No. 2 — American Spiders of the Genus Argyrodes 
(Araneac, Theridiidae) 
By Harriet Exline x and Herbert W. Levi 
Spiders of the genus Argyrodes are mostly tropical and sub- 
tropical. Some, perhaps all, live as commensals in webs of larger 
spiders, especially in webs of Nephila clavipes (Linnaeus) and 
species of Gasteracantha and Argiope, and sometimes of Latro- 
dectus, Agelenopsis, Allepeira and others. Often large numbers 
of individuals, sometimes including more than one species, are 
found in the same host web. Twenty-three specimens including 
A. elevatus, A. cochleaforma and A. cordillera were collected from 
one Gasteracantha web near Banos, Ecuador (Exline, 1945). A 
pair of A. glooosus and a pair of A. cancellatus were collected 
by Exline in a web of Nephila clavipes near Donaldsonville, 
Louisiana, in 1959. Argyrodes usually feed on small insects in 
the host web, the small spiders and small insects apparently being 
unnoticed by the large host. However, Argyrodes have been ob- 
served a few times to prey on their hosts. Exline watched A. 
fictilium feed on its Araneus host, and Archer (1946) reported 
A. fictilium preying on Frontinella communis (Hentz) in Ala- 
bama. Lamore (1958) observed A. trigonum attack and feed on 
a host Allepeira lemniscata (Walckenaer). Argyrodes may live 
in host webs without constructing any web of their own, but often 
they add fine lines between the spirals of an orb-web, and occa- 
sionally they live independently, making their own small theri- 
diid webs. 
Argyrodes species hang in the web upside-down with the front 
pairs of legs folded. They are usually inconspicuous, resembling 
seeds, pieces of bark, or lichen accidentally attached to the web. 
When disturbed they jump, usually sideways, and drop, leaving 
a line attached to the resting place. 
Though the egg-cases are far more conspicuous than their 
makers, they are seldom preserved by collectors. They are beauti- 
fully constructed (Figs. 1-5) and are attached to the host web 
or to grasses or brush by strong threads. The shape is often 
characteristic. Urn-shaped cases are made by A. elevatus, A. 
caudatus, A. cancellatus (Fig. 5) and their relatives, and these 
l Mrs. D. L. Frizzell, Rolla, Missouri ; Research Associate, California Academy 
of Sciences. 
76 BULLETIN : MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY 
cannot be distinguished. Several egg-cases with a female A. fic- 
tilium (collected by W. J. Gertsch, W. Ivie, and T. B. Kurata in 
Ontario) included two or three oval-shaped, one elongate, one 
nearly round, and one spindle-shaped. The attractive spindle- 
shaped egg-cases of A. projiciens (Fig. 1) have been collected 
by A. M. Chickering, II. Exline and others. A very long, purse- 
like egg-case, filled with young spiderlings, was collected with a 
female A. attennatus by A. M. Checkering in Panama (Fig. 3). 
The slightly elongate, urn-shaped egg-case of A. trigonum has 
been known since Emerton's figures of it were published in 
Hentz (1875) ; it is somewhat variable. The cases of its relative 
A. oaboquivari, collected in Arizona by W. J. Gertsch, are simi- 
lar but larger (Fig. 2). 
Males of many species of Argyrodes have bizarre projections 
or other modifications of head and clypeus. Nearly all forms bear 
humps on the abdomen, or the abdomen is extended beyond the 
spinnerets. In a few species of the Ariamnes group, the abdo- 
men is so greatly prolonged as to be vermiform. It may also be 
movable, perhaps camouflaging the spider as an inch-worm. The 
abdomen of A. trigonum and its relatives is also extended and 
can be moved up or down or sideways. In many species the abdo- 
men is dull and spotted, in others black to reddish, streaked or 
studded with brilliant silvery spots, or in a few species nearly all 
silvery. 
This revision has attempted to clarify the taxonomy of Argy- 
rodes. There are keys, and a description of each species, with 
figures and a brief diagnosis, to help in identification. Distribu- 
tion maps and records of available collections are included. 
We include Rhomphaea and Ariamnes in Argyrodes, though 
with some misgivings due to resultant changes in nomenclature. 
Simon (1893) placed all three genera in the group (subfamily) 
Argyrodeae, separated by differences in eye arrangement, clypeal 
modification and relative length of metatarsi. We have found 
that these characters do not separate American species. Usage of 
the three generic names, moreover, shows considerable confusion. 
Many of the larger Argyrodes have been described as Rhomphaea, 
and species have been placed indiscriminately into either Ariam- 
nes or Rhomphaea. Argyrodes fictilium, which is close to the type 
species of Rhomphaea, probably is closer to the Ariamnes group 
than are the other American species of Rhomphaea. The genitalia 
of the Ariamnes group are structurally very similar to those of 
the Argyrodes argyrodes group of species. Characters that sep- 
arate Rhomphaea -Ariamnes from Argyrodes would fragment the 
EXLINE AND LEVI : SPIDER GENUS ARGYRODES 77 
latter group also. We have, therefore, divided Argyrodes into 
species groups on the basis of head and clypeus shape of the male 
and shape of abdomen and genitalia, rather than into subgenera, 
which would add to the nomenclatural burden. 
The revision is based on several large collections and many 
smaller ones made available to us through the kindly cooperation 
of individuals and museums. The most important collection, 
from Panama, was contributed by Dr. A. M. Chickering, who 
also provided a splendid collection from Jamaica (deposited in 
the Museum of Comparative Zoology). Dr. W. J. Gertsch lent 
us the large collection in the American Museum of Natural His- 
tory. The collection of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 
added specimens and data from the eastern United States and 
the West Indies, and Exline's collection supplied material from 
Peru, Ecuador, and the midwestern United States. Other collec- 
tions of importance include that of the California Academy of 
Sciences from western South America, lent by Dr. E. S. Ross; 
the British Museum (Natural History), lent by Dr. G. Owen 
Evans and D. Clark; the Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, 
Paris, lent by Prof. M. Vachon; the Senckenberg Museum, lent 
by Dr. 0. Kraus; the Institut Royal des Sciences Naturelles de 
Belgique, lent by Mr. J. Kekenbosch; the University of Utah, 
lent by Dr. R. V. Chamberlin ; and the Zoologische Sammlungen 
des Bayrischen Staates, lent by Dr. W. Engelhardt ; and smaller 
collections by Dr. A. P. Archer and Mr. J. Beatty. 
Our identification of species is based on examination and com- 
parison with type specimens wherever possible. Examination of 
types in European institutions by H. W. Levi, during the summer 
of 1958, was made possible through the sponsorship of the Na- 
tional Science Foundation (Grant no. G-4317), and through the 
hospitality of Prof. M. Vachon of Paris, Dr. G. Owen Evans and 
Mr. E. Browning of London, and Prof. G. C. Varley of Oxford. 
Other types were made available by Dr. W. J. Gertsch, American 
Museum of Natural History; Prof. A. Petrunkevitch, Yale Uni- 
versity; Dr. R. V. Chamberlin, University of Utah; Prof. M. 
Biraben, Museo de La Plata, Argentina ; Dr. A. Riedel and J. 
Prozyriski, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw; Dr. L. For- 
cart, Naturhistorisches Museum, Basel; Dr. P. E. Vanzolini and 
Dr. H. de A. Camargo, Departamento de Zoologia da Secretaria 
da Agricultura, Sao Paulo, Brazil; and the Zoological Institute 
of Bologna. Dr. Patricio Sanchez, Universidad Catolica de Chile 
obtained a rare publication for us. Susan Kinnaird and Lorna 
Levi helped with editing the paper. Funds for the completion of 
78 BULLETIN : MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY 
this study were supplied by the National Institutes of Health 
(Grant no. E-1944). 
In this paper, literature records were used only in the few 
cases in which there was no doubt about their correct determina- 
tion. Experience has demonstrated that a large proportion of 
spider names used in regional lists are misapplied and that the 
distributions summarized in catalogs are often erroneous. In 
our list of records the following abbreviations were used for 
European museums from which specimens were borrowed: 
BMNH, British Museum (Natural History) ; ISNB, Institut 
Royal des Sciences Naturelles de Belgique, Brussels ; MNHN, 
Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris ; SMF, Senckenberg 
Museum, Frankfurt; ZSM, Zoologische Sammlungen des Bay- 
rischen Staates, Munich. 
Argyrodes Simon 
Ariadne Doleschall, 1857, Nat. Tiidsehr. Nederland Ind., vol. 13, p. 410. 
Type species by monotypy A. flagellum Doleschall, 1857. Homonym 
of Ariadne Horsfield, 1826; Ariadne Agassiz, 1845. 
Argyrodes Simon, 1864, Histoire Naturelle des Araignees, first edit., p. 253. 
Type species by tautonymy Linyphia argyrodes Walckenaer. Homonym 
of Argyrodes Guenee, 1845. 
Ariamnes Thorell, 1869, Nova Acta Reg. Soc. Sci. Uppsala, ser. 3, vol. 7, 
p. 37. New name for Ariadne Doleschall, 1857, preoccupied. 
Rhomphaca L. Koch, 1872, Die Arachniden Australiens, pt. 1, p. 289. Type 
species by monotypy R. cometes L. Koch, 1872. 
Conopistha Karsch, 1881, Berliner Ent. Zeitsehr., vol. 25, p. 39. Type species 
by original designation and monotypy C. Bona Dea Karsch, 1881. 
Faiditus Keyserling, 1884, Die Spinnen Amerikas, Theridiidae, pt. 1, p. 158. 
Type species designated by Petrunkevitch, 1928, Trans. Connecticut 
Acad. Sci., vol. 29, p. 118, Faiditus ecaudatus Keyserling, 1884. 
Bellinda Keyserling, 1884, op. cit., p. 216. Type species by monotypy Theri- 
ilion cancellation Hentz. 
Argyrodina Strand, 1928, Arch. Naturgesch., vol. 92, p. 42. New name for 
Argyrodes Simon, 1864, preoccupied. 
Neospintliarus Exline, 1950, Studies Honoring T. Kincaid, Univ. Washing- 
ton Press, p. 112. Type species by original designation and monotypy 
N. parvus Exline, 1950. 
Comments on nomenclature. Although the purpose of the 
International Rules of Nomenclature is to provide stability and 
universality of names, strict application of the rules often would 
work otherwise. The name of the genus revised in this paper is 
EXLINE AND LEVI : SPIDER GENUS ARGYRODES 
79 
an example. Because of the importance of stability, we have de- 
cided to use the generic name Argyrodes, although it is preoccu- 
pied by an older, unused homonym. An application to the Inter- 
national Commission on Zoological Nomenclature is being pre- 
pared to suppress the senior homonym of Argyrodes. 
T9 
^v 
Map 1. Distribution of Argyrodes fictilium (Hentz). 
Strand (1928) noted that Argyrodes was preoccupied and 
proposed the new name Argyrodina. Argyrodes, however, con- 
tinued to be used for spiders until the 1930 's. At that time Cono- 
pistha Karsch, 1881, with the type C. oonadea Karsch was recog- 
nized as a synonym of Argyrodes, and Conopistha has generally 
been used for this genus during the last 20 years. We now con- 
sider Ariamnes and Rhomphaea, both proposed before Cono- 
pistha, to be synonyms of Argyrodes. If we follow strictly the 
laws of priority the genus should be called Ariamnes. However, 
those who disagree with our synonymy may still consider Cono- 
pistha the correct generic name. Of the two recent catalogers, 
80 
BULLETIN : MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY 
Roewer uses Argyrodina (in his last volume he points out that 
Conopistha should have been used) ; Bonnet employs Argyrodes, 
strongly favored by usage. 
The senior homonym Argyrodes Guenee, 1845, a moth of the 
family Perlididae, is a junior objective synonym of Eucarphia 
Huebner, 1825. Argyrodes Guenee is monotypic, the only species 
being vinetdla Fabricius. Eucarphia Huebner contains three 
species, of which vinetella Fabricius is the type. Thus the name 
will not be available for a lepidopteran genus. 2 
projlciens 
Map 2. Distribution of Argyrodes hanestus new species, A. metaltissimus 
(Soares and Camargo), A. paradoxus Taczanowski, A. procerus (O.P. -Cam- 
bridge), and A. projlciens (0. P. -Cambridge). 
Usage and continuity of names strongly favor Argyrodes. The 
alternate choice would lie Ariamnes, which has been used before 
for only a small group of poorly known species. Its synonymy, 
moreover, is to some extent a matter of opinion, so that its use 
might lead to instability. 
Description. Carapace Hat, posterior portion low, a transverse 
thoracic depression generally present. Eye region and clypeus 
high. Males with eye region, or clypeus, or both, modified with 
projections, humps, an open groove or seam below eyes, or with 
clypeus projecting ventrally (A, fwtilium), or projecting and 
hearing a groove (.1. atopus). Color generally uneven brownish 
- Information supplied by I'rof. W. T. M. Forbes and Dr. B. G. Monroe. 
EXLINE AND LEVI: SPIDER GENTS ARGYRODES 
81 
with irregularly distributed pigment. Chelicerae with two or 
three teeth on anterior margin, one or two posterior (Fig. 76), 
or a row of equal-sized denticles (each one with diameter less 
than one-quarter that of teeth). Sternum and lip entire. First 
leg longest, fourth second in length, third always very short. 
Fourth tarsus usually without a comb, but with a few serrated 
bristles. Argyrodes attenuatus has serrated bristles on the pro- 
lateral side of the distal end of the tarsus. Comstock (1912, The 
Spider Book, Doubleday, Page & Co., fig. 324) illustrates a few 
Map 3. Distribution of Argyrodes baboquivari new species, A. bicornis 
O.P.-Cambridge, A. concisus new species, A. furcatus (O.P.-Cambridge), A. 
obscurus Keyserling, A. parvus (Exline), A. rioensis new species, A. tri- 
angularis Taczanowski, and A. trigonum (Hentz). 
82 
BULLETIN : MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY 
serrated bristles on the side of the distal end of the tarsus of 
A. trigonum. The tarsal comb, when present in other theridiids, 
is on the venter. Also unlike other theridiid spiders, the middle 
tarsal claw is longer than the lateral claws. Abdomen with tuber- 
cles, extended, vermiform, or sometimes higher than long, never 
spherical (except in males of A. globosus). Anterior border of 
abdomen with stridulating ridges in both sexes and a pair of 
stridulating areas on carapace. The small colulus has the setae 
shorter than the fleshy base (Fig. 77). Abdomen with uneven 
coloration, often with silvery patches or all silvery. 
Palpi with median apophysis (M in Figs. 68, 120, 154, 406, 
407), radix (R), conductor (C). The duct loops through the 
inconspicuous, weakly sclerotized median apophysis. The latter 
structure fits into the paracymbium (P). The radix may be an 
Map 4. Distribution of Argyrodes attenuatus (O.P.-Cambridge), A. 
haitensis new species, A. longissimus (Keyserling), A. mexicanus new species, 
and A. sdhlingeri new species. 
EXLINE AND LEVI : SPIDER GENUS ARGYRODES 
83 
eS 
m 
o 
"Si 
03 
O 
N 
W 
03 
En 
Si, 
<o 
S 
oo 
O 
a 
03 
o3 
&H 
«o 
e 
Si 
O 
e 
o 
3 
■45 'S 
.2 S 
e 
5~ 
84 
BULLETIN : MUSEUM OP COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY 
armlike sclerite between the embolus and the cymbium (Y) (Figs. 
68, 120, 154), or a prominent ventral plate above the median 
apophysis (Figs. 406, 407). It is always sclerotized and is of 
diagnostic value, but often is partly transparent so that its out- 
line is hard to see. The embolus is variously shaped: a complex 
sclerite in some species of the Ariamnes and A. argyrodes groups 
(Figs. 120, 154) ; subtriangular in the A. trigonum group (Fig. 
68) ; or with a distal thread-shaped portion in the A. cancellatus 
group (Figs. 406, 407). In the latter group, the embolus is par- 
tially hidden by the ventral radix. The cymbium is usually 
spoon-shaped, but is truncate in some Ariamnes and in all species 
of the A. argyrodes group (Fig. 154). 
atopus * 
cochleaforma A 
ecaudatus gfl 
probosclfe ▼ 
sullana D 
cordlllera 'i'" 
• fulvus j 
a rossi 
Map 6. Distribution of Argyrodes atopus Chamberlin and Ivie, A. coch- 
leaforma (Exline), A. cordillera (Exline), A. ecaudatus (Keyserling), A. 
fnlnis new species, A. proboscifev (Exline), A. rossi new species, and 
A. sullana (Exline). 
EXLINE AND LEVI : SPIDER GENUS ARGYRODES 
85 
Epigynum a sclerotized plate, often covered by resinous ma- 
terial, which may be difficult to remove (except in the A. cancel- 
latus group). Two spherical to oval receptacles, tube-shaped in 
the Ariamnrs group. Ducts of variable length, generally of same 
diameter throughout. In some species of the A. canccllatus group 
the sclerotized ducts fuse. 
In Argyrodes there is pronounced dimorphism of secondary 
sexual characters. Males may have setae-bearing projections in 
Map 7. Distribution of Argyrodes acuminatum Keyserling, A. altus 
Keyserling, A. amplifrons O.P.-Cambridge, A. arthuri new species, A. exiguus 
new species, and A. gertschi new species. 
86 
BULLETIN : MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY 
the eye region, elypeus, or both. In males the clypeus may be 
bulging, with a transverse seam, or may project below. The size 
and position of eyes often is different in females. The legs are 
usually considerably longer in males. Unlike most other theri- 
diids, the males of many species are larger than the females, 
although the males are smaller in species of Rhomphaea, Ariam- 
nes, and A. trigonum groups. 
globosus 
omencanus 
• cu ben sis 
▼ jamaicensis 
Map 8. Distribution of Argyrodes americanus (Taczanowski), A. cuben- 
sis new species, A. globosus Keyserling, and A. jamaicensis new species. 
Diagnosis. Argyrodes differs from Thwaitesia, Spintharus and 
Episinus by the large size of the colulus, and by having one or 
two teeth on the posterior margin of the chelicerae. In Thwaite- 
sia, Spintharus and Episinus the colulus is replaced by two setae 
and all three genera lack teeth on the posterior margin. 
The relatively large colulus separates Argyrodes from Thy- 
moites, which lacks a colulus; Thymoites males also have the eye 
region modified with projections. The modified head region of 
males, and the variously shaped (never oval) abdomen separates 
this genus from other Theridiidae with a large colulus : Steatoda, 
Robert us, and Enoplognatha. Argyrodes lacks the patellar spur 
of Synotaxus males. 
EXLINE AND LEVI : SPIDER GENUS ARGYRODES 
87 
Map 9. Distribution of Argyrodes ~bryantac new species, A. gapensis 
new species, A. maoulosus O.P.-Cambridge, A. plaumanni new species, A. 
sicki new species, A. spinosus Keyserling, A. taeter new species, A. ululams 
O.P.-Cambridge, and A. woytkowshii new species. 
88 
BULLETIN : MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY 
• • 
cancellatus 
<^ 
Map 10. Distribution of Argyroses cancellatus (Hentz) and A. caudatus 
Taczanowski. 
EXLINE AND LEVI: SPIDER GENUS ARGYRODES 
89 
Distribution. Argyrodes species are common and widespread 
in tropical and warm regions of America and other parts of the 
world, but no species is known to be cosmotropical. Only one, 
A elcvatus, covers nearly the entire range of the genus in the 
Americas. Three species are found from southern Canada 
throughout the eastern United States: A. fictilium, A. trigonum, 
and A. canccllatus. Argyrodes pluto ranges from Maryland to 
western Mexico (Map 5). The western United States, except for 
the Southwest, is apparently devoid of Argyrodes except A. fic- 
tilium, which extends north along the Pacific coast to British 
Columbia, and A. elcvatus and A. furcatus, which have been col- 
lected occasionally in southern California. Argyrodes baboqui- 
^) -2chickeringi 
- darlingtoni 
( W* godmoni A 
i. — I . ■-/■!'■ '. , ' -3 1 . 
subdolus 
Map 11. Distribution of Argyrodes cMckeringi new species, A. darling- 
toni new species, A. dracus Chamberlin and Ivie, A. godmani new species, 
A. quasiobtusus new species, and A. subdolus O. P. -Cambridge. 
vari is the only species endemic to the southwestern United States 
and northwestern Mexico, although A. pluto and A. subdolus also 
occur. Several species are endemic to northeastern Mexico and 
southern Texas (A. davisi, A. nic.ricanus, A. leonensis, A. taeter, 
90 
BULLETIN : MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY 
and A. concisus) . Several species extend from southeastern 
United States to southern Brazil or Paraguay (A. projiciens, A. 
clevatus, A. americanus, A. caudatus, and A. dracus) ; several 
others extend from Central America to southern Brazil (A. para- 
doxus, A. attenuatus, A. amplifrons) . Nineteen species have been 
collected in Panama. South American species are numerous but 
their ranges are inadequately known. Collections from most of 
the West Indies, Central and South America are too inadequate 
to support distributional generalities. 
Map 12. Distribution of Argyrodes affinis 0. P. -Cambridge, A. alticeps 
Keyserling, A. amates new species, A. convoluttis new species, A. davisi new 
species, A. leonensis new species, A. peruensis new species, A. rigidas new 
species, A. striatus Keyserling, and A. subflavvs new species. 
Misplaced and Doubtful Species 
Argyrodes elegans Taczanowski, 1872, Horae Soc. Ent. Kossicae, vol. 9, 
p. 118, pi. 5, fig. 11. Female type from Uassa [Amnpa, Brazil], in the 
Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, examined by Levi. [= Chrysso 
elegans ( Taczanowski ) ] . 
Argyrodes floridana Banks, 1900, Canadian Ent., vol. 32, p. 98. Female 
syntypes from Punta Gorda, Florida, in the Museum of Comparative 
Zoology, examined by Levi. (= Colcosoma acutiventer Keyserling). 
