch side contiguous and su1Jcqual; clypcus a little less than the diameter of an anterior ,median eye.

Abdomen as in Fig. 6 a, l l /2 times as wide as long, covered with a ch:itin'Ous scute indistinctly bordered at the margins, with a number of rather srnall setiferous conical twberdes arranged as in Fig G a; these surmounted by strong bl<t'ck setae some o{ which have been lost; sigiHa very indistinct, a pair near the anterior margin of abdornen.

PedipaljJ as i·n Fig. 6 b o·ecn £1~o:m below, from above (drawn in situ) as in Fig. 6 c; tamus cubov•e at its postero-lateral angle with a sma'll chitinous spherical process.

Legs with stifif setae, tibia of leg I in ius bas·al thi!'d on inner side with a long spine-.like seta directed inwards almost at right angles to the segment, a little below it a rmv of 8 enlarged s,pinelike setae, Fig. 6 d, seen fron1 above. Rmnainin,g legs without these ~ctae hut with nun1erous less regularly arranged setae.

Dimensions. Cepha·Iothotax 0.9, total le'n.gth 2 mm. This species dil'fers com•pl>etely in a nmnber of characters fr\Qnl .the

only male descrrbed .from .Alrica, C. finnegani LESSERT (5, p. 249) but resernlble;,s it in the disiposition of the eyes. It may possibly be the male of one or£ the six other A>frican species, all of whioh have been de­scdbed from the female alone and of whi·ch a list has been given 'by LESSERT (loc. cit., p. 251).

It irs most unusual for an Argy·opid spider to be found in a terrnile nest, and a'S far as I ·a,m aware no males or females of this fmnilly have been recorded fron1 such a hab'itat.

Genus THOMISOPS KARSCH

Thomisops eremita n. sp. - Tcxt-•Iig. 7.

Type, 1 iJ (N. 7), in fungus growth of a te1•mitc nest, Plateau de Lauga (23.VIII.49).

Colow·. In genera'! orange yeUow, body an>d ap.pcrHhtgcs clothed witJ1 scattered white hahs, a. pair c)f narrow white stripes ·forming a lyre·sll'aped .marking· reaching fr.om th'e tutberclc·s of the po::tcrior late­ral eyes to near thoe pos•terior cn1d <}f ceth'alothorax; another less dis­tinct whirte stripe :near the latenul margin of the caravacc and almost parallel to it, rcaohi·ng· rl'rom opposite the -postcrio.r latent! eye to the pos·terior I•ateral an;gloe of the :car'a.pa.c:e; tuherdes of the eyes white. Ahdomen with. purpf1ish·lhrown rnwrkings aiS in l'ig. 7 r., and jnst poste· rior to t·hcse two sinuous trans·versc white stripe>, otherwise orange yellow.

Cephalothomx roughened with a covering of small regularly disposed granules, none enlarged except l-2 at the postero-lateral angles of carapace.

Eyes. Seen frmn above posterior row a 'little more strm1gly recurved than anterior row, lateral.~ a little smaller than the medians, the four eyes equidistant or rhe medians a very little further frorn each other than from the laterals; anterior row seen fro·m in front fairly Sltrongly recurved, the medians 2j;~ the size o[ the laterals and a little further frmn tht·lll than from ea·ch other; median eyes subequal (or the ante-

a c b

Fig. 7. -· Thomisops eremita n. sp. ~ ; a tibio-tarsus of pedipalp from below, b the same from outer side, c abdomen :from above.

rior a li1ttle Imger) forming a quadrangle :rnuch wider 1hehind than in front, its anterior width a little greater than its leng-Ih; laterals on eaoch side equal, nem'er to each other tl1an ·are the medians to each other; distance between anterior median eyes and edge of clypeus grea,ter than the length of the median quadrangle.

Abdom.en above coriaceous, without enlarged granules except 1 or 2 at the sides near its anterior margin; coxae, sternum and .legs clothed with white hairs, 11:he latter without spi·nes.

Pe£lipalp.' Tibia and tarsus as in Fig. 7 b > seen from outer side, ti­bial prooesos short and dagger~like, fonnin.g a fine point but broad ba>Sa!Iy; tarsus a'S in Fig. 7 a seen from below.

