A revision of the spider genus Cyrba (Araneae: Salticidae) with the description of a new presumptive pheromone dispersing organ F. R. Wanless Department of Zoology, British Museum (Natural History), Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD Introduction Cyrba Simon, 1879 is a small old world genus comprised of seven species presently classified in the Spartaeinae (Wanless, 1984) and the present work completes a preliminary revision of the entire subfamily. Four additional taxa originally described in Cyrba, two of which are described below, are treated here as species incertae sedis and have not been taken into account when denning or discussing any characters of the genus. The species comprising Cyrba seem to form a good monophyletic group, which however, cannot as yet be clearly defined by uniquely derived characters. The form of the bilobed caudal plate of the epigyne represents a possible synapomorphy, but for the present the genus is supported by a combination of characters which together separate Cyrba from other spartaeine genera (see below). The genus is best known from C. algerina (Lucas) a brightly coloured species frequently found under stones throughout the Mediterranean Region. Yet, in spite of an extensive bibliography (Bonnet, 1956), little is known of the biology of that species; studies on the mating behaviour of C. algerina (Legendre & Llinares, 1970) representing virtually all that can be found on Cyrba behaviour (Jackson, pers. comm.). Fortunately, through the courtesy of Mr and Mrs J. Murphy, London and Mr P. D. Hillyard, BM(NH), it was possible to send live continental specimens of C. algerina to Dr R. R. Jackson, University of Canterbury, New Zealand who will report on his studies in a separate paper. Wanless (1984) suggested that on the basis of certain behavioural and morphological characters the subfamily Spartaeinae belonged in one of the most primitive branches of the Salticidae. Thus, the pervasive use of webs by Portia (Jackson & Blest, 1982) and presence of large posterior median eyes in most spartaeine genera (see also Blest, 1983) were con-sidered to be primitive characters which have been lost by the advanced salticids. The occur-rence of secretory organs on the femora of legs I in adult males which are arguably producing sex pheromones (Wanless, 1984) and behavioural evidence of pheromonal detection in Cyrba (Legendre & Llinares, 1970; Jackson, in press), Brettus Thorell and Portia (Jackson, in press) gives further support to the 'primitive' hypothesis, since pheromonal activity might reasonably be viewed as a primitive trait in a group of animals which are invariably described as predators almost wholly dependent on vision. The discovery in certain spartaeine genera and in Holcolaetis Simon (a member of the Cocalodes-group, sensu Wanless, 1984) of abdominal 'secretory' organs which are possibly associated with the dispersal of pheromones is of special interest. In both groups they occur in subadults and adults of both sexes, but their structure and assumed mode of function is markedly different. Abdominal 'secretory' organs Fields or patches of abdominal 'secetory' organs (Fig. 3A, B) are only known to occur in certain groups of 'primitive' salticids (see below). At low magnifications they are usually obscure and easily overlooked, but when evident especially in freshly preserved or living Bull. Br. Mus. nat. Hist. (Zool.) 47 (7): 445^8 1 Issued 20 December 1 984
BioStor