EXLINE AND LEVI : SPIDER GENUS ARGYRODES 91 
Argyrodes infelix O. P. -Cambridge, 1880, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, p. 340, 
pi. 30, fig. 18. Female type from the Amazon, in the Hope Department 
of Entomology, Oxford University, examined by Levi. [= Helvibis 
infelix (O.P.-Cambridge) ]. 
Argyrodes longicaudatus Keyserling, 1891, Die Spinnen Amerikas, Brasi- 
lianische Spinnen, p. 209, pi. 8, fig. 150, 9 , $ . Syntypes from Est. 
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in the British Museum, Natural History, 
examined by Levi. [= Synotaxus longicaudatus (Keyserling)]. 
Argyrodes lucmae Chamberlin, 1916, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., vol. 60, p. 228, 
pi. 15, figs. 4-6, $ . Male type from Lucma, Peru, in the Museum of 
Comparative Zoology, examined by Levi. (Linyphiidae). 
Argyrodes vittatus Keyserling, 1884, Die Spinnen Amerikas, Theridiidae, 
pt. 1, p. 191, pi. 9, fig. 114. Female types from Bogota, Colombia and 
Pumamarca, Peru, in the British. Museum, Natural History, examined 
by Levi. [= Chrysso vittatula (Roewer)]. 
Argyrodina monoceros di Caporiacco, 1947, Monitore Zool. Italiano, vol. 56, 
p. 24. ( ? nomen nudum) ; 1948, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, vol. 118, p. 649, 
$ (sub Conopistha) . Male type from British Guiana. [= Synotaxus 
monoceros (di Caporiacco)]. 
Argyrodina vittatula Roewer, 1942, Katalog der Araneae, vol. 1, p. 439. New 
name for A. vittatus Keyserling. [= Chrysso vittatula (Roewer)]. 
Conopistha acuminata Schenkel, 1953, Verh. Naturf. Gesell. Basel, vol. 64, 
p. 13. Female type from Prov. Falcon, Venezuela, in the Naturhistor- 
isches Museum, Basel, examined by Levi. [= Chrysso vittata (O.P.- 
Cambridge)]. 
Conopistha monoceros (di Caporiacco), 1948, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, vol. 
118, p. 649, figs. 57-59. [=Sy?wtaxus monoceros (di Caporiac-eo)]. 
Faiditus bruneoviridis Mello-Leitao, 1948, An. Acad. Brasileira Cienc, vol. 
20, p. 156. Female type from British Guiana. [= Episinus bruneoviri- 
dis (Mello-Leitao)]. 
Rhomphaea anom-ala Chamberlin and Ivie, 1936, Bull. Univ. Utah, biol. ser., 
vol. 3, no. 5, p. 41, fig. 50, $ . Female type from Panama, in the Uni- 
versity of Utah collection. (= Synotaxus turbinatus Simon). 
The following- is a doubtful name. The type is lost. The name 
may have been applied to a species in the genus. 
Theridion intentum Hentz, 1850, Jour. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist., vol. 6, p. 278. 
Species whose types were not available and whose description 
is insufficient for recognition : 
Ariamnes feioi Mello-Leitao, 1947, Bol. Mus. Nac, Rio de Janeiro, n.s., zool., 
no. 80, p. 10, fig. 46. Female type from Rio Claro, Minas Gerais, Brazil, 
in the Museo Nacional, Rio de Janeiro, belongs to the Rhomphaea group. 
Conopistha barrosi Mello-Leitao, 1951, Rev. Chil. Hist. Nat., vol. 51-53, p. 
330, from Chile. This species is probably Anelosimus attritus (Nicolet). 
C. friburgensis Mello-Leitao, 1943, An. Acad. Brasileira Cienc, vol. 15, 
p. 259, from Friburgo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Female type in the Museo 
Nacional, Rio de Janeiro, is probably A. elcvatus. 
92 BULLETIN : MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY 
C. pickeli Mello-Leitao, 1943, ibid., p. 259, from Tapera, Pernambuco, Brazil. 
Female type in the Museo Nacional, Eio de Janeiro, is probably A. 
elevatus. 
Rhomphaea altissima Mello-Leitao, 1941, Arq. Inst. Sao Paulo, vol. 11, p. 249. 
Female type from Eio Negro, Parana, Brazil, in the Museo Nacional, 
Eio de Janeiro, is probably A. paradoxus. 
E. brasiliensis Mello-Leitao, 1919 (1920), Eev. Soc. Brasileira Scienc, 
no. 3, p. 174. Female type from Eio de Janeiro, Brazil, in the Museo 
Nacional, Eio de Janeiro, is probably A. metaltissimus. 
Relationships. Unlike other large theridiid genera (e.g. Theri- 
dion, Dipoena), Argyrodes species are similar in structure and 
probably are closely related. The widest gap in structural affinity 
occurs between the A. cancellatus group and the others. In the 
male palpus of the A. cancellatus group, a prominent ventral 
radix hides most of the embolus. The embolus has a basal portion 
and a spiralling thread-like distal tube. A complicated terminal, 
partly fleshy conductor supports the tip of the tube (Figs. 406, 
407). The male carapace usually lacks projections, but the cly- 
peus has a horizontal seam or groove, and often bulges and may 
overhang the chelicerae (Figs. 178, 225). The abdomen is not 
usually extended far behind the spinnerets but is often modified 
with paired humps and short posterior projections (Figs. 180, 
227 ) . All other Argyrodes have the palpal radix, often armlike, 
lying in back between the embolus and the cymbium (Figs. 68, 
120, 154), and the embolus is completely exposed in ventral view. 
The carapace generally bears projections in the eye region or on 
the clypeus, and the abdomen is usually extended far behind the 
spinnerets, and is without lateral humps. 
The Rhomphaea group is characterized by a long projection 
in the eye region of males (Figs. 9, 12, 15, 24) (absent in A. fic- 
tilium), and an elongate, pointed abdomen (Figs. 27, 29, 32). 
The male genital structures of most species (Figs. 6, 11, 14) are 
similar to those of the A. trigonum group. The epigyna are often 
weakly sclerotized. In many species the palpal femora and tibiae 
are elongate. Argyrodes fictilium is similar to the others in shape 
of the abdomen and genital structures ; however, the clypeus is 
slanting below (Fig. 7). Considerable variability is found within 
some species of this group of which representatives are found in 
other parts of the world. American species are widespread but 
rare (Maps 1, 2). 
The A. trigonum group differs from the previous one in having 
a projection from the clypeus of the male, parallel to that of the 
eye region (Fig. 78) ; the abdomen is shorter, usually with two 
tubercles at the posterior tip (Figs. 69-73, 86, 91). The species 
EXLINE AND LEVI : SPIDER GENUS ARGYRODES 93 
of this group are very similar. The shape of the male carapace 
and palpal radix are diagnostic. Females are hard to separate. 
The ducts of the internal genitalia are always short and similar. 
The width and length of the median raised area of the epigynum 
differ slightly in different species ; however, the shape of the 
median raised area is somewhat variable in all species. All species 
have a limited distribution (Map 3), and none are known outside 
America. 
Species of the Ariamnes group are characterized by an ex- 
tremely long, vermiform abdomen (Figs. 99, 100, 127), low cara- 
pace, and elongate seminal receptacles in the female (Figs. 121- 
123) (short in A. mexicanus). Palpal structures are more vari- 
able. Argyrodes longissimus is similar to A. paradoxus of the 
Rhomphaea group ; A. mexicanus to other species of the Rhom- 
phaea and A. trigonum groups ; and A. attenuatus is similar to 
species of the A. argyrodes group. The species are readily sep- 
arated by their genitalia. Species belonging to this group are 
found in the tropics of all parts of the world. Their ranges do 
not overlap in America (Map 4). 
Species of the A. argyrodes group also are very similar. Only 
four are American ; probably there are many in other parts of 
the world. The anterior median eyes are borne on a cephalic 
projection that parallels a large clypeal projection (Figs. 128, 
133). The palpal cymbium in all species is truncate, as in some 
species of the Ariamnes group. The embolus of the male palpus 
is a more complicated structure than in the previous groups, but 
its shape is not diagnostic. The radix differs in shape in different 
species (Figs. 129, 134, 139, 144). The epigynum is heavily 
sclerotized and has two large subcircular fossae. The seminal 
receptacles and tubes are simple, and are also heavily sclerotized. 
The females of some species are difficult to separate. 
The three species placed in the A. Cordillera group are of doubt- 
ful affinity. (The male of A. fulvus is unknown). Argyrodes 
cordillera has no clypeal or cephalic projections (Fig. 155) ; A. 
rossi has a short setae-bearing clypeal tubercle (Fig. 160). The 
position of the palpal sclerites is as in the Rhomphaea group, but 
they are more heavily sclerotized, and the embolus is cork- 
screw-shaped. The female epigynum has a posterior rather than 
an anterior rim (Figs. 159, 164, 167). 
The A. cancellatus group (characterized above) has many 
closely related species, with only slight genitalia differences. Four 
species (atopus, proboscifer, cochleaforma, sullana) are set off 
94 BULLETIN : MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY 
from the rest by an unusual projection of the clypeus at its ven- 
tral margin (Figs. 178, 183, 188, 194). Several close to A. gert- 
schi have the palpal radix split (completely in A. arthiiri, Fig. 
200), and have large seminal receptacles with tubes entering an- 
teriorly (Figs. 202, 209). The numerous species near A. cancel- 
latus are, however, very similar with diagnostic differences in 
the position of the clypeal seam, the shape of the clypeus, and 
minor differences in palpal parts, especially in the shape of the 
radix. The portion of the radix near the median ventral edge is 
usually transparent, showing the embolus underneath. Due to 
this transparency the edge may be difficult to see. The embolus 
also may be diagnostic, but is partially hidden by the radix. Be- 
cause many species are rare, it was not dissected and sufficiently 
studied in this revision. It is possible that clearing the palpus 
with clove oil (as was done for A. globosus and A. americanus) 
may reveal additional diagnostic characters in the embolus. The 
conductor may also be diagnostic. The epigyna of many species 
are very similar but the seminal receptacles and shape and posi- 
tion of the long ducts are often good diagnostic characters, as they 
differ greatly in otherwise similar species. Related species may 
also differ in the shape of the abdomen. America is probably far 
richer in species of this group than other parts of the world. 
Key to species groups 
la. Abdomen vermiform, with parallel sides, more than 10 times as long 
behind as anterior to spinnerets, ending in a single tip (Figs. 99, 100) ; 
clypeus straight Ariamnes group 
lb. Abdomen short or tapering, not more than six times as long behind 
as anterior to spinnerets, or if longer, clypeus projecting below, or 
abdomen with four tips 2 
2a. Males with a setae-bearing clypeal projection and a parallel cephalic- 
pro jection or hump bearing setae but not eyes (Figs. 66, 79) ; epi- 
gynum with a longitudinal ridge bearing indistinct openings (Figs. 
55, 75, 94) ; abdomen with two tips (Figs. 69-73) . A. trigonum group 
2b. Males otherwise, or if with clypeal and cephalic projection, latter 
bearing eyes (Fig. 128); epigynum otherwise; abdomen with one to 
several tips 3 
3a. Males with cephalic projection bearing eyes anteriorly and parallel 
clypeal projection (Figs. 128, 133) ; epigynum with two large sub- 
circular or oval fossae (bordered all around except in A. pluto Fig. 
142) on a raised, heavily sclerotized plate (Figs. 132, 137, 150), female 
ducts short (Figs. 131, 141); abdomen subtiiangular with a single tip 
(Figs. 130, 135, 140) A. argyrodes group 
EXLINE AND LEVI : SPIDER GENUS ARGYRODES 95 
3b. Males otherwise, or if with two projections, cephalic projection bearing 
eyes on sides (only in A. plaumanni Fig. 168) ; epigynum otherwise, 
female ducts variable ; abdomen variable 4 
4a. Male carapace with a single cephalic projection (Figs. 9, 12, 24)), or 
if lacking, clypeus slanting and projecting below (Fig. 7) ; female 
abdomen tapering to a single tip usually crowned by one or more spines, 
four to six times as long behind as anterior to spinnerets (Figs. 26, 
29, 36, 41) Bhomphaea group 
4b. Male carapace otherwise; female abdomen shorter behind than an- 
terior to spinnerets, or if longer, not evenly tapering, with bulges on 
sides ; usually with four tips, never crowned by spines 5 
5a. Male clypeus without a transverse seam or ventral projection (Figs. 
155, 160) ; palpal radix between embolus and cymbium (Figs. 156, 
161); epigynum without scape, fossae without anterior border (Figs. 
159, 164, 167) A. oordillera group 
5b. Male clypeus with a transverse seam (Figs. 261, 271, 323) or ventral 
projection (Fig. 178) ; palpal radix a large ventro-mesal sclerite hiding 
embolus (Figs. 129, 332) ; epigynum with scape, or if not, fossae with 
anterior border (Figs. 320, 336, 405) A. cancellatus group 
Key to the Rhomphaea group species 
la. Male eye region without projection (Fig. 7) ; epigynum with a cen- 
tral raised area, bordered on three sides (Fig. 28) ; North and Central 
America fictilium 
lb. Eye region of male with projection; epigynum otherwise 2 
2a. Thread-shaped portion of embolus longer than length of cymbium 
(Fig. 23); cephalic projection of male carapace with dorsal tubercle 
(Fig. 24) ; epigynum slanting off posteriorly, slant bordered anteriorly 
by a lip, posteriorly by the genital groove (Figs. 46, 47, 49, 50) 
paradoxus 
2b. Thread-shaped portion of embolus shorter than cymbium length; cepha- 
lic projection without dorsal tubercle; epigynum flat without posterior 
slant 3 
3a. Cephalic projection of male without swelling below distal bulge (Figs. 
9, 12); epigynum lightly sclerotized, two openings of epigynum very 
difficult to see (Figs. 31, 34) 4 
31). Cephalic projection of male with a swelling below distal end (Figs. 
15, 18) ; epigynum sclerotized with one conspicuous central fossa (Figs. 
40,43) 5 
4a. Cephalic projection of male with distal rounded knob (Figs. 12, 13) ; 
epigynum with a faint sclerotized posterior border of variable shape 
(Fig. 34) procerus 
4b. Cephalic projection longest on ventral side (Figs. 9, 10); epigynum 
lacking faint posterior border (Fig. 31) projiciens 
96 BULLETIN : MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY 
5a. Cephalic projection widest at distal end with ventral setae-bearing 
tubercle (Fig. 15) ; fossa of epigynum with ducts leaving in a pos- 
terior direction (Fig. 43) honestus 
5b. Cephalic projection widest at swelling in middle, and lacking ventral 
tubercle (Figs. 17-22) ; fossa of epigynum with ducts leaving in a 
posterior-lateral direction (Figs. 38, 40) metaltissimus 
Key to the A. trigonum group species 
Males 
la. Projection in eye region very small or absent (Fig. 79) ; Peru 
obscurus 
lb. Projection in eye region always present and distinct 2 
2a. Clypeus projection very thick, separated from cephalic projection by 
less than its diameter (Pig. 51) ; Ecuador to Panama parvus 
2b. Projections separated distally by more than the diameter of clypeal 
projection 3 
3a. Both projections short and stubby, in profile wider than long (Fig. 
56) ; Mexico concisus 
3b. Clypeal projection always longer than wide in profile 4 
4a. Clypeal projection about twice as long as wide (Figs. 84, 89) 5 
4b. Clypeal projection at least two and one-half times as long as wide 
(Figs. 61, 66, 95, 97) 6 
5a. Palpal radix wider than long, with a ventral tooth (Fig. 90) ; south- 
western U.S.A., northwestern Mexico baboquivari 
5b. Eadix longer than wide without ventral tooth (Fig. 85) ; southeastern 
U.S.A., Mexico, West Indies furcatus 
6a. Distance between eye and clypeal projection about as wide as clypeal 
projection (Fig. 66) ; eastern U.S.A trigonum 
6b. Distance between eye and clypeal projection much wider 7 
7a. Length of clypeal projection noticeably shorter than height of clypeus 
below projection (Fig. 61) ; eastern Brazil rioensis 
7b. Length of clypeal projection almost equal to height of clypeus below 
projections (Figs. 95, 97) 8 
8a. Base of projections separated by more than length of clypeal projec- 
tion (Fig. 95) ; southeastern Brazil bioornis 
8b. Base of projections separated by less than length of clypeal projec- 
tion (Fig. 97) ; Panama, Guiana triangularis 
Females 
la. Median epigynal ridge about as wide as long (Figs. 83, 88, 93, 94) . .2 
lb. Median epigynal ridge much longer than wide (Figs. 55, 60, 65, 75) 4 
2a. Peru obscurus 
2b. North America 3 
EXLINE AND LEVI : SPIDER GENUS ARGYRODES 97 
3a. Connecting duets short (Fig. 87), ridge 0.06 mm wide; eastern U.S.A., 
Mexico, West Indies furcatus 
31). Connecting ducts long (Fig. 92), ridge 0.12 mm wide; southwestern 
U.S.A., northwestern Mexico baboquivari 
4a. Epigynum as in Fig. 75 ; eastern U.S.A trigonum 
4b. Epigynum otherwise ; not U.S.A 5 
5a. Epigynum as in Fig. 60 ; Mexico concisus 
5b. Epigynum otherwise ; Central or South America 6 
'6a. Epigynum as in Fig. 55; Ecuador to Panama parvus 
6b. Epigynum as in Fig. 65; eastern Brazil rioensis 
Key to the Ariamnes group species 
la. Palpus with a large, prominent hook-shaped embolus (Figs. 102-105) ; 
epigynum with a flat transverse bridge (Fig. 109) ; southern Brazil . 
longissimus 
lb. Palpus, epigynum otherwise 2 
2a. Palpal embolus diamond-shaped (Fig. 113); epigynum with an in- 
distinct transverse ridge (Fig. 115), seminal receptacles suboval (Fig. 
114) ; Mexico mexicanus 
2b. Palpal embolus not diamond-shaped ; epigynum otherwise, seminal re- 
ceptacles more than three times as long as wide 3 
3a. Epigynum an indistinct transparent knob (Fig. Ill), seminal re- 
ceptacles folded back (Fig. 110); [male unknown]; Haiti . haitensis 
3b. Epigynum otherwise, seminal receptacles straight 4 
4a. Duct in palpal tegulum in ventral view with one large loop (Fig. 
119) ; epigynum with a knob or transverse projection having an anterior 
extension at each end (sometimes missing) (Figs. 124, 125); wide- 
spread from Costa Eica to Paraguay attenuatus 
4b. Duct in palpal tegulum wavy and with an ectal loop in ventral view 
(Fig. 117) ; [female unknown] ; Peru schlingeri 
Key to the A. argyrodes group species 
Males 
la. A dark line or carina from lower margin of radix tip runs more or 
less parallel to sides of radix (Fig. 129); end of clypeal projection 
turned upward (Fig. 128) elevatus 
lb. Kadix, clypeal process otherwise 2 
2a. Line or carina from lower margin of radix tip runs at an angle to 
sides (Fig. 134), clypeal projection swollen at end (Fig. 133) 
nepliilae 
2b. Radix, clypeal process otherwise 3 
3a. Lateral spur of radix large and projecting from a swelling (Fig. 139) ; 
U.S.A., Mexico pluto 
3b. Lateral spur of radix small and not projecting from a swelling (Fig. 
