A revision of the spider genus Phyaces (Araneae: Salticidae) F. R. Wanless Department of Zoology, British Museum (Natural History), Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD Introduction The genus Phyaces Simon 1 902, was comprised of two taxa, P. comosus Simon, the type species from Sri Lanka and P.furiosus Hogg from Sumatra. The latter species lacks the ornate hair tufts of P. comosus and is therefore transferred to the genus Simaetha Thorell to which it clearly belongs. The species is not redescribed in the present work, but will be dealt with when Simaetha is revised. Interest in P. comosus stems from the unusual behaviour, cryptic appearance and bizarre ornamentation of this small salticid spider. They are detritus mimics in life and specimens have been collected from ground litter and litter trapped in the shrub layer of bushes. Several examples were preserved in spirit by the author before their unusual features were fully appreciated and it is unfortunate that only one live female was available for behaviour studies (see Jackson, 1986). The standard abbreviations and measurements are those used by Wanless (19780), but for the leg spination the system adopted is that used by Platnick and Shadab (1975). Taxonomy Genus Phyaces Simon Phyaces Simon, 1902: 399. Type species Phyaces comosus Simon, by original designation and monotypy. Simon, 1903: 836, 839, 840, 843. Waterhouse, 1912: 230. Petrunkevitch, 1928: 191. Neave, 1940, III: 736. Roewer, 1954: 1009. Bonnet, 1958: 3647. Proszyhski, 1971: 459; 1984: 10. Brignoli, 1983: 628. DEFINITION. Small spiders adorned with pronounced hair tufts and with legs I enlarged; total length between 2-0-4-0 mm; sexes alike in general habitus. In life, cryptic detritus mimics. Carapace: of medium height, slightly longer than broad, widest and somewhat bulbous at level of coxae II-III; fovea absent; cuticle sculptured, papillate-falsifoveate with setae, i.e. scattered setose pits with raised papillae-form rims posteriorly; adorned with lateral fringes and dorsal hair tufts. Eyes: with moderately pronounced lenses set on low tubercles; laterals with black surrounds; anteriors unequally spaced, medians contiguous, laterals separated from medians by about half their diameter, apices slightly recurved; posterior medians minute, set closer to and well outside optical axis of anterior laterals; posterior laterals about as large as anterior laterals, set just inside lateral margins of carapace when viewed from above; posterior ocular quadrangle clearly wider behind; entire quadrangle about 56% of carapace length. Clypeus: low. Chelicerae: of medium size, slightly more robust in male; bulbous but with anterior surface somewhat flattened; slightly inclined anteriorly, more or less parallel; fang moderately strong and curved; promargin with two teeth, retromargin with bicuspid tooth. Maxillae: moderately long, parallel with outer distal margins more or less rounded. Labium: longer than broad, greater than half maxillar length. Sternum: scutiform with markedly bulbous central area. Pedicel: short. Abdomen: set so that anterior part lies over thoracic slope; more or less ovoid and somewhat flattened with pronounced basal hair tuft; spinnerets relatively short, subequal in length, anteriors robust others slender; former position of colulus indicated by scanty group of setae between anterior spinnerets and tracheal spiracle; tracheal system not examined, spiracle an Bull. Br. Mus. not. Hist. (Zool.) 50(2): 103-108 Issued 26 June 1986
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