Dimensions. Total length 3.3 mm. . This form rese.mbles T. pupa KARSCH nrost close•ly but its colouring

is quite diliferent and iJt lacks the coarse granulation of the abdomen; the tibial process of the peclipalp in g•eneral resembles that of pu.pa

-14-

but is broader an'Cl shorter, bein:g less than half the length of tarsus, while in pujJa it is somewhat nwre than half, according to LESSERT's

figure (4> p. 117, Fig. 34). The habitat of this species is peculiar. I have however found nu­

n1:erous fcrnaJ,es and mates of T homisojJs nigroannulall(t LAWRENCE

living in grassy s<oil at the ha,se of the wa-Ils of buildings in Natal where both ants and tennites were a•bundant. It is possible that these Thomisidae either feed on tennites or are associated with them in some other W"ay.

Genus PARAMYST ARIA LESSERT (?)

Paramystaria flavoguttata n. sp. - Text-fig. 8.

Type> l immature ~ (N. 8), beneath stonC\'l at the entrance of a cave at Kakontwe (l.VIII.48).

Colour entirely blat:k, only the rl:orsum of albdomen posteriorly with two large oval yellow spots, Fig. 8 a, oontraSJting very markedly

a b

Fig. 8. - Param:yslcwia flm>oyulfata n. sp. 9. ; a abdomen, l1 anterior end of cephnlothorax from above.

with the rest of the body; 'leg HI wi1th metatarsi and tarsi orange, tibia reddish-brown, patella a little daTkcr; l'ClliUi'n'dcr of leg Ill and aJl other legs enttircly "bla·ck, ventral surface of hotly entirely black, the yellow spots of the abdomen not visitble from below.

- 15

Eyes as in Fig. 8 b, the anterior a li.ttle larger than posterior nte­dians; median quadrang•le distinctly wider behind than in front and wider in front than long; the two rows feebly and about equally re­curved.

Chelicerae wi·th 2 s.m'all teeth on superior margin, l larger triangu­lar tooth on inferior n1argin.

Abdomen granular above, wi:th 3 s.mall distinct muscle impressions as in Fig R a, the s·ides grooved.

Legs. Femur 1 with a row o[ 5 [onxan.lly projecting ~pines in its mid1cllc half, all fe.mora with a scitiform spine in basal third above; patellae with 2 dorsa·! spines, one near the base, 1 at apex; tibiae with 2 dorsal and 2 long ventral spines; anterior legs longer than pos­terior, the tarsi and me·t'atarsi es:pe:cially longer and more s•Iender; metaiarcus I abontt equal to tarsus a-nd metatarsus IV.

Dimensions. Length of cephalothorax 1.6, of abdomen 2.2 mm. The species is ascribed with some doubt to this genus; in general ap­pearance it rcsernbles a small species ()[ Stiphrojms n1ore than any other genus. The anterior tarsi an•d metatansli however are lnng, slender and of even width, not i111cr'assate apically as in typica-l Stiphm­pus; t•he well developed spines of the legs and the dentate cheHcerae als·o separate it from tihis genus. The :S•pecies ahhough i1nmature should be easy to recognise O'n account of its striking and ·chara-cteristic co­l-ouring.

FAMILY CLUBIONIDAE

Genus SELENOPS LATR.

Selenops cavernicolus n. sp. - Text-Jig. 9.

Type, 1 !;? (N. 2), in a· cave at M'Boma (26.VIII.49) . Colour. Anterior femora blackened anteriorly except in apical fifth,

anterior tiibiae with 2 distinct broad blackish-lbrown bands, anterior metatarsi blaokishJbrown except rut extreme a,pi'Ces; abdomen above mobt<led with brown· and yellow spots, with some bla:ckish-bPown sym­metrical markings, re.mainldeT of body and legs mottled brown.

Eyes. Anterior row seen frmn in front dist<inctly recurved, a line joining the lo.wer stwfa·ces of t'he la1terals would pass a little below the oe1Hrcs of the medi·ans; medians 2/3~3/4 the ·diame-ter o.[ the la:terals and separated by their own diameter, less than their radius from the laterals; a·nteri.or rnedians about 2/3 their diameter from the edge of the clypeus.