144) ; Peru weyrauohi 
98 BULLETIN : MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY 
Females 
la. Fossae of epigynum their diameter or less apart (Figs. 142, 147) ... .2 
lb. Fossae separated by more than two diameters (Figs. 132, 137) .... 3 
2a. Fossae bordered all around (Fig. 147) ; Peru weyrauchi 
2b. Fossae bordered on only three sides (Fig. 142) ; U.S.A., Mexico pluto 
3a. Abdomen silvery; carapace length: 0.70-1.00 mm, Florida; 0.80-1.10 
mm, West Indies nephilae 
3b. Abdomen sometimes silvery; carapace length: 1.05-1.40 mm, southern 
U.S.A.; 1.20-1.65 mm, West Indies elevatus 
Key to the A. cordillera group species 
la. Palpal embolus corkscrew-shaped (Fig. 161) ; clypeus with a projec- 
tion bearing a brush of setae (Fig. 160) ; fossae of epigynum divided 
by an anteriorly directed scape (Fig. 164) ; Colombia rossi 
lb. Palpal embolus not corkscrew-shaped ; clypeus, epigynum otherwise . 2 
2a. Distal end of palpal embolus straight (Fig. 156) ; epigynum with two 
dark openings more than their diameter apart (Fig. 159); Ecuador. 
cordillera 
2b. Epigynum with a semicircular posterior rim (Fig. 167) ; [male un- 
known] ; southeastern Brazil fulvus 
Key to the A. cancellatus group species 
Males 
la. Clypeus projecting below, projection with two lobes anterior to cheli- 
cerae (Figs. 178, 194) 2 
lb. Clypeus otherwise 5 
2a. Palpal radix U-shaped (Fig. 189) ; Panama to Ecuador atopus 
2b. Palpal radix otherwise ; Ecuador, northern Peru 3 
3a. Palpal radix with two prominent teeth (Fig. 179) cochleaforma 
3b. Palpal radix otherwise 4 
4a. Palpal radix with a distal ventral projection bearing several small 
teeth (Fig. 195) proboscifer 
4b. Palpal radix with a notch (Fig. 184) sullana 
5a. A projection of clypeus surrounding deep groove (Fig. 168) ; southern 
Brazil plaumanni 
5b. Clypeus otherwise 6 
6a. Tegulum in ventral view showing clearly two concentric duct loops 
(Figs. 207, 232) 7 
6b. Tegulum in ventral view showing only one loop, or not showing duct, 
or loops not concentric 11 
7a. Clypeus bulging and hanging below base of chelicerae (Fig. 212) . .8 
7b. Clypeus not hanging below base of chelicerae (Fig. 206) 9 
8a. Palpus as illustrated by Figures 218-220; Panama to Bolivia 
amplifrons 
EXLINE AND LEVI: SPIDER GENUS ARGYRODES 99 
8b. Palpus as illustrated by Figure 213 ; Venezuela to Brazil altus 
9a. Palpal radix with an anterior ventral thorn (Fig. 232) ; West Indies 
exiguus 
9b. Palpal radix otherwise 10 
.0a. Duct diameter of inside loop twice as wide as outside loop (Fig. 207) ; 
Panama gertschi 
Duct diameter of two loops subequal (Fig. 226) acuminatus 
Radix narrow with long spine and teeth on ventral end (Fig. 174) ; 
Peru woyfkowsMi 
Radix otherwise 12 
Radix extended across ventral face of palpus almost touching cym- 
bium on ectal side (Figs. 381, 386) ; Peru 13 
Radix not extended across ventral face of palpus 14 
Cymbium much narrower at distal end than in middle (Fig. 381) . . 
peruensis 
13b. Sides of cymbium almost parallel (Fig. 386) subflavus 
14a. Tegulum short, sclerotized radix split into two sclerites (Fig. 200) ; 
Panama arthuri 
14b. Tegulum, radix otherwise 15 
15a. Radix with a long, narrow anterior spine (Fig. 409) ; clypeus bulging 
some distance below anterior median eyes (Fig. 408) ; southern Brazil 
striatum 
15b. Radix, clypeus otherwise 16 
16a. Anterior ventral edge of radix with two visible teeth in ventral view 
(Figs. 366, 401) 17 
16b. Radix otherwise 18 
17a. Spirals of embolus visible in ventral view (Fig. 366) ; Texas to Ecuador 
subdolus 
17b. Spirals of embolus not visible in ventral view (Fig. 401); southern 
Brazil affinis 
18a. Median apophysis in ventral view showing two almost parallel ducts 
(Figs. 282, 287) 19 
Median apophysis otherwise 20 
Ducts transverse to long axis of palpus (Fig. 282) ; clypeus bulging 
below eyes (Fig. 281) ; southern Mexico to northern Brazil . . . ululans 
19b. Ducts almost longitudinal (Fig. 287) ; clypeus not bulging below eyes 
(Fig. 286) ; Central America bryantae 
20a. Eye region projecting beyond clypeus (Fig. 39-1) ; southeastern Brazil, 
Paraguay alticeps 
20b. Eye region not projecting beyond clypeus 21 
21a. Clypeus projecting at almost right angle below anterior median eyes 
and hanging below base of chelicerae (Fig. 370) ; Texas, Mexico .... 
davisi 
21b. Clypeus otherwise 22 
22a. In ventral view duct in tegulum looping from anterior ectal side . . 23 
22b. In ventral view duct in tegulum not visible or only a longitudinal por- 
tion of duct visible 33 
100 BULLETIN : MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY 
23a. Height of clypeus below seam more than twice height above seam 
(Figs. 271, 276) 24 
23b. Clypeal seam at about middle of carapace height 25 
24a. Thread portion of embolus visible in ventral view (Fig. 277) ; northern 
Mexico taeter 
24b. Thread portion of embolus hidden by radix (Fig. 272) ; Florida, 
Mexico maculosus 
25a. Tip of radix hook widened, truncate (Fig. 338) ; West Indies 
darlingtoni 
25b. Tip of radix hook otherwise 26 
26a. Origin of embolic thread in basal portion of embolus visible in ventral 
view (Fig. 290) ; Venezuela to Peru spinosus 
26b. Origin of embolic thread not visible in ventral view 27 
27a. Length of radix hook less than one-fourth radix height 28 
27b. Length of radix hook at least one-third radix height 29 
28a. Width of embolic thread less than space between it and radix (Fig. 
343) ; Mexico, Guatemala godmani 
28b. Width of embolic thread greater than space between it and radix (Fig. 
354) ; U.S.A. to Paraguay dracus 
29a. Clypeus bulging below seam (Figs. 324-331) 30 
29b. Clypeus straight below seam (Fig. 302) 31 
30a. Clypeus bulge hanging in front of base of chelicerae (Figs. 324-331) ; 
eastern U.S. A cancellatus 
30b. Clypeus bulge not hanging in front of chelicerae (Fig. 375) ; Mexico, 
Guatemala amates 
31a. In profile, chelicerae longer than carapace height (Figs. 301, 302) ; 
southern U.S.A. to Paraguay caudatus 
31b. In profile, chelicerae shorter than carapace height 32 
32a. Length of portion of embolus visible in ventral view less than half 
the height of radix (Fig. 348) ; West Indies quasiobtusus 
321). Length of portion of embolus visible in ventral view equals height of 
radix (Fig. 361) ; Panama chickeringi 
33a. Thread portion of palpus hidden by radix (Fig. 237) 34 
33b. Part of thread portion of palpus visible in ventral view 35 
34a. Thread-shaped portion of embolus behind anterior edge of radix (in 
palpus cleared with oil, Figs. 236, 238, 240) ; southeastern U.S.A. 
to southern Brazil a/mericanus 
341). Thread-shaped portion of embolus behind middle of radix (in palpus 
cleared with oil, Figs. 248, 250, 252) ; southeastern U.S.A. to Ecuador 
globosus 
35a. Two spirals of thread-shaped portion of embolus visible in ventral 
view through transparent radix (Fig. 391) ; Mexico leonensis 
35b. Only portion of one spiral visible in ventral new 36 
36a. Clypeal seam close to ventral margin of clypeus (Fig. 295) ; south- 
eastern Brazil sicki 
36b. Clypeal seam at about middle of carapace height 37 
37a. Abdomen shorter behind spinnerets than in front; Jamaica 
ja maicensis 
EXLINE AND LEVI : SPIDER GENUS ARGYRODES 101 
37b. Abdomen one and one-half times longer behind spinnerets than in 
front cubensis 
Females 
la. Epigynum a transverse groove with a posterior lightly sclerotized 
border (Fig. 177) ; Peru ivoytTcowskii 
lb. Epigynum without posterior transverse border 2 
2a. Epigynum with a central longitudinal fossa in a projection (Figs. 
229, 230) acuminatus 
2b. Epigynum otherwise 3 
3a. Epigynum with a slender median scape posterior to a transverse an- 
terior margin (Fig. 399); southeastern Brazil to Paraguay . altioeps 
3b. Epigynum otherwise 4 
4a. Epigynum with scape margins forming anterior and lateral rims of 
fossae (Figs. 182, 336) 12 
4b. Epigynum without a scape or with a projecting scape; fossae indis- 
tinct or with posterior rim (Figs. 187, 412) 5 
5a. Epigynum with a median projecting scape or knobs (Fig. 187) ... .6 
5b. Epigynum without scape or knob 10 
6a. Diameter of lateral fossae larger than that of scape (Fig. 187) ; 
Ecuador, northern Peru sullana 
6b. Fossae not distinct or diameter smaller than that of scape 7 
7a. Abdomen more than three times as long behind as anterior to spin- 
nerets 8 
7b. Abdomen less than twice as long behind as anterior to spinnerets . 9 
8a. Epigynum with a heavily sclerotized depression posterior to scape 
(Figs. 203-205) ; Panama arthuri 
8b. Epigynum with a lightly sclerotized indistinct depression posterior to 
scape (Figs. 210, 211) ; Panama gertsdhi 
9a. Epigynum with an acute projecting scape flanked by openings (Fig. 
193) ; Panama to Ecuador aiopus 
9b. Epigynum with a sclerotized knob bearing indistinct openings (Fig. 
198) ; Ecuador, northern Peru proboscifer 
10a. Epigynum with two pockets anterior to sclerotized rim (Fig. 216) ; 
Venezuela to Brazil alius 
10b. Epigynum otherwise; southeastern and southern Brazil 11 
11a. Loops visible through epigynal depression (Fig. 405) affinis 
lib. Loops not visible through epigynal depression (Fig. 412) . . . .rigidus 
12a. Posterior border of scape wider than diameter of lateral fossae (Figs. 
265,341) 13 
12b. Posterior border of scape narrower than diameter of fossae 15 
13a. Posterior border of scape rounded (Fig. 341) ; West Indies darlingtoni 
13b. Posterior border of scape truncate 14 
14a. Ducts short (Fig. 264) ; Jamaica jamaicensis 
14b. Ducts longer, with loops (Fig. 284); southern Mexico to northern 
Brazil ululans 
102 BULLETIN : MUSEUM OB' COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY 
15a. Scape narrow, almost as long as total width between outsides of fossae 
(Fig. 369) ; Texas to Guatemala subdolus 
15b. Scape otherwise 16 
16a. Lateral margins of fossae very wide, almost reaching genital groove 
(Fig. 224) ; Panama to Paraguay amplifrons 
16b. Lateral margins otherwise 17 
17a. Scape blunt, fossae on each side with a semicircular dark mark (Fig. 
280) ; Mexico taeter 
17b. Scape otherwise, fossae without mark 18 
18a. Duct of internal genitalia simple, shorter than twice the diameter of 
seminal receptacles (Figs. 245, 259) 19 
18b. Duct of internal genitalia coiled or with sclerotized chambers; longer 
than twice the diameter of seminal receptacles 21 
19a. Fossae almost circular ; their diameter equal to width of base of scape 
(Fig. 247) ; southeastern U.S.A. to Brazil americanus 
19b. Fossae wider than long; wider than base of scape (Fig. 260) ... 20 
20a. Abdomen higher than long without posterior dorsal tubercle (Figs. 
256, 257) ; southeastern U.S.A. to Ecuador globosus 
20b. Abdomen longer than high, with posterior dorsal tubercle (Fig. 268) ; 
Cuba oubensis 
21a. Scape more than three times length of fossae (Figs. 172, 257, 389) 22 
21b. Scape shorter than twice length of fossae 27 
22a. Ducts forming spiral coils (Fig. 388) ; Guatemala to southern Brazil 
convolutus 
22b. Duct otherwise 23 
23a. Duct loosely coiled (Fig. 171) ; Guianas ccavdatus 
23b. Duct otherwise 24 
24a. Area posterior to scape swollen (Figs. 357, 358) ; Mexico to Paraguay 
dracus 
24b. Area posterior to scape not swollen 25 
25a. Scape long, pointed (Fig. 351) ; duct lumen in sclerotized chambers 
(Fig. 350) ; West Indies qvasiobtusus 
25b. Srape blunt ; duct lumen not in sclerotized chambers 26 
26a. Duet with several heavily sclerotized coils (Fig. 363) ; Panama ... 
chiclcerin gi 
26b. Duet with only the most anterior coil sclerotized (Fig. 378) ; Mexico, 
Guatemala aviates 
27a. Ducts wide, short, S-shaped (Fig. 234) ; West Indies exiguus 
27b. Ducts otherwise 28 
28a. A pair of spherical sclerotized chambers between openings and seminal 
receptacles (Fig. 298) ; southeastern Brazil sichi 
28b. No spherical chambers present 29 
29a. Ducts in double coil through heavily sclerotized chambers posterior to 
seminal receptacles (Fig. 383) ; Peru peruen&is 
29b. Ducts otherwise 30 
30a. Ducts of about equal width (Figs. 171, 373) 31 
30b. Ducts much narrower near seminal receptacles than at openings (Figs. 
181, 274) 33 
EXLINE AND LEVI : SPIDER GENUS ARGYRODES 103 
31a. Ducts loosely coiled (Fig. 171) ; Guianas ecaudatus 
31b. Ducts in tight coils (Figs. 373, 393) 32 
32a. Ducts double coiled (Fig. 373) ; Texas, Mexico davisi 
32b. Ducts with simple coil surrounding straight portion of duct (Fig. 
393) ; Mexico leonensis 
33a. Length of ducts only slightly more than two diameters of seminal re- 
ceptacles (Fig. 181) ; Ecuador, northern Peru cochlcaforma 
33b. Length of duct more than three diameters of seminal receptacles .34 
3.4a. Ducts leaving seminal receptacles in a posterior direction (Fig. 274) ; 
Florida, Mexico maculosus 
34b. Ducts leaving seminal receptacles in a lateral or anterior direction 
(Figs. 293, 345) 35 
35a. Duct with a loop on each side of seminal receptacle, then continuing 
S-shaped to opening (Fig. 293) ; Jamaica gapensis 
35b. Duct otherwise 36 
36a. Duct with only one loop as in Figure 345; Guatemala godmani 
36b. Ducts with several loops 37 
37a. Area posterior to scape swollen (Fig. 336) ; ducts fused and sclero- 
tized (Figs. 333-334) ; eastern U.S. A cancellattis 
37b. Area posterior to scape not swollen (Fig. 320) ; ducts not fused 
Figs. 311-318) ; southern U.S.A. to Paraguay caudatus 
The Bhomphaea group 
Argyrodes fictilium (Hentz) 
Figures 6, 7, 26-28 ; Map 1 
Theridion ? fictilium Hentz, 1850, Jour. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist., vol. 6, 
p. 282, pi. 10, fig. 4; 1875, Occ. Papers Boston Soc. Nat. Hist., vol. 2, 
p. 155, pi. 17, fig. 4 [query Hentz 's]. Female type from Alabama, lost. 
Argyrodes fictilium, Emerton, 1882, Trans. Connecticut Acad. Arts and Sci., 
vol. 6, p. 24, figs. 2, 2a. 
Rlwmphaea remota Bryant, 1940, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., vol. 86, p. 308, 
fig. 74. Male holotype from Trinidad Mts., Cuba, in the Museum of 
Comparative Zoology, examined by Levi. NEW SYNONYMY. 
Rhomphaea fictilium, Kaston, 1948, Bull. Connecticut Geol. Nat. Hist. Surv., 
no. 70, p. 89, figs. 85, 86. Bonnet, 1958, Bibliographia Araneorum, vol. 
2, pt. 4, p. 3864. 
Rhomphaea lacerta, Chamberlin and Ivie, 1944, Bull. Univ. Utah, biol. ser., 
vol. 8, no. 5, p. 45, fig. 54. Archer, 1946, Paper Alabama Mus. Nat. 
Hist., no. 22, p. 25. Probably not Tetragnatha lacerta Walckenaer, 
1841. 
Note. The specific name is used as a noun in apposition. 
Description. Male from Missouri. Carapace, legs, sternum, and 
palpi pale yellow, with parallel brown stripes from anterior 
median eyes to anterior margin of clypeus, and some brown on 
thorax. Abdomen tan with silvery spots, and some brownish 
104 BULLETIN : MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY 
streaks on sides. Eyes on single tubercle, those of each side almost 
touching, and widely separated from those of other side, with 
anterior medians and posterior medians about equal in size, larger 
than lateral eyes. Clypeus slanting, long (Fig. 7). Legs and 
palpi very long, slender. Abdomen very long, worm-like ; covered, 
at least in posterior part, with long, fine hairs ; tip usually pointed 
but without cuticular spine. Total length 5.0 mm. Carapace 1.8 
mm long. First femur, 6.4 mm ; patella and tibia, 5.4 mm; meta- 
tarsus, 3.4 mm; tarsus, 1.7 mm. 
Female from Missouri. Color similar to that of male ; a red- 
dish brown stripe on palpi ; patella and distal part of metatarsus 
of first leg brown. Abdomen darker than in male, pale brown 
dorsally and on sides covered with silvery flecks. Clypeus and 
eyes as in male. Chelicerae with one tooth on anterior, one on 
posterior margin. Abdomen much heavier than that of male and 
tapering evenly to tip (Fig. 26). Total length 10.5 mm, with 
posterior part of abdomen sinuous and tip curled upward. Cara- 
pace 1.5 mm long. First femur, 7.3 mm; patella and tibia, 5.7 
mm; metatarsus, 3.2 mm; tarsus, 1.6 mm. 
Variation. The abdomen varies in shape as is illustrated by 
Figure 26. The total length varies in part with the length of the 
abdomen, which is often coiled either upward or downward at 
the posterior tip. Males measure from 3.0 to 6.6 mm, with the 
carapace varying from 1.0 to 1.4 mm long. Females measure from 
5.6 to 12.0 mm, with carapace from 1.3 to 1.7 mm long. The color 
is usually pale, but a few specimens have reddish brown median 
stripes on the venter of the abdomen and sternum, light brown 
bands on carapace and the abdomen is conspicuously brownish 
on sides. Parts of the male palpi are more definitely sclerotized 
in some specimens than in others, and the embolus and conductor, 
which are nearly parallel in some specimens, are at a slight angle 
in others. The palpal tibiae are shorter in California specimens 
than in eastern ones. The seminal receptacles in some female 
genitalia appear quite far apart ; those examined from the dorsal 
side show the receptacles separated by less than a radius. The 
epigynum of a female from Oregon appears slightly aberrant. 
The epigyna are often covered after mating by an easily remov- 
able exudation. 
Diagnosis. The abdomen of A. fictiliitm is unusually long, sinu- 
ous, and evenly tapered, and lacks a spine at the tip (Fig. 26). 
Both embolus and conductor of the male palpus are obliquely 
placed in the apical half of the bulb (Fig. 6). The palpus is very 
long and slender, and the tarsus only slightly wider than the 
EXLINE AND LEVI : SPIDER GENUS ARGYRODES 105 
distal part of the tibia. The male lacks a cephalic projection 
(Fig. 7) which separates it from other males described from 
America. The epigymim of the female has a central depression 
on a raised area, bordered by a sclerotized edge. The edge hides 
the well-separated openings of the tubes (Fig. 28). The seminal 
receptacles are oval and variably separated, usually by less than 
a radius (Fig. 28). The membranous tubes lie ventral to pos- 
terior edge of receptacles, and are invisible in dorsal view (Fig. 
27). 
Ecology. These spiders often make small theridiid webs of 
their own, but females are sometimes collected in webs of other 
spiders. 
Distribution. From southern Canada to Panama. Widely 
scattered, but rare ; Map 1. 
Records. Canada. Ontario. Nipissing Co. : Lake Timagami, 9 
(W. J. Gertsch, W. Ivie, T. Kurata). British Columbia. Pender 
Harbour (W. Watkins) ; Wellington (R. Guppy) ; Nanaimo (R. 
B. Conway). 
United States. Maine. Cumberland Co. : Long Island (J. H. 
Emerton) . Hancock Co. : Mt. Desert Isl. (W. Procter) . Waldo Co. : 
Winterport. Massachusetts. Barnstable Co.: Woods Hole (H. 
Britcher) . Essex Co. : Bartholomew's Pond, Peabody (J. H. Emer- 
ton) ; Essex (J. H. Emerton). Middlesex Co.: Lexington (J. H. 
Emerton); Holliston (N. Banks). Connecticut. Norwalk, juv. 
(W. J. Gertsch). New York. Nassau Co.: Sea Cliff (N. Banks). 
Sullivan Co.: White Lake, juv. (H. Britcher). Tennessee. Rob- 
ertson Co.: 30 mi. N of Nashville (W. J. Gertsch). North Caro- 
lina. Carteret Co. : Beaufort (R. D. Barnes). Durham Co. : Duke 
Forest (A. M. Checkering). Orange Co.: Chapel Hill (J. H. 
Emerton). Pasquotank Co.: Elizabeth City (J. H. Emerton). 
Georgia. Cobb Co.: Marietta (J. H. Emerton). Ware Co.: Way- 
cross (W. J. Gertsch). (Chamberlin and Ivie, 1944). Florida. 
Alachua Co.: W of Gainesville (W. J. Gertsch). Hillsborough 
Co.: Hillsborough River State Park (W. J. Gertsch). Lake Co.: 
Leesburg (M. Statham). Liberty Co. (H. K. Wallace). Okee- 
chobee Co.: Okeechobee (W. J. Gertsch). Alabama. (Archer, 
1946). Mississippi. Amite Co.: Gloster (A. F. Archer). Forrest 
Co.: Hattiesburg (A. F. Archer). Missouri. Madison Co.: 14 mi. 
E of Farmington (H. E., D. L. Frizzell). Phelps Co. : near Rolla 
(H. E., D. L. Frizzell). Texas. Denton Co.: Dallas (S. Jones). 
Travis Co.: Austin (H. E., D. L. Frizzell). Washington. King 
Co.: Seattle (M. H. Hatch). San Juan Co.: Friday Harbor 
(M. H. Hatch). Oregon. Coos Co.: Camp Myrtlewood, 1^2 mi. 
106 BULLETIN : MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY 
S of Bridge (V. Roth). Yamhill Co.: McMinnville (K. M. Fen- 
der). California. Marin Co.: Mill Valley (W. J. Gertsch, V. 
Roth). Monterey Co.: Pacific Grove, juv. (J. C. Bradley) ; Big 
Snr, juv. (W. J. Gertsch). Santa Clara Co.: Palo Alto (A. M. 
Nadler) ; near Stanford Univ. (L. W. Swan). Santa Cruz Co.: 
Big Basiu, juv. (R. X. Schick). 
Mexico. Nuevo Leon: El Papalote, km 1120 (A. F. Archer). 
Panama Canal Zone. Summit; Barro Colorado Isl. ; Experi- 
mental Gardens; Forest Reserve (all A. M. Chickering). Cuba. 
(Bryant, 1940). Jamaica. St. Andrew's Par.: Mona, $ (A. M. 
Chickering). Trelawny Par.: Falmouth (C, P. Vaurie). Puerto 
Rico. Luquillo Mts., 9 (H. Beatty). Paraguay. Territ. Fon- 
ciere, June 3, 1908, 9 (E. Reimoser coll.) [erroneous locality?] . 
Argyrodes projiciens (0. P. -Cambridge), new combination 
Figures 8-10, 29-31; Map 2 
Bhompliaea projiciens O.P. -Cambridge, 1896, Biologia Centrali-Americana, 
Araneidea, vol. 1, p. 186, pi. 23, figs. 9, 10. Male, female syntypes from 
Teapa, Tabasco, Mexico, in the British Museum (Natural History), 
examined by Levi. F.P.-Cambridge, 1902, op. cit., vol. 2, p. 407, pi. 38, 
figs. 17, 18. 
Ehnmphaea spimosa Badcock, 1932, Jour. Linncan Soc. London, vol. 38, p. 8. 
Immature female from Paraguay, in the British Museum (Natural 
History), examined by Levi. NEW SYNONYMY. 
Bhompliaea martinae Exline, 1950, Studies Honoring Trevor Kincaid, Univ. 
of Washington Press, p. 116, figs. 5, 7, 8, 14, 16. Male holotype from 
Chira River Valley, Piura, Peru, in the Museum of Comparative Zo- 
ology. NEW SYNONYMY. 
Note. Specimens from Cuba, identified as R. projiciens by 
Franganillo, have the tip of the abdomen divided; they are prob- 
ably Argyrodes furcatus. Only female specimens have been 
found in the United States, Mexico, Brazil and Paraguay. 
Description. Male from Panama Canal Zone. Carapace pale 
yellow, thoracic part with irregular gray band on each side and 
on clypeus from anterior median eye to edge, sometimes continu- 
ing on face of chelicerae. Legs and palpi pale, irregularly annu- 
lated with light brown, and streaked with reddish longitudinal 
lines and spots. Sternum pale with irregular brownish lateral 
bands uniting behind and almost uniting anteriorly. Abdomen 
pale with brownish streaks on venter and around spinnerets, 
large dark gray patches on posterior part of abdomen, which is 
thickly covered with irregular silvery spots. Carapace low with 
eyes and cephalic projection on low tubercle. Eyes small, anterior 
EXLINE AND LEVI : SPIDER GENUS ARGYRODES 107 
median eyes a little larger than others, contiguous with anterior 
lateral eyes. Posterior median eyes separated by about a diameter 
and close to posterior lateral eyes. Cephalic projection arising 
from between anterior median eyes, slender proximally, gradually 
thickened distally with a ventral tip bearing a brush of curved 
setae (Figs. 9, 10). Clypeus straight, slanting a little forward, a 
little higher than length of chelicerae. Legs long, thin, thickly 
covered with hair-like setae. Abdomen slender, projecting dor- 
sally from spinnerets. Posterior tip wrinkled, bluntly rounded 
with a long sclerotized spine. Total length 3.2 mm. Carapace 
1.5 mm long with cephalic projection, 1.2 mm without. Abdomen 
2.9 mm long. First femur, 4.7 mm ; patella and tibia, 4.5 mm ; 
metatarsus, 2.5 mm; tarsus, 1.3 mm. 
Female from same locality. Color as in male but brighter, 
brownish bands uneven and forming a reticulated pattern. Cara- 
pace somewhat raised behind thoracic groove, and eye tubercle 
more prominent than in male. Chelicerae with one quite promi- 
nent tooth on upper margin of furrow, two to three smaller ones 
on lower. Clypeus a little more slanting than in male. Posterior 
median eyes a little farther apart. Abdomen extending far above 
spinnerets; tip as in male with the long spine (Fig. 29). Total 
length 4.0 mm. Carapace 1.5 mm long. Abdomen 6.6 mm long. 
First femur, 5.6 mm ; patella and tibia, 4.7 mm ; metatarsus. 2.8 
mm ; tarsus, 1.4 mm. 
Figures 30, 31 were prepared from the type of Rhomphaea 
projiciens. 
Variation. Males are from 3.0 to 5.0 mm long, depending 
mostly on direction of the posterior portion of the abdomen, 
which is sometimes at right angles to carapace, sometimes almost 
straight. Some males are pale yellow with faint markings and 
silvery abdomens. Others have conspicuous markings of red 
and brown on carapace and legs, and abdomen with blackish 
patches with only a few silvery spots. Color, length and direction 
of the abdomen even more variable in females (from Panama. 
Brazil and Paraguay). Dark specimens may have a light brown 
carapace with blackish bands, legs and palpi orange with black 
and red markings, and abdomen mostly reddish brown with 
black patches and only a thin silvery reticulation. Length varies 
from 3.0 to 6.5 mm. The caudal spine is usually present, but 
may be short, bent over, broken, or sometimes missing. 
Diagnosis. The shape of the cephalic projection (Figs. 9, 10) 
separates males from A. procerus and A. metaltissimus with 
which they have been confused. The long and slender palpus has 
108 BULLETIN : MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY 
radix, conductor and embolus all drawn out, slender (Fig. 8), 
and directed almost parallel to the long axis of the tarsus. This 
species is lightly colored; dark females in Panama are usually 
either A. projiciens or A. paradoxus. Argyrodes projiciens can 
be separated by the epigynum (Fig. 31) which is slightly swollen, 
not reaching the genital groove. Posterior to a shallow longitudi- 
nal median groove lie two small, indistinct, somewhat distant 
openings. There is no sclerotized edge behind openings as in 
A. procerus. The shallow groove may be difficult to see because 
of scattered pigment. The openings are somewhat variable in 
appearance due to the amount of sclerotization at the ends of the 
tubes. The connecting tubes are simple and weakly sclerotized 
(Fig. 30). 
Distribution. Florida, Texas to Paraguay. None have been 
identified from the West Indies ; Map 2. 
Records. United States. Florida. Dade Co. : Royal Palm Park, 
Everglades Natl. Park, 5 (W. S. Blatchley). Texas. Hidalgo 
Co. : San Juan. Travis Co. : Austin (A. Flury) ; near Austin 
(D. L., H. E. Frizzell). 
Mexico. Oaxaca: Playa Hati (H. Wagner). Chiapas: Finca 
Cuauhtemoc, near Cacahoatan (C, M. Goodnight) ; Puerto Ma- 
dero (C, M. Goodnight). Guatemala. San Jeronimo (C, P. 
Vaurie). Panama. Arraijan ; Boquete; El Valle (all A. M. 
Chickering). Panama Canal Zone. Barro Colorado Isl. ; Experi- 
mental Gardens; Chilibre; Madden Dam; Summit (all A. M. 
Chickering) ; Barro Colorado Isl. (A. M. Nadler). 
Ecuador. Guayas: Milagro. Peru. Piura: Parinas Valley; 
Chira River Valley. Brazil. Bahia: Condeuba (E. Gounelle, 
MNHN). Minos Gerais: Caraca (E. Gounelle, MNHN). Rio de 
Janeiro: Rio de Janeiro (Germain, MNHN). Santa Catarina: 
Nova Teutonia, lat 27°11', long 52°23' (F. Plaumann, SMF). 
Paraguay. (MNHN). Alto Parana: Apa; Taguararapa. 
Argyrodes procerus (0. P. -Cambridge), new combination 
Figures 11-13, 32-34 ; Map 2 
Rhomphaea sp. Simon, 1894, Histoire Naturelle des Araignees, vol. 1, fig. 
507. Female from Venezuela. 
Ariamnes procera O.P.-Cambridge, 1898, Biologia Centrali-Americana, Ara- 
neidea, vol. 1, p. 257, pi. 38, fig. 5. Female type from Bugaba, Panama, 
in the British Museum (Natural History), examined by Levi. 
Ilhomphaea procera, F.P.-Cambridge 1902, Biologia Centrali-Americana, 
Araneidea, vol. 2, p. 407, pi. 38, fig. 19. 
EXLINE AND LEVI : SPIDER GENUS ARGYRODES 109 
Ehomphaea simoni Petrunkevitch, 1911, Bull. Connecticut Acad. Sci., vol. 29, 
p. 186. Name for Ehomphaea sp. Simon, 1894, op. cit., fig. 507. NEW 
SYNONYMY. 
Note. A female specimen in the Museum National d'Histoire 
Naturelle, Paris, from San Esteban, Venezuela, collected by 
Simon, has the long abdomen rounded at the tip, as in Simon's 
(1894) illustration, named by Petrunkevitch. 
Description. Male from Panama Canal Zone. Carapace pale 
yellow with a few irregular grayish markings on thorax, and a 
pair of pale gray, longitudinal bands on clypeus. Legs nearly 
white with a few pale gray spots. Sternum with a pair of longi- 
tudinal gray bands united posteriorly. Integument of abdomen 
yellowish, almost entirely covered with silver; a few gray spots 
near tip and a grayish band from spinnerets to tip. Carapace 
low with raised eye tubercle. Median eyes widely separated. 
Anterior median eyes largest, lateral eyes smallest and some- 
what irregular in shape. Cephalic projection arises from median 
ocular area, and is expanded distally into a fleshy knob, without 
conspicuous long setae (Figs. 12, 13). Clypeus as high as cheli- 
cerae are long, projecting below. Abdomen very slender and 
tapering evenly behind spinnerets. Tip pointed but without 
spine. Total length 3.9 mm. Carapace 1.1 mm long. First femur, 
5.4 mm ; patella and tibia, 5.0 mm ; metatarsus, 2.5 mm ; tarsus, 
1.2 mm. 
Female from Panama Canal Zone. Carapace color as in male, 
with palpal segments gray ventrally. Sternum yellow with gray 
in middle spreading to sides in a reticulated pattern. Legs very 
pale with a few dark spots. Abdomen pale yellow covered with 
silver as in male but with more gray markings on sides and un- 
derneath, and a few dark, widely scattered spots. Carapace 
raised behind thoracic groove and at eye tubercle. Eyes as in 
male. Clypeus more rounded and slanting than in male. Abdo- 
men similarly tapered and elongate behind spinnerets, but larger 
and thicker than in male, with a small membranous spine at 
tip (Fig. 32). Total length 6.4 mm. Carapace 1.5 mm long. 
First femur, 7.3 mm; patella and tibia, 6.4 mm; metatarsus, 
2.6 mm; tarsus, 1.4 mm. Females vary from 5.5 to 10.2 mm long, 
depending mostly on length of abdominal projection. 
Figures 33, 34 were prepared from the type of Ariamnes 
procera. 
Diagnosis. Argyrodes procerus is paler and more fragile than 
other species in Panama, and is without spine on abdomen. The 
male differs from A. projiciens by smaller size, carapace shape 
HO BULLETIN: MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY 
and a differently shaped projection (Figs. 12, 13). The palpus 
is similar to that of A. projiciens but has a wider tegulum, a 
shorter embolus and a longer, thinner, nearly rectangular radix 
(Fig. 11). The unique epigynum is very lightly sclerotized, flat 
with a pair of small, contiguous openings near the posterior 
edge, sometimes separated. The openings are anterior to diag- 
nostic, though faint, sclerotized margin (Fig. 34). The margin 
may be straight, wavy or curved. The seminal receptacles are 
comparatively small, broadly oval, separated but not far apart. 
The tubes are simple and narrow, extending from the openings 
laterally to enter the receptacles on the posterior margin (Fig. 
33). (Males and females have not been taken together, and have 
been matched on the basis of color and position of the eyes.) 
Distribution. Costa Rica to Venezuela ; Map 2. 
Records. Costa Rica. Cartago, Nov. 1953, 9 (N. L. H. 
Krauss) ; Orosi, Oct. 1953, 9 (N. L. H. Krauss). Panama. Ar- 
raijan. Panama Canal Zone. Experimental Gardens; Forest 
Reserve ; Fort Sherman ; France Field ; Madden Dam ; Balboa ; 
Barro Colorado Isl. (all A. M. Chickering). Venezuela. Cara- 
bobo: San Esteban, 1888, 9 S (E. Simon, MNHN). 
Argyrodes honestus new species 
Figures 14, 15, 41-43 ; Map 2 
Type. Male from Nova Teutonia, lat 27°11' W, long 52°23' S, 
Santa Catarina, Brazil (F. Plaumann), in the Senckenberg Mu- 
seum, Frankfurt. The specific name is a Latin adjective meaning 
well-favored. 
Description. Male type. Carapace very pale with only a trace 
of dark longitudinal bands. Cephalic projection light brown. 
Bands present on clypeus. Legs pale yellow with light brown 
annulations. Sternum pale with a pair of irregular brown 
stripes. Abdomen yellow with brown stripes and streaks on 
venter, sides, and a few on dorsum. Silver patches on dorsum. 
Posterior part thickly covered with silver over a tan background. 
Carapace flat. Anterior median eyes slightly larger than pos- 
terior median eyes. Posterior eyes separated by a diameter. 
Cephalic projection arises from area between median eyes, more 
slender than that of A. metaltissimus, slightly constricted near 
base; distal part with a ventral tip bearing a tuft of forward 
pointing setae (Fig. 15). Clypeus high, straight, with consider- 
able space between edge of clypeus and base of chelicerae. Abdo- 
men very slender, greatly prolonged behind and above spinnerets, 
EXLINE AND LEVI: SPIDER GENUS ARGYRODES 111 
terminating in a membranous point. Non-lanceolate setae on 
posterior part short and lying against abdomen. Total length 
4.0 mm. Carapace 1.3 mm long, with cephalic projection; 1.1 mm 
long without. First femur, 4.5 mm (other segments missing). 
Female paratype. Color as in male ; abdomen almost entirely 
silver with a few dark markings toward tip. Carapace as in male 
with eye region raised and tuberculate. Clypeus straight, slant- 
ing a little forward, not as high as chelicerae are long. Abdo- 
men very high, seemingly with a circlet of long, prone, rough- 
ened setae. Posterior tip missing. Total length 4.5 mm. Cara- 
pace 1.5 mm long. First femur, 6.2 mm (other segments missing) . 
Variation. A male from Venezuela is nearly identical to type 
specimen but the ventral tip on the cephalic projection is larger. 
Diagnosis. Argyrodes honest us is less well-marked than re- 
lated species and the tip of the abdomen is more pointed (Fig. 
41). Male cephalic projection (Fig. 15) is more slender than that 
of A. metaltissimus. Palpi have the tarsi narrower and longer. 
Palpal sclerites are similar to those of A. metaltissimus, except 
that radix is short and has sides nearly parallel without distal 
hook (Fig. 14). Epigynum natter than in A. metaltissimus. Pos- 
terior depression inconspicuous. Fossa wider than long (Fig. 
43), showing paired tube openings on posterior margin when 
abdomen is tilted. Tubes narrow, sclerotized, passing posterior 
rather than lateral, then folding dorsally to form a straight trans- 
verse line and bending ventrally to seminal receptacles. Seminal 
receptacles small, broadly oval, less than a diameter apart (Fig. 
42). 
Distribution. Venezuela to southern Brazil ; Map 2. 
Records. Venezuela. $ (SMF). Brazil. Santa Catarina: 
Nova Teutonia, 9 paratype (F. Plaumann, SMF). 
Argyrodes metaltissimus (Soares and Camargo), 
new combination 
Figures 16-22, 35-40; Map 2 
Rliomphaca mctaltissima Soares and Camargo, 1948, Bol. Mus. Paraense, 
vol. 10, p. 365, figs. 15-18. Male holotype from Chavantina, Mato 
Grosso, Brazil, in the Departamento de Zoologia da Secretaria da 
Agricultura, Sao Paulo, examined by Levi. 
Description. Male from Panama Canal Zone. Carapace yellow 
with a dark gray longitudinal band near each lateral margin, 
and a pair of bands on clypeus. Legs pale yellow, inconspicuously 
annulate with light brown. Sternum pale with a pair of longi- 
tudinal bands uniting posteriorly. Abdomen very pale with a 
112 BULLETIN: MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY 
dark gray ventral band, large black streaks and irregular spots, 
especially toward posterior tip and between spinnerets and tip. 
Silvery patches scattered over dorsum and posterior part. Cara- 
pace unusually flat. Anterior median eyes much larger than 
others and overhanging clypeus. Eyes of each side nearly con- 
tiguous. Posterior median eyes separated by a little more than 
their diameter. Lateral eyes smaller than others. Cephalic pro- 
jection arising between anterior median eyes, large and fleshy, 
slightly irregular in outline, with entire tip setae-bearing but 
setae not forming a brush or tuft (Figs. 17-22). Clypeus slightly 
concave, not quite as high as chelicerae are long. Legs very long 
and densely clothed with fine setae. Abdomen slender from base 
to spinnerets, somewhat bulging at level of spinnerets and taper- 
ing to blunt tip. Tip with integument wrinkled, bearing scat- 
tered, long, black, flattened lanceolate setae (often missing from 
alcoholic specimens, though scars remain). Posterior part of 
living abdomen probably movable in a worm-like fashion ; some 
preserved specimens have abdomen sinuous or curled upward or 
downward. Total length 4.0 mm. Carapace 1.5 mm long, with 
cephalic projection, 1.2 mm without. First femur, 5.5 mm; pa- 
tella and tibia, 4.8 mm; metatarsus, 3.0 mm; tarsus, 1.6 mm. 
Female from same locality. Color as in male except that palpi 
have a dark gray ventral line. Carapace, eyes, clypeus and legs 
as in male. Abdomen not so slender as in male and usually longer 
with tip blunt and setae as in male. Shape of posterior part vari- 
able as in male. Total length 4.3 mm. Carapace 1.3 mm long. 
First femur, 7.0 mm ; patella and tibia, 6.0 mm ; metatarsus, 
3.8 mm ; tarsus, 2.0 mm. 
Figure 17 was prepared from the type, Figures 36-38 from a 
paratype. 
Variation. There seems to be considerable geographic variation 
of the male carapace projection (Figs. 17-22). The male type 
and female paratype show significant differences from Panaman- 
ian specimens. The carapace projection of the type is heavier 
(Fig. 17). Unfortunately the carapace of the type is badly dam- 
aged and palpi are missing. The connecting ducts of the female 
paratype are considerably wider and more heavily sclerotized 
near the opening (Fig. 37). The abdomen of the female para- 
type is longer (Fig. 36) than in specimens from Panama (Fig. 
35). 
Diagnosis. The shape of the cephalic projection of the male 
(Figs. 17-22) is diagnostic. The genital structures are similar 
to those of A. honestus. The embolus is U-shaped. The radix is 
EXLINE AND LEVI: SPIDER GENUS ARGYRODES 113 
flat, elongate, one edge entire, the inner margin expanded me- 
dially, then contracting to form a broad hook distally which, 
unlike the hook of related species, lias only few teeth. Conduc- 
tor long, membranous, leaf -like, with distal end approaching tip 
of embolus (Fig. 16). The palpus of A. metaltissimus differs from 
that of A. honestus in having a shorter, straighter embolic tube, 
and a wider space between tube and basal part. The epigynum 
is lightly sclerotized (Figs. 38, 40). The tubes extend some dis- 
tance laterally (Figs. 37, 39) while in A. honestus the tubes ex- 
tend posteriorly and are parallel. The tubes are somewhat sclero- 
tized, often diminishing in size toward receptacles (Figs. 37, 39). 
Distribution. Panama, Venezuela to central Brazil; Map 2. 
Records. Panama Canal Zone: Barro Colorado Isl., 9 $ (N. 
Banks; A. M. Checkering). Lesser Antilles. Trinidad: Simla 
near Arima, Dec. 29-30, 1954, 9 $ ; Feb. 28, 1959, $ (A. M. 
Nadler). Venezuela. Aragua: Rancho Grande, Dec. 20, 1954, $ 
(A. M. Nadler). Brazil. Mato Grosso: Chavantina, 9 paratype. 
Argyrodes paradoxus Taczanowski 
Figures 23-25, 44-50 ; Map 2 
Argyrodes paradoxa Taczanowski, 1872 (1873), Horae Soc. Ent. Rossicae, 
vol. 9, p. 121, pi. 5, fig. 13. Female type from Cayenne, French Guiana, 
in the Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, examined by Levi. 
Ariamnes spinicaudatus Keyserling, 1884, Die Spinnen Amerikas, Theri- 
diidae, pt. 1, p. 171, pi. 8, fig. 104. Immature male here designated 
lectotype from AmaLile Maria [dept. Junin, prov. Tarma], Peru, in 
the Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, examined by Levi. NEW 
SYNONYMY. 
Khomphaea petrunkevitchi Mello-Leitao, 1945, Trans. Connecticut Acad. 
Sci., vol. 36, p. 171, fig. 1. Male type from Jaragua, Goias, Brazil, in 
the Museu Nacional, Rio de Jnneiro, not available for examination. 
NEW SYNONYMY. 
Note. Identification of Panamanian material with Ariamnes 
spinicaudatus is based on unusually long, curved embolus, as 
seen through palpal cuticle of immature lectotype (Fig. 25). 
Description. Male from Panama Canal Zone. Carapace bright 
yellow with a dark gray hand on each lateral margin posteriorly, 
and a gray band from anterior median eyes to tip of chelicerae. 
Cephalic projection a little darker than rest of carapace. Palpi 
with ventral, dark gray stripe. Sternum yellow with a pair of 
wide gray bands joining anteriorly and posteriorly. Legs yellow 
with irregular light brown annulations. Abdomen yellow with 
large grayish patches thickly interspersed with silvery spots. 
114 BULLETIN: MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY 
Clypeus high and steep, nearly as high as chelicerae are long. 
Eyes on common tubercle, those of each side close together. 
Median eyes widely separated, anterior medians largest. Long, 
stout cephalic projection arising from median ocular area ending 
in a blunt dorsal tip and a longer setae-bearing, ventral tip (Fig. 
24). Chelicerae weak, armed with a long tooth on anterior margin 
of fang groove, two small teeth on posterior margin. Abdomen 
slender, extending beyond spinnerets, ending in a short, stiff 
spine. Total length including cephalic projection, 5.5 mm. Cara- 
pace 1.6 mm long with, 1.1 mm without projection. First femur, 
4.8 mm ; patella and tibia, 4.6 mm ; metatarsus, 2.6 mm ; tarsus, 
1.3 mm. 
Female from same locality. Cephalothorax as in male but 
pattern reddish brown rather than gray, with additional streaks 
on carapace and legs, anterior tibiae entirely reddish brown 
underneath. Abdomen as in male but darker, and silvery flecks 
evenly and thickly distributed over integument. Carapace, eyes, 
chelicerae as in male but without projection. Abdomen larger, 
heavier, shaped approximately as in male and with a short spine 
at posterior tip (Fig. 44). Total length 5.2 mm. Carapace 1.5 
mm long. First femur, 7.0 mm; patella and tibia, 6.0 mm; meta- 
tarsus, 3.4 mm; tarsus, 1.6 mm. 
Figures 45 and 46 were prepared from the type of A. para- 
doxus; Figure 25 from the type of Ariamnes spinicaudatus. 