Abdmnen. Po:.tcrior four.th with 2 conical tufts o[ modified hairs

IG-

along each lateral nuu~gin, these •hairs dil:fcrent in colour and struc­ture from ani)' others of the abdomen, being light yeiJow and inct•as­sate with blunt tip.;, Fig. 9 a. The tn[ts themselves arc quite con­spicuous ami can be easily disting·uis•hml, Fig. !lb.

Vuh'a as in Fig. 9 c.

\ ,, f

'!

'

b

Fig. g. - SelenoPs cm.Jernicolus n. sp. <;> ;

c

a modiiied hairs from one of tl1e tufts shown in outline of abdomen (b); c vulva.

Dimensions. Length of cara'P'ace 4. 7 mm.; total length 12 nun. This form belongs to the radiatus group of 5'elenops, the anterior .ti·biae having 3, the an1terior metatarsi 2 pairs of inferior l'>-pines. I know of no other species of SelcnojJs which has 4 tuft-s of hairs on the a'bdonnen as des•crilbed above, and this ~·.Iwuld serve to identify the species.

Genus CTENUS W ALCK.

Ctenus fagei LESSICRT

C. fagei LESSERT, Rev. ZcJol. Bot. A1frkaines, XXVII, B, p. H2G, figs. 1, 2, 1935. 2 adullls and 2 i.nm tu re 9. !(. (N. 2 and I 0) , 30-HO m c trcs from the

entrance of a cav.c at Scndo (Thys'villc), I D.VA9; J immature !i? (N. 7), from a cave at Thysvl.Jle (9.VIA9); 3 inunature 9 9. (N. H), from a cave at ThysviUe, 30 metres from the entrance (fW.VA9).

-17-

Ctenus dirus THoRELL

C. dints THoRELL, Bih. Svensk. Vet. A·kacl. Handl., Bd. 25, Afd. IV, 1899.

1 d', 1 <;! (N. 6), from a cave at Kakontwe (l.VIII.48); l J (N. 5), 1 c, (N. 3) and 2 <;! <;! (N. 4 and 6), from a cave at N'Gmnbe (13. VII1.49); l 6 (N. 1), from a cave at vVene (3l.VIIA9).

These large specimens agree well with the description and figures given by DES ARTS (3) in his monogTa;ph of the genus. They arc by far the largest ea ve-li ving Ara>chnids in the collection.

Ctenus sp.

1 inunature !;? (N. 9), in a cave at Kiasi (4.VI.49).

This female has a quite diffen:nt colour pattern and is obviously separable [ront the two other species of the genus record-eel above.

REFERENOES

(l) BERLAND, L. (1914). - Voy. de CH. ALLUAUD et R. JEANNEL en .Afr. Orient. (W.ll-1912). Arachnida Ill, Araneae, pt. I, II.

(2) BRISTOWE, W. S. (1948). - Notes on -t'he structure and systematic position of Oonopicl spiders, based on an examination of the British species. (Proc. Zool. Soc. Londo,n, vol. 118, p. 878).

(3) D.Es ARTS, L. {1912). Zusammenstdlung der i\frjkanischen Arten oder Gattung Ctenus {Mitt. Naturh. Mus. Hambu.1·g, Jhg. XXIX, p. 183) .

(•1) LESSERT, R. (19313). - Araignees cl'Angola (Rev. Sttisse Zool., 40, N. 4).

(5) LESSERT, R. (193.6). - Araignees de l' Afrique Orient'ale Pm·tu­gaise (Rev. Suisse Zool.~ 43, N. 9).

(6) RoEWER, C. F. (1949). - Ueber Phalangodiden. I. (Senclumber­giana, Bel. 30, N. 1f3, p- 38).

(7) SIMON, E. (1892). - His·toire naturelle des Araig111ees, Vol. I. (8) SIMON, E. (190.2). - Aradmides re'Cueillis dans l'Mrique tropicale

par M. EoouARD FoA. (Bull. Mus. Hist. Nat., 1902, N. l, p. 513).

(9) TULLGREN, A. (1910). - vVis:S. Ergeb. Schwed. Zool. Expecl.· Kili­mandjaro-lvleru, Araohnoidea, Araneae.