Variation. The epigynum (Figs. 46, 49) is quite variable and 
the ducts vary in length (Figs. 45, 48). Unfortunately too few 
males were available to study variation. 
Diagnosis. This species is often darker than others of the 
Rhomphaea group. The size and shape of the cephalic projec- 
tion (Fig. 24) separate males from other species. Unlike related 
species, the embolus is long and hook-shaped. The conductor is 
long, membranous ; the radix is long, slender, somewhat curved 
at tip (Fig. 23). The epigynum is diagnostic, having a posterior 
depression, bordered by a variable ridge anteriorly, in front of 
which is a pair of large, sometimes indistinct, openings (Figs. 
46, 49). The seminal receptacles are large, oval, almost touching. 
The long tubes form a pair of lateral loops on each side (Figs. 
45, 48). 
Distribution. Mexico, Peru to Minas Gerais; Map 2. 
Records. Mexico. Veracruz: 16 km S of San Jose del Carmen, 
April 16, 1953, 9 (L. I. Davis). Panama. El Volcan, Chiriqui, 
Feb. 19, 1936, 2 (W. J. Gertsch) ; Cerro Punta, Chiriqui, March 
4, 1936, 9 (W. J. Gertsch). Panama Canal Zone: Barro Colo- 
rado Isl., July 1936, 9 ; Aug. 1936, 9 ; June 1939, 9 ; Aug. 
EXLINE AND LEVI: SPIDER GENUS ARGYRODES 115 
1950, 9 ; July 1954, 8 ; Aug. 14, 1954, 2 8 ; Summit, July 
1950, 8 ; Experimental Gardens (all A. M. Checkering). Vene- 
zulea. t Dist. Fed.: Hacienda Corosal near Mt. La Silla, 1888, 9 
(E. Simon, MN1IN). Brazil. Minus Gerais: Caraca (E. Goun- 
elle, MNHN). 
The A. triejonum species group 
Argyrodes obscurus Keyserling 
Figures 79-83 ; Map 3 
Argyrodes montanus Keyserling, 1884, Die Spinnen Amerikas, Theridiidae, 
pt. 1, p. 193, pi. 9, fig. 115. Female type from Montana di Naneho, 
[? Cajamarca], 8000' elev. [2550 m], Peru, in the Polish Academy of 
Sciences, Warsaw, examined by Levi. 
Argyrodes obscurus Keyserling, 1884, op. cit., p. 194, pi. 9, fig. 116. Male 
from Montana di Naneho, [? Cajamarca], 8000' elev. [2550 m], Peru, 
in the Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, examined by Levi. NEW 
SYNONYMY. 
Note. The name of the male type is chosen as the name of the 
species, because males are easier to determine. 
Description. Female from Huanuco, Peru. Carapace orange- 
brown, legs a little paler. Sternum reddish brown. Dorsum of 
abdomen pale gray anteriorly, nearly black posteriorly ; sides 
and venter dark reddish gray becoming red toward tip of abdo- 
men. Eyes small, nearly equal in size. Anterior medians sep- 
arated by two diameters; area occupied by median eyes forming 
a square. Clypeus high, steep, with a deep furrow under eyes 
(Fig. 79). Abdomen extending beyond spinnerets, with con- 
spicuously bifurcated tip. Total length 3.8 mm. Carapace 1.4 
mm long. First femur, 2.8 mm; patella and tibia, 2.4 mm; meta- 
tarsus, 1.5 mm. 
Figures 79 and 80 were prepared from the type of A. obscurus; 
Figures 81-83 from the type of A. montanus. 
Diagnosis. The cephalic process of the male is more blunt and 
the clypeal process shorter (Fig. 79) than in other South Amer- 
ican species. The process differs in shape from that of A. con- 
cisus. The embolus of the palpus is short and narrow. The radix 
is long with parallel sides (Fig. 80). The eyes are smaller than 
in related species. The anterior median eyes of the female are 
unusually widely separated. The median ridge of the epigynum 
is long and wide and becomes wider anteriorly with a small an- 
terior depression (Fig. 83). The openings are nearly invisible. 
The seminal receptacles are separated by little more than a radius 
(Fig. 82). 
116 BULLETIN: MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY 
Records. Peru. Huanuco: Monzon Valley, near Tingo Maria, 
Oct. 15, 1954, 9 (E. I. Schlinger, E. S. Ross). 
Argyrodes furcatus (0. P. -Cambridge) 
Figures 84-88 ; Map 3 
Ariamnes furcata O.P.-Cambridge, 1898, Biologia Centrali-Americana, Ara- 
neidea, vol. 1, p. 129, pi. 17, fig. 10. Female type from Teapa, Tabasco 
[Mexico], in the British Museum (Natural History), examined by Levi. 
Argyrodes furcata O.P.-Cambridge, 1898, op. cit., p. 258, pi. 38, fig. 3. 
Female type from Omilteme, Guerrero, 9500 ft. [2900 m, Mexico], in 
the British Museum (Natural History), examined by Levi. NEW 
SYNONYMY. 
Argyrodes trigonus, F.P.-Cambridge, 1902, Biologia Centrali-Americana, 
Araneidea, vol. 2, p. 404, pi. 38, figs. 7, 8. Not A. trigonum (Hentz). 
Ehomphaea furcata, F.P.-Cambridge, 1902, op. cit., vol. 2, p. 407, pi. 38, 
fig. 15. For Ariamnes furcata O.P.-Cambridge. 
Ehomphaea oifissa F.P.-Cambridge, 1902, op. cit., p. 407, pi. 38, fig. 16. 
New name for Argyrodes furcata O.P.-Cambridge, preoccupied by 
Ariamnes furcata O.P.-Cambridge. Kraus, 1955, Abhandl. Sencken- 
bergischen Naturf. Gesell., vol. 493, p. 1(3. NEW SYNONYMY. 
Argyrodes frontatus Banks, 1908, Canadian Ent., vol. 40, p. 208, fig. 9, 
upper right. Syntypes from Ocean Springs, [Jackson Co.], Mississippi, 
in the Museum of Comparative Zoology, examined by Levi. NEW 
SYNONYMY. 
Conopistha trigonum, Bryant, 1940, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., vol. 86, p. 308. 
Not A. trigonum (Hentz). 
Conopistha rufa, Chamberlin and Ivie, 1944, Bull. Univ. Utah, biol. ser., 
vol. 8, no. 5, p. 38. Probably not Linyphia rufa Walckenaer. 
Note. Linyphia rufa Walckenaer, 1841 (Histoire Naturelle 
des Insectes Apteres, vol. 2, p. 284) was resurrected by Cham- 
berlin and Ivie, 1944, as an older name for A. trigonum (Hentz), 
based on a series of specimens collected in Georgia, which, how- 
ever, belong to A. furcatus. Both species, A. furcatus and A. 
trigonum, are found in Georgia, although the former is far more 
common. Xo diagnostic characters are mentioned by Walckenaer, 
nor reproduced in Abbot's drawings. Since L. rufa has seldom 
been used for trigonum and never for furcatus, it seems best to 
consider it a doubtful name. 
Description. Male from Mississippi. Color varies from pale 
whitish to dark gray or dusky black sclerotized parts. Abdomen 
silvery white with pale gray to black on light background. Area 
over lungs pale yellow. Carapace with a short cone-shaped head 
process, and a short clypeal process, which is blunt and at an 
EXLINE AND LEVI: SPIDER GENUS ARGYRODES 117 
angle to clypeus (Fig. 84). Eyes medium sized. Posterior me- 
dians more than two diameters apart, and more than a radius 
from laterals. Abdomen sometimes long, with tip sometimes 
blunt, but usually bifurcate. Total length 2.7 mm. Carapace 
1.2 mm long. First femur, 2.3 mm; patella and tibia, 1.8 mm; 
metatarsus, 1.4 mm ; tarsus, 0.7 mm. 
Female from Mississippi. Color as in male. Abdomen, how- 
ever, has dark lanceolate mark on dorsum. Anterior median eyes 
about a diameter and a half apart. Posterior median eyes almost 
three diameters apart, nearly a diameter from laterals. Clypeus 
high. Abdomen as in male, but larger (Fig. 86). Total length 
3.7 mm. Carapace 1.1 mm long. First femur, 2.6 mm ; patella 
and tibia, 2.1 mm; metatarsus, 1.4 mm; tarsus, 0.8 mm. 
Figures 86-88 were prepared from the type of Ariamnes 
fur cat us. 
Variation. Color variation is very marked in this species and 
may vary with the amount of sunshine to which the spider has 
been exposed. Light specimens are often found in sunny situa- 
tions, dark specimens in shade. Specimens from the same area 
may vary from very pale gray to nearly black. A few have a 
reddish cast, especially on sternum and venter of abdomen. In 
female, shape and size of abdomen depend on stage of egg 
development. In large populations, individuals tend to be smaller 
than in small populations. Males vary from 2.3 to 3.4 mm; fe- 
males from 3.0 to 4.0 mm. The length of the clypeal process of 
males is somewhat variable. 
Diagnosis. The males of this species can readily be separated 
from A. trigonum by the difference in shape of the processes (Fig. 
84). The radix of the palpus (Fig. 85) is much longer than wide 
and has several rows of evenly spaced denticles at its tip, whereas 
that of A. oaboquivari is as wide as long. The epigynum (Fig. 
88) has the median ridge shorter, higher and wider than in A. 
trigonum. The ridge is formed by the raised ends of the paired 
connecting canals; the opening is anterior but difficult to see. 
The ridge is about 0.06 mm wide while that of A. oaboquivari 
is about 0.13 mm wide. The connecting canals (Fig. 87) are 
very short. 
Natural History. (See introduction.) 
Distribution. Southeastern United States, from South Caro- 
lina along the Gulf Shore of Mexico, south to El Salvador: 
southern California and the Greater Antilles ; Map 3. 
Records. United States. South Carolina. Charleston (J. II. 
Emerton). Georgia. Bibb Co.: near Macon. Burke Co.: between 
1 18 BULLETIN : MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY 
Sardis and Waynesboro. Crisp Co. : Cordele. Lowndes Co. : near 
Valdosta (W. J. Gertsch). Screven Co.: N of Sylvania. Turner 
Co.: Ashburn (W. J. Gertsch). Ware Co.: Waycross (W. J. 
Gertsch). Florida. Alachua Co.: near Gainesville (R. V. Cham- 
berlin). Collier Co.: Naples (II. Forster, W. J. Gertsch). De 
Soto Co.: near Arcadia (W. J. Gertsch). Highlands Co.: Lake 
Placid. Indian River Co.: Sebastian (G. Nelson). Jackson Co.: 
Marianna. Lake Co.: Leesburg (M. Statham). Lee Co.: Ft. 
Myers (W. M. Barrows). Levy Co.: Williston (R. V. Chamber- 
lin). Saint Johns Co.: Hastings. Alabama. Baldwin Co.: Silver 
Hill (G. Nelson) ; Oak Air Park (A. F. Archer) ; Lagoon (A. F. 
Archer). Mobile Co.: near Chunchula (A. F. Archer). Morgan 
Co.: Decatur (A. F. Archer). Mississippi. Bolivar Co.: Shelby. 
Forrest Co.: Camp Shelby (A. F. Archer). Wilkinson Co.: Cen- 
treville. Texas. Anderson Co.: Palestine (0. Sanders). Atas- 
cosa Co. : near San Antonio (S. Mulaik) . Bexar Co. : San Antonio. 
Cameron Co.: Arroyo Colorado (S. Mulaik); Harlingen (C. J. 
Goodnight). Frio Co. : Pearsall (L. I. Davis). Harris Co. : Hous- 
ton (S. Mulaik). Harrison Co. : Marshall (S. Mulaik). Hender- 
son Co.: 10 mi. B of Athens (0. Sanders). Hidalgo Co.: Wes- 
laeo (S. Mulaik) ; Edinburg (S. Mulaik) ; Mission (S. Mulaik). 
Jasper Co.: Jasper (S. Mulaik). Kleberg Co.: Kingsville (S. 
Mulaik). Newton Co.: Bon Wier. Polk Co.: Livingston (L. I. 
Davis). Starr Co.: Rio Grande City (S. Mulaik). Travis Co.: 
Onion Cr. (II. Frizzell) ; Austin (0. Sanders, H. E., D. L. 
Frizzell). California. Orange Co.: Laguna Beach, June 1931 
(R. V. Chamberlin). 
Mexico. Tamaulipas: Reynosa (S. Mulaik) ; near Villa Juarez 
(A. M., L. I. Davis). Nuevo Leon: Linares (L. 1. Davis). San 
Luis Potosi: Valles (L. Steude) ; 36 km S of Valles (A. M. Davis) . 
Jalisco: Ajijic (A. Archer). Guerrero: Omilteme (F. D. God- 
man. II. II. Smith). Tabasco: (O.P.-Cambridge, 1878). Chiapas: 
Las Cruces Arriaga (H. Wagner). El Salvador: Los Chorros, 
W of Santa Tecla, 700 m elev. (H. Peters). 
Bahama Isl. Crooked Isl. : Major Cay Settlement (A. W. 
Scott). Cuba. Pinar del Rio : San Vicente (A. F. Archer). 
Babana: Finca Somorrostro (A. F. Archer). Las Valles: Sole- 
dad (N. Banks). Oriente: Banes (A. F. Archer). Jamaica: St. 
Catherine Par.: Hellshire Hills; Pt. Henderson (A. F. Archer). 
Haiti. Port-au-Prince (A. F. Archer) ; Carrefour (A. F. Archer). 
Dominican Republic. Barahona Prov. : Sierra Martin Garcia 
(A. F. Archer). Distrito de Santo Dominico: Boca Chica (A. M. 
Nadler) ; Ciudad Trujillo (A. M. Nadler). Mona Isl. (Scrralles). 
EXLINE AND LEVI: SPIDER GENUS ARGYRODES 119 
Argyrodes baboquivari new species 
Figures 89-94 ; Map 3 
Type. Male from Molino Basin, Santa Catalina Mts., 1300 m 
elev., Pima County, Arizona, July 9, 1960 (J. A. Beatty), in the 
Museum of Comparative Zoology. The specific name is a noun 
in apposition, after the mountain range where the species is 
common. 
Description. Male. Carapace yellowish with some light gray 
radiating lines. Sternum, legs yellow. Abdomen with pale gray- 
ish background and a large number of irregular silvery spots, 
sometimes with tan streaks. A dark patch between tips of bifur- 
cation; dorsum with a median lanceolate mark. Cephalic process 
short and broad, its tip pointing forward and having some stiff 
setae (Fig. 89). Clypeal process long, similar to that of A. fur- 
cat us, but arising a little lower. Eyes small, subequal in size. 
Posterior median eyes about three diameters apart, one diameter 
from laterals. Abdomen as in other species, bifurcation some- 
times barely visible. Total length of male holotype 3.5 mm. Cara- 
pace 1.4 mm long. First femur, 2.5 mm; patella and tibia, 2.6 
mm ; metatarsus, 1.2 mm ; tarsus, 0.7 mm. The total length of this 
species varies from 3.3 to 4.5 mm. 
Female. Color pattern as in male, but more variable and mostly 
pale. Abdomen very high so that tips are hardly posterior to 
spinnerets (Fig. 91). Some females almost lack the bifurcation. 
Total length of female 3.7 mm. Carapace 1.6 mm long. First 
femur, 3.2 mm; patella and tibia, 3.0 mm; metatarsus, 1.9 mm: 
tarsus, 0.9 mm. Length varies from 3.1 to 5.5 mm. 
Diagnosis. This species is slightly larger than A. furcatus; the 
carapace of females is generally 1.4 to 1.6 mm long, that of .A. 
furcatus less than 1.3 mm long in western Mexico. The eyes of 
females are larger, about two diameters apart; those of A. fur- 
catus are more than two diameters apart. The cephalic process 
of the male is more pointed in front and a little longer and differ- 
ent in shape (Fig. 89). The radix of the male palpus is conspicu- 
ously wider with a median, toothed swelling (Fig. 90). The 
epigynum has the median raised area (Figs. 93, 94) larger, higher 
and more heavily sclerotized than in other species, and the open- 
ings are more ventral, larger and more easily seen. The width 
of the median raised area is about 0.12 mm, while in A. furcatus 
it is less than 0.06 mm. Females, however, may at times be diffi- 
cult to separate from A. furcatus. Some specimens from Sonora 
have the median area bulging with the sides not well delineated. 
120 BULLETIN : MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY 
Natural History. One female was collected from a "web be- 
tween foliage and rock'" by J. A. Beatty, a male from "under 
overhanging rock-ledge" in Arizona. The same collector found 
spiders "in Latrodectus web on rock," "in web on Agave along 
edge of dry wash," "in web in rocky ravine with Diguetia, Theri- 
dion" 1 and "along with Uloborus in palm filled canyon" in 
Sonora. 
Distribution. Southeastern Arizona, Chihuahua, Sonora ; Map 
3. 
Records. United States. Arizona. Cochise Co. : South Fork, 
Cave Creek, near Portal, Sept. 11, 1950, June 10, 13, 1958 (W. J., 
J. W. Gertsch, Alexander). Graham Co.: Mt, Graham, July 14, 
1956 (W. J. Gertsch, V. Roth). Pima Co. : Brown Canyon, Babo- 
quivari Mts., June 9, 1960, 9 S (M. Cazier, W. J. Gertsch, B. 
Schrammel), July 19, 1959, 9 $ (V. Roth) ; Bear Canyon, Santa 
Catalina Mts., 1700 m elev., Aug. 26, 1960, 9 (J. A. Beatty) ; 
Molino Basin, Santa Catalina Mts., 1300 m elev., Aug. 3, 1960, 
9 $ paratypes (J. A. Beatty). 
Mexico. Chihuahua: 5 km W of Matachic, July 7, 1947 (W. J. 
Gertsch). Sonora: mts. 26 km E of Magdalena, 1200 m elev., 
July 16, 1960, 9 (J. A. Beatty) ; El Coyote, 28 km E of Rio 
Bavispe, 1100 m elev., July 20-21, 1960, 9 $ (J. A. Beatty). 
Argyrodes concisus new species 
Figures 56-60 ; Map 3 
Type. Male from Tamazunchale, San Luis Potosi, Mexico, 
May 20, 1952 (M. Cazier, W. J. Gertsch, and R. Schrammel), in 
the American Museum of Natural History. The specific name 
is a Latin adjective meaning pruned or cropped, referring to the 
short head process. 
Description. Carapace golden yellow with some gray on mar- 
gins. Sternum yellow, reddish in center. Legs golden yellow 
with distal segments darker. Abdomen with pale gray back- 
ground, overlaid with red posteriorly on dorsum, and sides cov- 
ered with silvery markings. Thoracic groove not so conspicuous 
as in other species. Cephalic projection small, low and blunt. 
Clypeal projection also very small (Fig. 56). Eyes large with 
anterior medians much larger than others, separated by less 
than a diameter, almost touching laterals. Posterior median eyes 
separated by a little more than a diameter, about a radius from 
laterals. Abdomen with bifurcated tip as in other species. Total 
length 2.3 mm. Carapace 1.10 mm long. First femur, 1.96 mm; 
EXLINE AND LEVI: SPIDER GENUS ARGYRODES 121 
patella and tibia, 2.00 mm ; metatarsus, 1.18 mm ; tarsus, 0.66 mm. 
Female. Coloration similar to that of male. Eyes also large, 
anterior medians not quite a diameter apart, almost touching 
laterals. Posterior eyes as in male. Abdomen with two posterior 
dorsal tips (Fig. 58). Total length 3.5 mm. Carapace 1.55 mm 
long. First femur, 3.0 mm ; patella and tibia, 2.6 mm ; metatarsus, 
1.4 mm; tarsus, 0.8 mm. 
Diagnosis. Argyrodes concisus can be separated from A. fur- 
catus and other species by the large eyes and short cephalic and 
clypeal projections (Fig. 56). Palpus (Fig. 57) similar to other 
species; the radix is short and narrow with denticles at its tip. 
The epigynum (Fig. 60) has a long median ridge, anterior to 
which are very indistinct openings. 
Distribution. Northeastern Mexico; Map 3. 
Records. Mexico. Veracruz: Tlapacoyan, 100 m elev.. July 7-8, 
1946,2 9 (H.Wagner). 
Argyrodes parvus (Exline), new combination 
Figures 51-55 ; Map 3 
Neospintharus parvus Exline, 19.">0, in Studies Honoring Trevor Kincaid, 
Univ. Washington Press, p. 112, pi. 1, figs. 2, 4. Female type from 
Prov. Guayas, Ecuador, lost. 
Description. Male from Panama. Carapace, legs dusky yellow; 
cephalic projection orange. Sternum pale yellow. Abdomen with 
pale gray background, thickly covered with silvery spots, darker 
gray at tip and on lower sides. Cephalic projection wide, broadly 
rounded dorsally and projecting only slightly forward ; clypeal 
projection short, pointing up (Fig. 51). Both projections with 
scattered setae. Eyes almost equal in size, lateral eyes almost 
touching. Posterior median eyes nearly three diameters apart. 
Abdomen extending high above and a little beyond spinnerets, 
wide and slightly bifurcate at tip. Total length 2.8 mm. Cara- 
pace 1.1 mm long. First femur, 2.2 mm; patella and tibia, 2.1 
mm ; metatarsus, 1.3 mm ; tarsus, 0.7 mm. A male from Barro 
Colorado is darker with carapace mostly gray, legs brownish 
yellow and abdomen mostly dark gray with a pair of silvery white 
bands on each side of dorsum. 
Female. Carapace brown and dark gray. Sternum reddish 
brown. Legs chestnut brown. Abdomen dark gray becoming 
reddish posteriorly and on venter, with a pair of large white 
bands on dorsum. Anterior median eyes a little larger than 
others; eyes spaced as in male, except that posterior medians are 
122 BULLETIN : MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY 
not quite so far apart. Clypeus high and sloping. Abdomen as 
in male, wrinkled and slightly bifurcate at posterior tip (Fig. 
53). Total length 3.9 mm. Carapace 1.4 mm long. First femur, 
2.9 mm ; patella and tibia, 2.6 mm ; metatarsus, 1.5 mm ; tarsus, 
0.8 mm. 
Diagnosis. The male is distinguished by the shape of the cepha- 
lic and clypeal projections (Fig. 51). The palpal radix is short 
with parallel sides, finely denticulate on its anterior margin. The 
embolus is long, narrow, with a pointed tip (Fig. 52). The in- 
flated end of the conductor projects over the tip of the embolus. 
The female is difficult to distinguish from A. trigonum from the 
eastern United States and from A. obscurus from Peru. The 
genital area is pale with a very long, narrow median ridge (Fig. 
55). The tubes are arched and longer than in related species, with 
the seminal receptacles a little over a radius apart (Fig. 54). It 
is not quite certain if the described specimens belong to A. parvus 
whose type is lost. 
Distribution. Panama to Ecuador; Map 3. 
Records. Panama. Boquete, Aug. 1939, $ ; Aug. 1950, 9 
(A. M. Chickering). Panama Canal Zone. Barro Colorado Isl., 
Aug. 1939, $ (A. M. Chickering). 
Argyrodes trigonum (Hentz) 
Figures 66-78 ; Map 3 
Theridion trigonum Hentz, 1850, Jour. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist., vol. 6, p. 
280, pi. 9, figs. 24, 25 ; 1875, The spiders of the United States, p. 152, 
pi. 16, figs. 24, 25; pi. 19, figs. 117, 131. Type from Alabama, lost. 
Argyrodes trigonum, Emerton, 1882, Trans. Connecticut Acad. Sci., vol. 6, 
p. 23, pi. 5, fig. 1; 1902, The Common Spiders, p. 124, figs. 292-295. 
Simon, 1894, Histoire Naturelle des Araignees, vol. 1, p. 499, fig. 504. 
Roewer, 1942, Katalog der Araneae, vol. 1, p. 439, in part. 
Argyrodes argyrodes, Keyserling, 1884, Die Spinnen Amerikas, Theridiidae, 
pt. 1, p. 181, pi. 8, fig. 109. Bonnet, 1955, Bibliographia Araneorum, 
vol. 2, pt. 1, p. 708, in part. Not Argyrodes argyrodes (Walckenaer). 
Conopistha trigona, Kaston, 1948, Bull. Connecticut Geol. Nat. Hist. Surv., 
no. 70, p. 88, pi. 4, figs. 73-79. 
Conopistha rufa, Archer, 1946, Paper Alabama Mus. Nat. Hist., no. 22, 
p. 26. Probably not Linyphia rufa, Walckenaer, a nomen dubium. 
Note. The specific name is used as a noun in apposition, as sug- 
gested by Bonnet, 1955. 
Description. Male from Alabama. Carapace yellow with some 
gray except in head region. Sternum, legs yellow with some gray. 
Abdomen light gray with silvery spots and a large lanceolate 
EXLINE AND LEVI : SPIDER GENUS ARGYRODES 123 
mark on dorsum ; posterior darker than sides. Cephalic process 
unusually long and high, blunt and bearing setae at tip. Clypeus 
with a long, projecting median process, paralleling process of 
head. Clypeal process longer than in other species, slightly taper- 
ing toward tip where it is enlarged and bears setae (Figs. 66, 
78). Eyes small. Anterior median eyes very close to laterals. 
Posterior median eyes separated by more than two diameters 
and nearly a diameter from laterals. Abdomen nearly triangular 
(Pig. 78). Total length 2.5 mm. Carapace 1.2 mm long. First 
femur, 2.6 mm; patella and tibia, 2.6 mm; metatarsus, 1.6 mm. 
Female. Slightly darker and browner than male. Venter of 
abdomen darker than dorsum. Head region slightly elevated with 
narrow groove under eyes. Clypeus quite high, somewhat rounded 
underneath groove. Byes similar to those of male. Abdomen 
with posterior bifurcation ; extending well above and posterior 
to spinnerets (Figs. 69-73). Total length of a female from Ala- 
bama 4.2 mm. Carapace 1.5 mm long. First femur, 3.9 mm; 
patella and tibia, 3.6 mm ; metatarsus, 2.2 mm ; tarsus, 0.9 mm. 
Variation. Size variation is slight in males, great in females. 
Coloration and shape of abdomen is extremely variable (Figs. 
69-73). Some specimens have golden rather than silvery spots on 
the abdomen ; in some specimens from Florida the posterior spots 
are overlaid with red. The abdomen is conspicuously bifurcate 
in many specimens, almost blunt in others. In some males the 
head process is longer than the clypeal process, in others the 
clypeal process is longer. Most males have a knob at the end of 
the clypeal process; some lack it. The male embolus varies some- 
what in length ; it may be as long as the radix. The epigynum 
varies depending on amount of selerotization and whether or not 
the spider has mated. 
Diagnosis. Males can be separated from related species by the 
shape of the cephalic and clypeal projections (Figs. 66, 78) and 
by the shape of the palpal parts (Fig. 67). The radix is wide, 
somewhat concave and has many denticles at its distal margin. 
The epigynum (Fig. 75) has a central sclerotized area with a 
median ridge anterior to which are the openings. The seminal 
receptacles (Fig. 74) are their radius apart. 
Natural History. Argyrodes trigonum is usually commensal in 
the webs of larger spiders, especially orb-weavers, but it has been 
collected also from webs of Agelenopsis and Latrodectus. Lamore 
(1958, Proc. Ent. Soc. Washington, vol. 60, p. 286) reports it as 
a frequent commensal in the webs of Allepeira lemniscata 
(Walckenaer) in Maryland, and in one case the host was eaten 
124 BULLETIN : MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY 
by A. trigonnm. Emerton collected it in the webs of Theridion 
zelotypum Emerton in Maine, in webs of Linyphia marginata 
C. L. Koch and Agelenopsis in Massachusetts. In Michigan it 
has been collected in pine forest, in hemlock, and probably in 
maple-basswood forest in Wisconsin. Beatty collected juveniles 
in hemlock-hardwood forest and in "short mine tunnel along 
with Meta and Theridiosoma' " in Ohio. 
Distribution. Ontario, eastern United States, from Maine to 
Florida, central Wisconsin, Arkansas to eastern Texas; Map 3. 
Records. Canada. Ontario. Norfolk Co. : Turkey Pt. (A. 
Nadler). United States. Maine. Cumberland Co.: Casco Bay 
(J. H. Emerton). Piscataquis Co.: Katahdin Stream Camp, juv. 
(H., L. Levi). New Hampshire. Carroll Co.: Intervale (E. B. 
Bryant). Hillsborough Co.: Hollis. Massachusetts. Essex Co.: 
Amesbury (J. H. Emerton). Connecticut. New Haven (J. H. 
Emerton) ; South Meriden. New York. Cayuga Co. : Cayuga. 
Jefferson Co.: Woodville (S. C. Bishop). Nassau Co.: Sea Cliff, 
Hampstead Plains. Suffolk Co.: Cold Spring Harbor (J. H. 
Emerton). Tompkins Co.: Ithaca, West Danby. Yates Co.: Penn 
Yan. New Jersey. Ocean Co.: Lakehurst (J. Hallan). Ohio. 
Ashland Co.: Mohican Park, juv. (J. A. Beatty). Hocking Co.: 
Rockbridge. Pennsylvania. Columbia Co. : Orangeville. West 
Virginia. Pocahontas Co.: Minnehaha Springs (K. W. Haller). 
Virginia. Brunswick Co. : Alberta. Fairfax Co. : Falls Church 
(N. Banks). Kentucky. Breathitt Co.: Nobel (Buckhorn). Ed- 
monson Co. : near Mammoth Cave. Tennessee. Grundy Co. : 
Beersheba. North Carolina. Avery Co. : Linville (J. H. Emer- 
ton). Buncombe Co.: Black Mountain (N. Banks); Ridgecrest 
(A. F. Archer). Durham Co. : Duke Forest (H., L. Levi). Guil- 
ford Co.: Greenboro (R. D. Barnes). Haywood Co.: Canton (N. 
Banks). Macon Co.: Highlands (A. F. Archer) ; Cullasaja Can- 
yon (M. H., A. F. Archer). Yadkin Co.: Yadkinville. Georgia. 
Okefinokee Swamp. Rabun Co.: Clayton (J. C. Bradley). Flor- 
ida. Alachua Co. : W of Gainesville. Highlands Co. : Sebring. 
Liberty Co.: Torreya State Park (W. J. Gertsch, R. Forster). 
Okaloosa Co. : Crestview (R. V. Chamberlin). Alabama. De Kalb 
Co.: De Soto State Park (A. F. Archer). Hale Co.: Moundville 
(A. F. Archer). Morgan Co.: Decatur (A. F. Archer) ; Trinity 
Mt. (M. Hanson, A. F. Archer). Tuscaloosa Co.: Tuscaloosa 
(A. F. Archer). ? Winston Co.: Bankhead Natl. For. (A. F. 
Archer). Mississippi. Wilkinson Co. : Centreville (A. F. Archer). 
Michigan. Crawford Co.: Hartwick Pines State Park, juv. (H., L. 
Levi). Wisconsin. Grant Co.: Wyalusing (H., L. Levi). Juneau 
EXLINE AND LEVI : SPIDER GENUS ARGYRODES 125 
Co.: Rocky Arbor Park, juv. (H., L. Levi). Manitowoc Co.: 
Point Beach State Forest (H. Levi). Sauk Co. : The Dells (A. F. 
Archer) ; near North Freedom (A. Bakken). Missouri. Frank- 
lin Co.: Meramec Springs (H. E. Frizzell). Phelps Co.: Rolla 
(H. E. Frizzell). Arkansas. Washington Co. : 15 mi. S of Prairie 
Grove (M. Hite). Texas. Polk Co.: (R. H. Baker). 
Argyrodes bicornis 0. P. -Cambridge 
Figures 95, 96 ; Map 3 
■Argyrodes bicornis O.P.-Cambridge, 1880, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, p. 334, 
pi. 29, fig. 12. Male type from Parana [Brazil], in the Hope Depart- 
ment of Entomology, Oxford University, examined by Levi. 
Note. F.P.-Cambridge (1902, Biologia Centrali-Americana, 
Araneidea, vol. 2, p. 404) synonomized A. bicornis with A. trigo- 
num and other authors have followed. Examination of the type 
indicates that A. bicornis is distinct. This species is only known 
from the type specimen. 
Diagnosis. Unlike most related species, A. bicornis has the 
head process slender. The clypeal process is of about the same 
width and length (Fig. 95). 
Argyrodes rioensis new species 
Figures 61-65 ; Map 3 
Type. Male from Teresopolis, 1000 m elev., Est. Rio de Janeiro, 
Brazil, March 12, 1946 (II. Sick), in the American Museum of 
Natural History. The name is an adjective, referring to the state 
of Rio de Janeiro. 
Description. Male. Carapace golden yellow, reddish on margin. 
Sternum, legs yellow with some darker marks, especially on sides 
and between spinnerets and posterior tip ; venter with median 
brown stripe. Head process short, heavy, curved at its dorsum 
with its tip projecting anteriorly. Clypeal process (Fig. 61) 
some distance from head process, slender, directed slightly up- 
ward, bearing at its tip stiff setae that point at a right angle to 
axis of process. Anterior eyes a little larger than others, sep- 
arated by about a diameter. Other eyes subequal. Posterior 
median eyes separated by about a diameter and a third, less than 
a radius from laterals. Bifurcation at tip of abdomen conspicuous. 
Total length of male 3.1 mm. Carapace 1.1 mm long. First femur, 
1.90 mm; patella and tibia, 1.78 mm; metatarsus, 1.26 mm; tar- 
sus, 0.70 mm. 
126 BULLETIN : MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY 
Female. Color similar to that of male, except legs a little paler, 
abdomen with dorsal gray reticulation and usually with a black 
mark toward posterior tip. Venter densely infused with red, 
usually with a reddish median, longitudinal stripe. Clypeus with 
a deep groove below eyes, high and arched forward below. Eyes 
as in male. Abdomen heavy and high (Fig. 63). Total length 
3.6 mm. Carapace 1.1 mm long. First femur, 2.4 mm ; patella 
and tibia, 1.9 mm; metatarsus, 1.3 mm; tarsus, 0.8 mm. Length 
of females examined from 3.2 to 3.7 mm. 
Diagnosis. Argyrodes rioensis is separated from A. bicomis 
by differences in the head processes of the males (Fig. 61). The 
male palpus (Fig. 62) has the radix blunter and longer, and 
tipped with denticles. The epigynum (Fig. 65) has a slightly 
raised median ridge with a single opening slightly anterior to 
the seminal receptacles. 
Distribution. Southeastern Brazil; Map 3. 
Records. Brazil. Ceara: Serra Communaty, $ (E. Gounelle, 
MNHN). Rio de Janeiro: Teresopolis, March 1946, 9 $ para- 
types (H. Sick). Santa Catarina: Nova Teutonia, lat 27 c ll', long 
52°23', $ (F. Plaumann, SMF). 
Argyrodes triangularis Taczanowski 
Figures 97, 98 ; Map 3 
Argyrodes triangularis Taczanowski, 1872 (1873), Horae Soc. Ent. Eossicae, 
vol. 9, p. 123, pi. 5, fig. 14. Male type from Cayenne, [French Guiana], 
in the Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, examined by Levi. Key- 
serling, 1884, Die Spinnen Amerikas, Theridiidae, pt. 1, p. 200, pi. 9, 
fig. 120. 
Description. Male from Panama. Carapace and legs orange- 
yellow with a little gray. Sternum reddish orange. Abdomen 
pale gray with red on lower sides extending to dorsum poster- 
iorly; posterior side and venter pale with large silvery patches. 
Head process narrowed to a point with stiff setae overlapping 
those on tip of clypeal process. Head process of type thicker at 
base ( Fig. 97) . Clypeal process very slender, longer than cephalic 
process except in type specimen. Eyes small except anterior 
medians ; those of each side close together ; posterior medians 
separated by two diameters. The abdomen (except in the type 
specimen) is bluntly bifurcate at posterior tip. Total length 
3.2 mm. Carapace 1.3 mm long. First femur, 2.6 mm; patella 
and tibia, 2.5 mm; metatarsus, 1.4 mm; tarsus, 0.7 mm. 
EXLINE AND LEVI : SPIDER GENUS ARGYRODES 127 
Figures 97, 98 were prepared from the type of A. triangularis. 
Diagnosis. Although the Panamanian specimen differs in minor 
ways from the type, its identification as A. triangularis seems 
quite certain. The head and clypeal processes are diagnostic 
(Fig. 97). The palpal radix is expanded at the tip so that its 
mesal margin is almost at right angles to long axis of palpus, 
and the distal margin is finely denticulate. The widely expanded 
tip of the conductor touches the distal end of the long, narrow 
embolus (Fig. 98). 
Distribution. Panama, French Guiana ; Map 3. 
Record. Panama Canal Zone. Barro Colorado Isl., July 1939, 
$ (A. M. Chickering). 
The Ariamnes Group 
Argyrodes longissimus (Keyserling), new combination 
Figures 100-109; Map 4 
Ariamnes longissimus Keyserling, 1891, Die Spinnen Amerikas, Brasilian- 
ische Spinnen, p. 202, pi. 7, fig. 145. Male and female syntypes from 
N. Freiburg [Nova Friburgo, Est. Rio de Janeiro], Espirito Santo, and 
St. Antonio on the Rio Pomba [Est. Rio de Janeiro], Brazil, in the 
British Museum (Natural History). Specimens examined by Levi. 
Goldi, 1892, Mitt. Osterlande, neue Folge, vol. 5, p. 224, 230, 233. 
Description. Male from Est. Santa Catarina, Brazil. Carapace 
dusky yellow with a paler median band. Clypeus, chelicerae, 
proximal segments of palpi and sternum pale yellow. Legs dusky 
yellow with proximal segments of anterior legs yellowish brown. 
Abdomen grayish white with posterior part speckled gray. Cara- 
pace low and fiat, slightly raised in eye region, with central tuft 
of curved setae between anterior lateral eyes (Fig. 101). Eyes 
all small, anterior and posterior median eyes about equal in size. 
Median ocular area square, eyes separated by more than a dia- 
meter and a half. Clypeus slightly concave below eyes, project- 
ing above chelicerae. Chelicerae small and short. Legs moder- 
ately robust; anterior legs with enlarged setae under distal end 
of tibiae. One or two somewhat enlarged setae under proximal 
end of anterior metatarsi. Abdomen cylindrical, very long, taper- 
ing to sharp point, covered with setae, with cuticle showing some 
annulations. Total length, approximately 18.5 mm. Carapace 
1.9 mm long. First femur, 5.7 mm; patella and tibia, 5.0 mm; 
metatarsus, 2.9 mm; tarsus, 1.5 mm. Another male is much paler 
than the one described. 
128 BULLETIN : MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY 
Female from Sao Paulo, Brazil. Female colored like male but 
a little darker with an orange cast. Abdomen orange, thickly 
covered with golden flecks. Carapace as in male but with cephalic 
region low. Clypeus low, with very shallow groove under eyes. 
Chelicerae more robust than in male. Eyes small as in male but 
a little closer together. Abdomen even more elongate than in male 
(Fig. 100), with a pair of small dorsal sclerotized patches at 
base. Total length, approximately, 24.0 mm. Carapace 2.2 mm 
long. First femur, 7.5 mm ; patella and tibia, 6.4 mm ; metatarsus, 
3.8 mm ; tarsus, 1.6 mm. 
Figures 102 and 108 were prepared from the syntypes. 
Variation. The palpi of four males from different localities 
were not alike (Figs. 102-105). Two males from Est. Santa Cata- 
rina had similar palpi. The internal genitalia of two females 
differed (Figs. 106, 107). Too few specimens were available to 
decide whether there are several species or a single polymorphic 
species and most males and females were not collected together. 
We are treating the specimens as a single variable species. 
Diagnosis. Argyrodes longissimus differs from A. attenaatus 
principally in structures of the genitalia. The radix of the male 
palpus is short and stout, with distal end broad. The embolus is 
drawn out into a long, heavy, curved tube (Figs. 102-105) ; partly 
hidden dorsally is the large thumb-like process of the embolus. 
The conductor is short, fleshy, and touches the embolus. The epi- 
gynum of the female has a protruding horizontal bar and the 
cuticle anterior to it is transversely ribbed (Figs. 108, 109). 
Openings to the tubes are posterior to bar. Tubes are wider than 
in A. attenuatus, tapering, and reach anterior end of receptacles 
(Figs. 106, 107). In some females the receptacles are curved 
toward one another. 
Natural History. Goldi (1892), who collected specimens for 
Keyserling, reports that when touched, the spider moves its whip- 
like tail like an earthworm. "I have questioned why this adven- 
turous long tail could be of special use, without obtaining an 
answer. Everytime I obtained an Ariamnes by beating in the 
virgin forest, 1 was reminded of some of the smaller and delicate 
walking sticks of the genus Bacillus" (freely transl.). 
Distribution. Southern Brazil; Map 4. 
Records. Brazil. Espirito Santo: Santa Teresa, Jan. 26, 1959, 
$ (A. M. Nadler). Minas Gerais: Miracema on Rio Pomba 
(Goldi, 1892). Rio dc Janeiro: near Santo Eduardo (Goldi, 
1892) ; Colonia Alpina [Teresopolis], 9 <$ (E. Goldi, MNHN) ; 
Teresopolis, Nov. 1945, 9 $, March 1946, 9 (H. Sick). Sao 
Panlo: Jabaquara, Cidade Sao Paulo, Dec. 1945, 9, juv. (H. 
EXLINE AND LEVI : SPIDER GENUS ARGYRODES 129 
Sick). Sa?ita Catarina: Nova Teutonia, lat 27°11', long 52°23', 
2 $ , juv. (F. Plaumann, SMP). 
Argyrodes iiaitensis new species 
Figures 110, 111; Map 4 
Type. Female from 82 km from Aux Cayes, 330 m elev., 
Haiti, Aug. 28-29, 1935 (W. G. Hassler), in the American Mu- 
seum of Natural History. The species is named after the type 
locality. 
Description. Female. Carapace, sternum, mouthparts and legs 
bright yellow with a pair of narrow curved gray stripes posterior 
to eyes, and gray infusions opposite coxae on carapace. Abdo- 
men very pale yellow anteriorly, becoming darker posteriorly, 
almost completely covered with silvery spots arranged in longi- 
tudinal rows. Carapace flat. Clypeus slightly higher than dia- 
meter of anterior median eyes, a little rounded with a very 
shallow groove under eyes, and leaving a gap between lower edge 
and base of chelicerae. Chelicerae short, robust. Eyes approxi- 
mately equal in size ; anterior medians separated by more than 
a diameter. Median eyes forming a square, very near lateral 
eyes. Region between anterior median eyes slightly protruding. 
Abdomen narrow, cylindrical, pointed at posterior tip and hav- 
ing some setae but without cuticular wrinkles. Total length ap- 
proximately 30 mm. Carapace 1.9 mm long. First femur, 6.4 
mm ; patella and tibia, 5.5 mm ; metatarsus, 3.4 mm ; tarsus, 
1.4 mm. 
Variation. Female paratype with anterior median eyes larger 
than others, and area between them slightly raised. 
Diagnosis. Argyrocles Iiaitensis is similar to A. approximatus. 
The tubes of the epigynum are very slender with widely separated 
openings. Seminal receptacles elongate as in A. approximatus, 
but bent, meeting tubes halfway to openings, separated and 
somewhat bulging in middle (Fig. 110). The male is unknown. 
Records. Haiti. 40 km from Aux Cayes, 660-1000 m elev., 
Aug. 29, 1935, 9 paratype (W. G. Hassler). 
Argyrodes mexicanus new species 
Figures 99, 112-115; Map 4 
Type. Female from Villa Santiago, Horsetail Falls, 650 m 
elev., Nuevo Leon, Mexico, June 19, 1940 (H. Hoogstraal), in the 
Museum of Comparative Zoology. The name is a latinized ad- 
jective. 
130 BULLETIN : MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY 
Description. Male from San Luis Potosi. Carapace dusky yel- 
low with a paler median stripe, paler in cephalic region, clypeus 
and chelicerae. Sternum, legs brownish orange. Abdomen yel- 
lowish orange. Carapace flat and low, slightly elevated in eye 
region with setae on highest point (Fig. 112). Clypeus straight, 
moderately high with some setae. Anterior median eyes largest. 
Lateral eyes touching and smaller than posterior median eyes. 
Legs more robust than in related species. Abdomen very long, 
cylindrical, gently tapering. Total length approximately 25 mm. 
Carapace 1.3 mm long. First femur, 4.7 mm; patella and tibia, 
3.8 mm; metatarsus, 2.6 mm; tarsus, 1.3 mm. 
Female type colored like male. Abdomen thickly covered with 
golden flecks dorsally, silvery flecks ventrally. General structure 
as in male, except in eye region which is not elevated. Abdomen 
cylindrical, gently tapering, with rounded rather than pointed 
tip as in most species (Fig. 99). Total length approximately 40 
mm. Carapace 2.6 mm long. First femur, 8.3 mm; patella and 
tibia, 6.6 mm; metatarsus, 4.7 mm; tarsus, 1.8 mm. 
Diagnosis. The epigynum (Fig. 115) is flat with a curved 
transverse selerotized ridge, some distance anterior to genital 
groove. The openings are anterior to ridge. Seminal receptacles 
are visible through the cuticle. Unlike other American species 
seminal receptacles are pear-shaped with tubes narrow through- 
out (Fig. 114). Unlike that of A. attcnuatus, the embolus of the 
male palpus is diamond-shaped (Fig. 113) . The radix is extended 
at its distal tip and slightly tuberculate. 
Natural History. The male was collected in grass and wood 
under waterfall. 
Distribution. Northern Mexico; Map 4. 
Records. Mexico. San Luis Potosi: El Salto, Nov. 13, 1959, $ 
(C, S. Bolivar, J. M. Molina). 
Argyrodes attenuatus (0. P. -Cambridge), new combination 
Figures 118-127 ; Map 4 
Ariamnes attcnuatus O.P.-Cambridge, 1881, Proc. Zool. Soe. London, p. 770, 
pi. 66, fig. 3. Male, female syntypes from Amazons, Brazil, in the Hope 
Department of Entomology, Oxford University, examined by Levi. 
Bonnet, 1955, Bibliographia Araneorum, vol. 2, pt. 1, p. 739. Di 
Caporiaeco, 1948, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, vol. 118, p. 6.10. Kritseher, 
1957, Ann. Naturhist. Mus. Wien, vol. 61, p. 271, figs. 31, 32. 
.liiamnts graeillima O.P.-Cambridge, 1894, Biologia Uentrali-Americana, 
Araneidea, vol. 1, p. 129, pi. 17, fig. 9. Female type from Los Bemedios 
EXLINE AND LEVI : SPIDER GENUS ARGYRODES 131 
in Chiriqui, Panama, in the British Museum (Natural History), exam- 
ined by Levi. F.P. -Cambridge, 1902, Biologia Centrali-Americana, 
Araneidea, vol. 2, p. 408, pi. 38, fig. 20. NEW SYNONYMY. 
Arlamnes approximata O.P.-Cambridge, 1894, op. cit., p. 130, pi. 17, fig. 8. 
Juvenile female (before final molt) type from Bugaba, Chiriqui, 
Panama, in the British Museum (Natural History), examined by Levi. 
F.P.-Cambridge, 1902, up. cit., p. 408. NEW SYNONYMY. 
Ariamnes longissimus, Simon, 1897, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, p. 521. Not 
A. longissimus Keyserling. 
Ariamnes pulcher Soares and Camargo, 1948, Bol. Mus. Paraense, vol. 10, 
p. 364, fig. 13. Male type from Chavantina, Mato Grosso, Brazil, in the 
Departamento de Zoologia, Secretaria da Agrieultura, Sao Paulo. NEW 
SYNONYMY. 
Ariamnes sinuates Schenkel, 1953, Verh. Naturf. Gesell. Basel, vol. 64, 
p. 10, fig. 10. Male type from near El Pozon, Dto. Acosta, Prov. 
Falcon, Venezuela, in the Naturhistorisehes Museum, Basel, examined 
by Levi. NEW SYNONYMY. 
Description. Male from Panama Canal Zone. Carapace yellow 
with marginal gray lines. Sternum pale yellow with median 
longitudinal gray line. Legs yellow, palpi nearly white except 
yellow and brown tarsi. Abdomen very pale yellow anteriorly 
infused with some gray, becoming completely gray beyond spin- 
nerets and dotted with dark gray spots and silvery flecks. Cara- 
pace very low and flat, raised in median ocular area and between 
anterior median eyes. Highest point tipped with a small tuft of 
stiff anteriorly curved bristles; on its anterior face at level of 
the median anterior eyes a group of dorsally curved setae arises 
from a low keel (Fig. 118). Anterior and posterior median eyes 
equal in size. Eyes of each side close together ; posterior medians 
separated by a diameter and a half. Clypeus high, straight, some- 
what swollen above. Legs very slender, covered with short setae. 
Distal end of tibiae I and II with a group of spines underneath. 
Metatarsi I and II with a short heavy spine underneath at proxi- 
mal end. Abdomen cylindrical. Cuticle of tail with annulate 
wrinkles, and thickly covered with long, fine setae. Tip of abdo- 
men pointed. Abdomen often curled in alcoholic specimens. 
Total length 9.3 mm. Carapace 1.5 mm long. First femur, 5.0 
mm ; patella and tibia, 5.5 mm ; metatarsus, 2.8 mm ; tarsus, 
1.5 mm. 
Female from same locality. Color as in male with genital area 
orange. Carapace as in male but only slightly elevated and 
rounded between eyes. Eyes as in male. Clypeus lower, straight. 
Cheliceral fang groove with one tooth on each margin. Legs I 
and II without spines. Abdomen as in male, but longer and often 
132 BULLETIN : MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY 
thicker (Fig. 127). Total length 16.5 mm. Carapace 2.1 mm 
long. First femur, 7.7 mm; patella and tibia, 7.1 mm; meta- 
tarsus, 4.0 mm; tarsus, 1.8 mm. 
Variation. Southern specimens are slightly larger. The palpi 
of males seem alike (except for a male syntype specimen whose 
ducts seem slightly longer), the loop in the tegulum almost touch- 
ing the large mesal portion of the duct, and the portion of the 
duct proximal to the loop being slightly wavy. There is, how- 
ever, considerable variation in the epigyna. The projecting knob 
of the epigynum varies in shape ; some individuals have the raised 
armlike anterior extensions long, others very short (Figs. 124, 
125). There is considerable variation in shape of the seminal 
receptacles (Figs. 121-123). 
Diagnosis. The palpus of A. attenuatus males bears a long 
armlike radix, widened, somewhat twisted and bordered at its 
tip with a comb of short, recurved setae. The embolus is flat with 
its mesal side extended into a long rounded arm, dorsally and 
anteriorly directed. A long stiff anterior spine bears the duct. 
The fleshy conductor is short, thumb-like, somewhat variable. 
The median apophysis is conspicuous, swollen at its anterior end 
(Figs. 119, 120). The epigynum has a projection with a round 
opening near the margin, and lateral ridges (Figs. 124, 125). 
Internally a pair of greatly elongated parallel seminal receptacles 
are close together. The tubes enter anteriorly and on the ectal 
side. Unlike A. longissimus the diameter of the tubes is about 
the same throughout (Figs. 121-123). The swelling in the eye 
region of A. attenuatus (Fig. 118) is different from that of A. 
schlingeri. 
Natural History. Two egg cases filled with spiderlings were 
collected with a male and female A. attenuatus at Barro Colo- 
rado Island, July 1936 by A. M. Chickering. These are pale yel- 
low, elongate, purse-like, approximately 48 mm long, l 1 /i»-2 mm 
wide (Fig. 3). 
Distribution. Costa Rica, Lesser Antilles to Argentina; Map 4. 
Records. Costa Rica. (SMF) ; Turrialba (Tristan), May 1944 
(F. Sehrader) ; San Isidro del General, 700-1400 m elev. (D. 
Rounds). Panama Canal Zone. Madden Dam, Sept. 6, 1956 (W. 
Lundy) ; Barro Colorado Isl. (many collections, A. M. Chicker- 
ing) ; Forest Reserve (A. M. Chickering) ; Madden Dam (A. M. 
Chickering). Lesser Antilles. St. Vincent Isl. (H. H. Smith, 
BMNH). Grenada. Grand Etang, Sept, 1910 (R. Thaxter). 
Colombia. Caqueta: Rio Orteguaza, 200 m elev., Aug.-Sept. 1947 
(L. Richter). Venezuela. "La Guiaira, Tovar, San Esteban," 
EXLINE AND LEVI : SPIDER GENUS ARGYRODES 133 
1888 (E. Simon, MNIIN). Monagas: Caripito, March 1942 (W. 
Beebe). Aragua: Maracay (SMF). British Guiana. Rockstone, 
Essequebo Riv., June 26, 1927 (P. Babiy) ; Rupununi Riv., near 
Mt. Makarapan, Oct. 5, 1937 (W. G. Hassler). Surinam. Para 
Dist., Apr. 21, 1927. Peru. Lorcto: Iquitos, May 1920 (H. S. 
Parrish) ; Salt mine far up Rio Pisqui, Sept. 1929 (H. B.). 
Junin: Huaeapistana, Rio Tarma, June 1-2, 1920; Colonia del 
Perene, June 18-20, 1920. Brazil. Amapd: Oiapoque, May 1959 
(M. Alvarenga). Ccara: Serra Communaty (E. Gounelle, MN 
HN). Guapure: Villa Murtinho, March-April 1922 (J. W. Wil- 
liamson) ; Abuna, March 1922 (J. H. Williamson). Amazonas: 
? Taperinha (Kritscher, 1957). Paraguay. Rio Apa. Alto 
Parana: Taguararapa. Bolivia. Bcni: Rurrenabaque, Nov. 10, 
1956 (L. Pena, ISNB). Argentina. Jujuy: San Juancito, Feb. 
1920 (Cornell Univ. Exped.). 
Argyrodes schlingeri new species 
Figures 116, 117; Map 4 
Type. Male from Yurac, 110 km east of Tingo Maria, Dept. 
Huanuco, Peru, Sept, 28, 1954 (R. I. Schlinger, E. S. Ross), in 
the California Academy of Sciences. This species is named for 
Mr. R. I. Schlinger. 
Description. Carapace dusky yellow, paler in midline and in 
cephalic region, on clypeus, chelicerae, and proximal segments 
of palpi. Sternum yellow. Abdomen gray, thickly covered with 
dull silvery spots. Carapace flat with slight transverse ridge 
bearing setae in cephalic region. Clypeus short, rounded, pro- 
jecting above chelicerae, bearing curved setae (Fig. 116). An- 
terior and posterior median eyes subequal in size. Eyes more 
widely separated than in related species. Anterior median eyes 
separated by more than a diameter. Chelicerae small. Legs 
slender, with anterior tibiae bearing spines at distal end on 
venter, but none on metatarsi. Abdomen very long and slender, 
cylindrical and tapering to sharp point, thickly covered with 
fine setae. Total length, approximately, 20 mm. Carapace 1.7 mm 
long. First femur, 6.3 mm ; patella and tibia, 5.3 mm ; metatarsus, 
3.0 mm; tarsus, 1.6 mm. 
Diagnosis. Argyrodes schlingeri males are distinct from males 
of A. attenuatus in lacking the distal angle in the palpal radix, 
and in having the tubes in the tegulum and median apophysis 
longer and more tortuous (Fig. 117). 
134 BULLETIN : MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY 
The A. argyrodes species group 
Argyrodes argyrodes (Walckenaer) 
Figures 151-153 
Linyphia argyrodes Walckenaer, 1841, Histoire Naturelle des Insectes 
Apteres, vol. 2, p. 282. Type locality here designated as Algeria, speci- 
mens lost. Vinson, 1863, Araneides des iles de la Reunion, Maurice et 
Madagascar, Paris, p. 274. 
Linyphia gibbosa Lucas, 1846, Histoire Naturelle des Animaux articules in 
Exploration scientifique de l'Algerie, Zool., vol. 1, p. 254. Types from 
Algeria. 
Argyrodes gibbosus, Simon, 1873, Mem. Soc. royal sci. Liege, ser. 2, vol. 5, 
p. 129. Bonnet, 1955, Bibliographia Araneorum, vol. 2, p. 712. 
Argyrodes argyrodes, Simon, 1881, Les Arachnides de France, vol. 5, p. 16. 
F.P.-Cambridge, 1902, Biologia Centrali-Americana, Araneidea, vol. 2, 
pi. 38, figs. 9, 10. Roewer, 1942, Katalog der Araneae, vol. 1, p. 430. 
Note on nomenclature. Although this is the type species of the 
genus, there has been considerable confusion about the application 
of the name. Walckenaer, in the original description, mentions 
Abbot's drawings of Georgia spiders in America, as well as speci- 
mens from France. However, Walckenaer states: "L'individu 
que j 'ai decrit se trouvait dans ma collection, dans une bouteille, 
avec plusieurs Araneides de France ; cependant il serait possible 
qu'il provint de l'Algerie ou de la Guadeloupe [West Indies]. 
Dans cette incertitude, la figure d' Abbot ne differant que faible- 
ment de celle-la, je n'ai pas du les distinguer specifiquement." 
Vinson, 1863, as first reviser, interpreted L. argyrodes as a Eu- 
ropean or African species, although the type locality was uncer- 
tain. This interpretation makes A. gibbosus (Lucas) a synonym 
of A. argyrodes (Walckenaer), and makes A. elevatus Taczanow- 
ski the name of the species found in America and first observed 
by Abbot in Georgia. 
Distribution. Southern France (Provence) ; southern Europe, 
North Africa, probably all Mediterranean countries. 
Argyrodes elevatus Taczanowski 
Figures 128-132 ; Map 5 
Linyphia argyrodes Walckenaer, 1841, Histoire Naturelle des Insectes 
Apteres, vol. 2, p. 282. In part, Abbot's drawings of specimens from 
Burke County, Georgia. 
Argyrodes elevatus Taczanowski, 1872 (1873), Horae Soc. Ent. Rossicae, 
vol. 9, p. 120, pi. 5, fig. 12. Female holotype from Uassa, French 
Guiana [Rio Uaga, Amapa, Brazil], in the Polish Academy of Sciences, 
EXLINE AND LEVI : SPIDER GENUS ARGYRODES 135 
Warsaw, examined by Exline and Levi. Keyserling, 1884, Die Spinnen 
Amerikas, Theridiidae, pt. 1, p. 188, pi. 9, fig. 112. Bonnet, 1955, 
Bibliographia Araneorum, vol. 2, pt. 1, p. 711. 
Argyroses nephilae, Keyserling, 1884, op. cit., p. 184, pi. 8, fig. 110. Not 
A. nephilae Taczanowski. (Specimens of Keyserling in very poor con- 
dition, thus determination uncertain.) 
Argyrodes concinnus O.P.-Cambridge, 1880, Proc. Zool. Soe. London, p. 322, 
pi. 28, fig. 2. Male liolotype from the Amazons in the Hope Depart- 
ment of Entomology, Oxford University, examined by Levi. 
Argyrodes jucunda O.P.-Cambridge, 1880, op. cit., p. 326, pi. 28, fig. 6. 
Female holotype from Parana [Brazil], in the Hope Department of 
Entomology, Oxford University, examined by Levi. Bonnet, 1955, 
op. cit., p. 714. 
Argyrodes lugens O.P.-Cambridge, 1880, op. oit., p. 327, pi. 28, fig. 2. Female 
holotype from the Amazons, in the Hope Department of Entomology, 
Oxford University. 
Argyrodes piraticum McCook, 1890, American Spiders, vol. 2, p. 388, nomcn 
nudum. California. NEW SYNONYMY. 
Argyrodes decorvs Banks, 1908, Canadian Ent., vol. 40, p. 207. Female 
holotype from San Pedro, [Los Angeles], California, in the Museum 
of Comparative Zoology, examined by Levi. NEW SYNONYMY. 
Argyrodes puldherrima Mello Leitao, 1917, Broteria, vol. 15, p. 86, figs. 7, 8. 
Female type from Manguinhas, Distrito Federal, [Brazil]. NEW 
SYNONYMY. 
Argyrodes biclavis Chamberlin, 1924, Proc. U.S. Natl. Mus., vol. 63, art. 13, 
no. 2481, p. 5, pi. 1, figs. 2-5. Male holotype from Aimesville [ 1 Aim- 
well], Louisiana, in the Museum of Comparative Zoology, examined by 
Levi. NEW SYNONYMY. 
Argyrodes cingulatus Petrunkevitch, 1925, Trans. Connecticut Acad. Sci., 
vol. 27, p. 98, figs. 3-5. Female holotype from Panama City, Panama, 
in the Petrunkevitch personal collection, examined by Exline. 
Argyrodes falcatus Badcock, 1932, Jour. Linn. Soe. London, zool., vol. 38, 
p. 9, figs. 4a-c. Female holotype from Makthlawaiya, Paraguay, lost. 
NEW SYNONYMY. 
Argyrodes rotundus Caporiacco, 1938, Atti Soe. Italiana Sci. Nat., vol. 77, 
p. 264. Female holotype from Presidio Isl., Lago de Chapala, Jalisco, 
Mexico, in the collection of the Zoological Institute, Bologna, examined 
by Levi. NEW SYNONYMY. 
Conopistha elongata Bryant, 1940, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., vol. 86, p. 306, 
pi. 5, figs. 68, 69, 75, 76. Male holotype from Soledad [Las Villas], 
Cuba, in the Museum of Comparative Zoology, examined by Levi. 
Conopistha argentinus Mello-Leitao, 1941, Rev. Mus. La Plata, n.s., vol. 2, 
p. 143, fig. 39. Male holotype from Mojon, Salta, Argentina, in the 
Museo de La Plata, examined by Levi. NEW SYNONYMY. 
Conopistha nephilae, Bryant, 1942, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., vol. 89, p. 339, 
figs. 15, 16. Chamberlin and Ivie, 1944, Bull. Univ. Utah, biol. ser., 
vol. 8, no. 5, p. 37. Archer, 1946, Paper Alabama Mus. Nat. Hist., 
no. 22, p. 27, pi. 2, fig. 5. Not A. nephilae Taczanowski. 
136 BULLETIN : MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY 
Conopistha argyrodes nephilae, Exline, 1945, Ann. Ent. Soc. America, vol. 
38, p. 510, pi. 1, figs. 1-14; pi. 2, figs. 15-17. Kraus, 1955, Abhandl. 
Senckenbergischen Naturf. Gcsell., no. 493, p. 15, figs. 27-29. Not 
A. nephilae Taczanowski. 
Rhomphaea simplex Caporiacco, 1954, Comm. Acad. Pontificia Sci., vol. 16, 
p. 72, fig. 10. Female holotype from Uanary, French Guiana, in the 
Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, examined by Levi. NEW 
SYNONYMY. 
Conopistha jucunda, Kritscher, 1957, Ann. Naturhist. Mus. Wien, vol. 61, 
p. 271, fig. 30. 
Description. Male from Panama. Carapace, sternum, legs yel- 
low, gray shading on posterior part of carapace and sternum. 
Abdomen nearly white on sides with silvery flecks, dark gray on 
venter and on middorsal line and posterior tip. Other males from 
pale white carapace and legs, to brown or dark gray. Carapace 
projecting anteriorly, bulbous at end bearing anterior median 
eyes. Clypeal projection parallel under the cephalic projection, 
leaving some space between them proximally but touching in 
middle, bending dorsally at end, slightly longer than cephalic 
projection (Fig. 128). Total length 4.0 mm. Carapace 2.2 mm 
long. First femur, 3.3 mm ; patella and tibia, 3.6 mm ; metatar- 
sus, 2.9 mm ; tarsus, 1.3 mm. 
Female from Panama. Coloration similar to that of male but 
more variable. More mature specimens having abdomen with 
black flecks and oblique stripes of silver, or silver with broad 
oblique bands of black, or nearly all black. Legs annulate or 
black. Total length 3.4 mm. Carapace 1.5 mm long. First femur, 
2.6 mm; patella and tibia, 2.8 mm; metatarsus, 2.3 mm; tarsus, 
1.0 mm. 
Variation. Young females are often difficult to separate from 
A. nephilae; they are, however, always larger. Older females 
have massive abdomens. With increasing maturity there is an 
increase in pigmentation (Exline, 1945). 
While there is little variation in palpal structures of males, 
there is some variation in the thickness and length of the cephalic 
projection of the carapace. In some specimens the cephalic pro- 
jection is slightly elevated, occasionally arched, rarely depressed. 
The position of the posterior median eyes is variable, sometimes 
at the base of the projection, sometimes on it. 
A male from Baldwin County, Alabama, measured 3.3 mm 
long, with cephalic projection slightly elevated, arched and 
nearly as long as the clypeal process. Female, 3.5 mm long, 
with venter of abdomen pale, has sides partially black with red- 
dish streaks and the rest silvery. Another female, 3.8 mm long, 
EXLINE AND LEVI : SPIDER GENUS ARGYRODES 137 
with abdomen very high and pointed, is entirely silvery. Fe- 
males from Travis County, Texas, measured from 4.0 to 5.2 mm 
long, all with silvery abdomens, pointed high above and behind 
spinnerets ; two specimens have sides obliquely streaked with 
brown. Males from Bahama Islands, 2.7 to 4.3 mm long ; females, 
2.5 to 4.8 mm long. A majority of the Bahama Island specimens 
has the sides of abdomens obliquely striped with black ; one all 
black with silvery tip and scattered flecks of silver. Males from 
Victoria, Tamaulipas 3.6 mm long; females, 3.3 to 4.3 mm long. 
Males from Galapagos Islands 3.4 to 3.6 mm long; the cephalic 
projection in one specimen is very slightly depressed, short and 
thick; a female, 2.6 mm long with high, heavy, black abdomen, 
has silvery spots. A male from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is 3.6 mm 
long; another, 3.5 mm long, with cephalic projection and clypeal 
process both shorter than usual. Males from Apa, Paraguay, 
3.3 to 4.0 mm long. Two males of this collection have short, thick 
cephalic projection with almost no opening between it and the 
clypeal projection ; females, 2.5 to 3.7 mm long. Panamanian 
males measure from 3.4 to 4.0 mm ; females, 2.5 to 4.7 mm long. 
Diagnosis. The radix of the palpus is long (Fig. 129) with a 
rugose triangular tip, a large dorsal tooth at right angles to the 
long axis, and a line or carina running from tip to base. Embolus 
large, with process bearing distal part of duct well separated from 
median tooth. Epigynum (Fig. 132) dark, raised, heavily sclero- 
tized, somewhat rugose with fossae widely separated. The area 
occupied by the seminal receptacles is much narrower than that 
occupied by fossae. It is assumed that some differences in the 
genital plate are clue to varying ages of individuals, the more 
sclerotized plates occurring in older specimens. 
Natural History. This species is often found in the web of 
Ncphila (Alabama, Panama, Haiti, Cuba) and has also been 
found in the webs of Argiope argent at a (Fabricius) in California. 
Distribution. Southern United States (rare in West), south 
to Peru and Argentina, Galapagos Islands ; Map 5. 
Records. United States. Virginia. Fairfax Co. : Falls Church 
(N. Banks). North Carolina. Carteret Co.: Carrot Isl. (R. D. 
Barnes). Wake Co.: Raleigh (C. S. Brimley). South Carolina. 
Charleston (J. H. Emerton). Georgia. Jefferson Co.: Wrens 
(W. [vie). Florida. Alachua Co.: Gainesville (H. K. Wallace). 
Marion Co.: (H. K. Wallace). Orange Co.: 7 mi. E of Apopka 
(Nirenberg). Putnam Co.: Palatka (R. V. Chamberlin). St. 
Johns Co.: St. Augustine (R. V. Chamberlin). Alabama. Bald- 
win Co.: Lagoon (A. F. Archer) ; Silverhill (G. Nelson). Hous- 
ton Co.: Big Creek (A. F. Archer). Mobile Co.: N of Bucks 
138 BULLETIN : MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY 
(A. F. Archer) ; NE of Theodore (A. F. Archer). Montgomery 
Co.: Mt. Meigs (A. F. Archer). Tuscaloosa Co.: Tuscaloosa (A. 
F.Archer). Mississippi. Lee Co. : Auburn (N.Banks). Wilkin- 
son Co.: Centreville (A. F. Archer). Missouri. Phelps Co.: 
Rolla (V. Roth, H. E., D. L. Frizzell). Louisiana. 4 mi. SE of 
Natchitoches (T. H. Hubbell). Texas. Cameron Co: Harlingen 
(D. E. Hardy). Comal Co. : New Braunfels (E. S. Ross). Denton 
Co.: Lake Dallas (S. E. Jones). Hidalgo Co.: S of Pharr (S. 
Mulaik) ; Edinburg (S. Mulaik) ; Arroyo Colorado (S. Mulaik). 
Starr Co.: 5 mi. E of Rio Grande City (S. Mulaik). Travis Co.: 
Onion Creek (H. E. Frizzell) ; Austin (D. L., H. E. Frizzell). 
California. Los Angeles. Orange Co.: Dana Pt. (W. Ivie). San 
Diego Co. : mouth of San Diego River. Ventura Co. : SE of Car- 
pinteria (W. J. Gertsch, V. Roth). 
Mexico. Tamaulipas. Reynosa (W. Green) ; Soto La Marina; 
La Victoria (both M. Cazier et al.). Sinaloa. 64 km S of Culia- 
can (W. J. Gertsch). San Luis Pot osi. Huichihuayan (M. Cazier 
et al.). Morelos. Cocoyoc (W. J. Gertsch, V. Roth). Veracruz. 
( ?) Plan del Rio (V. Roth, W. J. Gertsch) ; Fortin (L. I. Davis). 
Chiapas. Tonala (A. Petrunkevitch). Campcche. Lerma (C, M. 
Goodnight) ; Campeche (H. Wagner). El Salvador. (Kraus, 
1955). Panama Canal Zone. Barro Colorado Isl. (many coll.) ; 
Fort Randolph ; Forest Reserve ; Porto Bello ; Pedro Miguel ; 
Summit, near Cocoli ; Arraijan ; France Field ; Port Sherman 
(all A. M. Chickering) ; Gamboa (W. Lundy) ; Ancon (N. 
Banks). Panama. Old Panama (C. D. Michener) ; Panama City 
(C. D. Michener) ; El Valle (A. M. Chickering) ; Tobago Isl., 
Panama Bay. Bahama Islands. Long Isl.; Rum Cay (L. Giovan- 
noli) ; Green Turtle Cay (A. Rabb) ; Santo Domingo (K. P. 
Schmidt) ; Cat Isl. (E. B. Hayden) ; West Caicos Isl. (Hayden 
et al.) ; Great Inagua Isl. (E. B. Hayden) ; Crooked Isl. (A. W. 
Scott, Jr.). Cuba. San Pedrito, Oriente (A. F. Archer) ; "Co- 
lumpo," Isla de Pinos (A. F. Archer). Jamaica. Kingston Par.: 
Palisadors Area (A. M. Chickering). St. Catherine Par.: Hell- 
shire Hills (A. F. Archer). Haiti. Gonave Isl. (J. G. Myers) ; 
Dame-Marie (A. Audant). Port au Prince (A. F. Archer). 
Petionville (A. F. Archer). Dominican Republic. La Romana 
(Hassler) ; Porto Plata (D. Hurst, MNHN) ; Trujillo Valdez 
(A.F.Archer). Nona Isl. (sev. coll.). Desecheo Isl. Puerto Rico. 
Luquillo Mts. (II. Beatty) ; Mayagiiez (A. F. Archer). Virgin 
Isl. St. Croix (Beatty; A. F. Archer) ; St. Thomas (many coll.) ; 
St. Johns (F. E. Lutz) ; Tortola (A. F. Archer). Lesser Antilles. 
Trinidad (MNHN) ; Los Testigos (MNHN). 
EXLINE AND LEVI : SPIDER GENUS ARGYRODES 139 
Venezuela. Dist. Fed.: Caracas (E. Simon, MNHN). Aragua: 
Tovar (E. Simon, MNHN) , Maracay (A. M. Nadler). Carabobo: 
San Esteban (E. Simon, MNHN). Ecuador. Napo-Pastaza : 3-13 
km N of Puyo (E. I. Schlinger, E. S. Ross). Guayas: S of 
Manglaralto (E. I. Schlinger, E. S. Ross). Tungurahua : Banos 
(D. L., H. E. Frizzell; W. C. Macintyre). Galapagos Isl: James 
Isl. (Templeton) ; Indefatigable Isl.; Floreana. Peru. Ayacucho: 
Ayacucho (W. K. Weyrauch). Huanuco: Divisoria, 1700 m elev. 
(F. Woy tkowski ) . San Martin: Sapasoa, Rio Huallaga (J. Ortiz 
de la Puente). Arecjuipa: Atiqnipa, 300 m (W. K. Weyrauch). 
Lima: Lachay (P. Aquilar). Piura: Pariiias Valley (D. L., H. E. 
Frizzell); Que. Songora; Chira River (D. L., H. E. Frizzell). 
Brazil. Paraiba: Independencia (W. M. Mann). Pernambuco: 
Recife. Rio de Janeiro: Petropolis (IT. Sick). Minos Gcrais: 
Matozinhos (E. Gounelle, MNHN). Distrito Federal: Sumare, 
from Nephila webs, (H. Sick) ; Santa Teresa (II. Sick) ; Leblon 
(H. Sick). Sao Paulo: Ciudade de Sao Paulo (H. Sick). Parana: 
Cubatao (MNHN). Paraguay. (Germain, MNHN) ; (Kritscher, 
1957). Alto-Parana : Taguararapa; Apa. Chaco: Riacho Negro 
(E. Reimoser). 
Argyrodes nepiiilae Taczanowski 
Figures 133-137 : Map 5 
Argyrodes ncphilae Taczanowski, 1872 (1873), Horae Soe. Ent. Rossicae, 
vol. 9, p. 114. Male and female syntypes. Male leetotype here desig- 
nated from Cayenne, French Guiana, in the Polish Academy of Sciences, 
Warsaw, examined by Exline and Levi. O.P.-Cambridge, 1880, Proc. 
Zool. Soc. London, p. 324, pi. 28, figs. 4, 4a-f, specimens from the 
Amazon. Petrunkevitch, 1930, Trans. Connecticut Acad. Sci., vol. 30, 
p. 179, figs. 19-22. 
Argyrodes argeniata O.P.-Cambridge, 1880, op. tit., p. 325. In part; speci- 
mens from the Amazon. Not male leetotype here designated from the 
East Indies, in the Hope Department of Entomology, Oxford Univer- 
sity, examined by Levi (Figs. 148, 149). 
Argyrodes cambridgei Keyserling, 1891, Die Spinnen Amerikas, Brasilian- 
ische Spinnen, p. 215. New name for A. nephilae O.P.-Cambridge, 1880, 
which Keyserling thought distinct from A. nephilae Taczanowski. Male 
leetotype here designated from the Amazon, in the Hope Department 
of Entomology, Oxford University, examined by Levi. Bonnet, 1955, 
Bibliographia Araneorum, vol. 2, pt. 1, p. 709. 
Argyrodes rostratus Banks, 1908, Canadian Ent., vol. 40, p. 207, fig. 9 
(upper right). Male holotype from Miami, Florida, in the Museum of 
Comparative Zoology, examined by Levi. Name preoccupied by A. 
rostratus Blackwall, 1877. NEW SYNONYMY. 
140 BULLETIN : MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY 
%Argyrodes argentatus, F.P.-Cambridge, 1902, Biologia Centrali-Americana, 
Araneidea, vol. 2, p. 403, pi. 38, figs. 1, la (in part, probably erroneous 
locality, not female). Bonnet, 1955, op. cit., vol. 2, pt. 1, p. 707 (Amer- 
ican references only). 
Argyrodes banlsi Petrunkevitch, 1911, Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., vol. 29, 
p. 166. New name for A. rostratus Banks, preoccupied. Bonnet, 1955, 
op. cit., vol. 2, pt, 1, p. 709. NEW SYNONYMY. 
Conopistha nephilae, Bryant, 1940, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., vol. 86, no. 7, 
p. 308. 
Conopistha cambridgei, Bryant, 1942, ibid., vol. 89, no. 7, p. 338, 339, figs. 
21, 24. 
Note. Cambridge confused several similar species when he 
described A. argentata. Specimens came from the East Indies, 
Ceylon, Madagascar and the Amazon. All but the East Indian 
specimens are females, which are difficult to place. A male 
is here designated as a lectotype from the East Indies (Figs. 148, 
149). The females from the Amazon are most likely A. nephilae 
Taczanowski. Keyserling gave the name A. cambridgei to O.P.- 
Cambridge's description, figures and specimens, since he referred 
to Cambridge and did not redescribe the species or illustrate it. 
Although Keyserling had an additional specimen from Rio de 
Janeiro, the lectotype here designated is a male specimen from 
the Cambridge collection, which was available for study. Keyser- 
ling 's own specimens from Rio de Janeiro in the British Museum 
(Natural History) were examined and compared to our figures 
by Mr. D. Clark who wrote that they are this species. 
Description. Male from Florida. Carapace dusky orange- 
yellow. Sternum light brown. Legs pale almost white, darker 
at joints. Abdomen solid silver above with a narrow dark median 
line on dorsum and usually a small black spot at tip ; venter and 
lower part of sides almost black with a pair of round silvery 
spots in front of spinnerets. Cephalic projection bearing median 
eyes raised. Clypeal projection slender, extending anteriorly at 
a slight upward angle beyond head, narrowed in middle and 
expanded into a knob distally (Fig. 133). Abdomen higher and 
proportionally heavier than in males of A. elevatus. Total length 
2.2 mm. Carapace 1.2 mm long. First femur, 1.8 mm; patella 
and tibia, 1.7 mm; metatarsus, 1.4 mm; tarsus, 0.6 mm. 
Female from Florida colored like male. Total length 1.7 mm. 
Carapace 0.7 mm long. First femur, 1.3 mm; patella and tibia, 
1.3 mm ; metatarsus, 0.8 mm ; tarsus, 0.6 mm. Other females 
measured 1.7 to 3.1 mm. 
Variation. Unlike A. elevatus, A. nephilae shows little varia- 
tion. There is some individual variation in color, some specimens 
EXLINE AND LEVI : SPIDER GENUS ARGYRODES 141 
being darker; all, however, are silvery. There is some variation 
in shape, slant and length of the male clypeal process. The genital 
plate of females does not appear to accumulate cuticle as the 
spider ages. Males vary in length from 1.7 to 2.6 mm ; females 
1.7 to 3.1 mm. 
Diagnosis. The small size and silvery, cone-shaped abdomen 
(Fig. 135) separate specimens of A. nephilae from most A. eleva- 
tus. Young specimens of A. elevatus, however, are similar to 
those of A. nephilae. The carapace length of females in the West 
Indies and southeastern United States, however, does not over- 
lap. The projections of the male carapace are of different shape 
(Fig. 133) and the radix (Fig. 134) is somewhat different from 
from that of A. elevatus. The epigynum is similar to that of A. 
elevatus, but is natter and the fossae are smaller and rounder 
(Fig. 137). The area occupied by the seminal receptacles is only 
slightly narrower than that occupied by the fossae (Fig. 136). 
Natural History. Petrunkevitch (1930) found specimens in 
Puerto Rico in the webs of Neoscona, Nephila and sometimes Ar- 
giope, but also "collected specimens in tall grass in a swamp . . . 
sufficient proof that the species does not necessarily construct 
its web in the web of large orb-weaving spiders." It has been 
collected from Nephila webs in Haiti and from Gasteracantha in 
Jamaica. 
Distribution. Central and southern Florida, West Indies, to 
eastern South America, Galapagos Islands ; Map 5. 
Records. United States. Florida. Alachua Co. : Gainesville 
Nov. 15, 1932 (H. K. Wallace). Broward Co.: Ft. Lauderdale 
(M. Bates). Charlotte Co.: Murdoch (A. F. Archer); Punta 
Gorda (S. Rounds). Dade Co.: Royal Palm Park (Blatchley) ; 
Kendall (A. M. Nadler) ; Tamiami Trail (F. Phillips) ; Miami 
Beach (A. L. Bacon) ; Miami (J. H. Bacon). Glades Co.: Palm- 
dale. Highlands Co.: Lake Istokpoga (A. M. Nadler). Indian 
River Co.: Sebastian (G. Nelson); Vero Beach. Martin Co.: 
Indian Town (W. J. Gertsch). Monroe Co.: Tavernier (A. M. 
Nadler). Okeechobee Co.: Okeechobee (W. J. Gertsch). Orange 
Co.: Winter Park (E. M. Davis); Orlando (M. Nirenberg). 
Palm Beach Co. : Lake Worth. Putnam Co. : Palatka, June 12, 
1935 (W. J. Gertsch). Sarasota Co. : Englewood (W. J. Gertsch) ; 
near Sarasota (W. J. Gertsch). 
Bermuda. Grasmere. West Indies. Bahama Isl.: South Bimini 
(A. M. Nadler). Cuba. Pinar del Rio : Pinar del Rio. Valles: 
Soledad (N. Banks). Camagiiey : Camagiiey (Acosta). Oriente : 
Puerto de Bonatio (A. F. Archer); Chirivico (A. F. Archer). 
142 Bl LLETIN : MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY 
Grand 'Cayman Isl. (R. A. Lewin). Jamaica. Manchester Par. : 
Christiana; Mandeville. St. Andrew Par.: Mona; Kingston. St. 
Catherine Par. : Bashy Park ; Hellshire Hills ; Port Henderson ; 
Guanaboa. St. James Par.: near Great River; near Reading; 
Montego Bay. St. Thomas Par.: Golden Grove; Bawden; near 
Morant Bay. Haiti. Cap Haitien (J. G. Myers) ; Petionville 
(A. F. Archer). Dominican Republic, near Ciudad Trujillo 
(A. M. Nadler) ; Puerto Plata (D. Hurst). Puerto Rico. Maya- 
giiez (A. F. Archer) ; Aguadilla, Barrio Espinoc (F. Rolle) ; 
Ceiba (Serralles) ; Santurce (A. S. Mills). Virgin Isl. St. Croix 
(H. A. Beatty). Martinique. Fond la Haye (A. M. Nadler). 
Santa Lucia. Castries (J. C. Bradley). Colombia. St, Andrew 
Isl. (H. H. Cleaves). Venezuela. Monagas: Caripito. Ecuador. 
Guayas: La Libertad (E. J. Schlinger, E. S. Ross). Galapagos 
Isl. Indefatigable Isl., 1935, $ (W. von Hagen). 
Arqyrodes weyrauciii new species 
Figures 143-147 ; Map 5 
Type. Male from Rio Chotano, 2100 m elev., Dept. Cajamarca, 
Peru, June 23, 1956 (W. K. Weyraueh), in the Museum of 
Comparative Zoology. It is named in honor of the collector. 
Description. Male carapaee brown, orange anterior. Chelicerae, 
palpi, legs orange-yellow with tarsi darker. Sternum dark brown. 
Venter of abdomen, tip and longitudinal dorsal stripe nearly 
black, sides yellowish white with a few silvery flecks. A wide 
space between cephalic projection and clypeal projection. Pos- 
terior median eyes near anterior medians; both pair situated on 
projection (Fig. 143). Total length 3.8 mm. Carapaee 2.0 mm 
long. First femur, 3.2 mm ; patella and tibia, 3.3 mm ; metatarsus, 
2.5 mm ; tarsus, 1.2 mm. 
Female collected with male type with carapace darker and more 
uniform in color than male; legs pale, broadly annulated with 
brown. Abdomen silvery on sides, banded obliquely with dark 
gray. Total length 4.3 mm. Carapace 1.6 mm long. First femur, 
3.1 mm ; patella and tibia, 3.2 mm ; metatarsus, 2.5 mm ; tarsus, 
1.2 mm. 
Diagnosis. Argyrodes wcyrauchi is quite similar to A. elevatus, 
also common in Peru. The two species, however, were not collected 
together, and A. wcyrauchi can be separated by the very small 
radix spur (Fig. 144) and by the large circular fossae, no more 
than a diameter apart, of the epigynum (Fig. 147). 
Natural History. The species has been collected "between 
leaves of Agave." 
EXLINE AND LEVI: SPIDER GENUS ARGYRODES 143 
Records. Peru. Cajamarca: along Rio Chotano, 2 S , 8 $ para- 
types, June 23, 1956 (W. K. Weyraueh). 
Argyrodes pluto Banks 
Figures 138-142 ; Map 5 
Argyrodes pluto Banks, 1906, Proc. Ent. Soc. Washington, vol. 7, p. 95. 
Female holotype from Falls Church, Virginia, in the Museum of Com- 
parative Zoology, examined by Levi. The specific name is a noun in 
apposition, the ending is therefore unchangeable. 
Conopistha ocula Muma, 1944, Amer. Mus. Novitates, no. 1257, p. 5, fig. 7. 
Female holotype from Salisbury, Maryland, in the American Museum of 
Natural History. NEW SYNONYMY. 
Description. Male from Missouri with carapace, chelicerae, 
legs chestnut-brown with black shading. Abdomen black with a 
pair of silvery flecks near base and a pair of silvery streaks on 
each side. Cephalic projection extending forward in a nearly 
straight line with carapace, but quite high ; clypeal projection 
almost vertical in front, tapering to a blunt point (Fig. 138). 
Abdomen higher and larger than in A. elevatus males and not 
extending as far behind spinnerets. Total length 3.7 mm. Cara- 
pace 1.8 mm long. First femur, 3.0 mm ; patella and tibia, 3.3 
mm; metatarsus, 2.4 mm; tarsus, 1.0 mm. 
Female colored like male. Abdomen heavy with a blunt, wide 
tip, extending high above spinnerets, but not behind it (Fig. 
140). Total length 3.9 mm. Carapace 1.8 mm long. First femur, 
2.7 mm ; patella and tibia, 2.8 mm ; metatarsus, 2.0 mm ; tarsus, 
0.9 mm. 
Figure 142 was prepared from the type of A. pluto. 
Variation. Two females from the Chisos Mts. and one from 
Durango are paler with abdomen light brown covered with silvery 
flecks. The female from Chihuahua is similar but with tip of 
abdomen produced above and behind in a tail-like extension. 
Most of the Mexican male specimens have the clypeal process 
conspicuously shorter ; in one from Chihuahua it is long and 
sloping as in A. elevatus, but it has the palpus of A. pluto. The 
genital plate of females appears variable in specimens of different 
ages and some appear flatter than others. 
Diagnosis. Even young specimens of A. pluto are almost black, 
like the oldest females of -4. elevatus. The carapace of the male 
has a different shape (Fig. 138), and the clypeal process bears 
regularly arranged rows of short setae. The radix of the palpus 
is very wide with the lateral spur arising from a swelling (Fig. 
139). The embolus, with a short median spur well separated from 
144 BULLETIN: MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY 
anterior, sickle-shaped process having distal part of seminal duct. 
Epigynnm heavily sclerotized, rugose and black, with fossae very 
large (Fig. 142), separated by less than a diameter and with me- 
dian rim of each opening extending forward. Seminal receptacles 
large, wider than long, separated by less than a radius. 
Natural History. Usually only single individuals of this species 
are collected. It has been found in webs of Latrodectus (Virginia 
and Maryland), Metepeira labyrinth ea (Hentz) (Maryland) and 
Argiope aurantia Lucas (Missouri). 
Distribution. From Maryland, Virginia, Missouri, southwest 
to Chihuahua, and Jamaica ; Map 5. 
Records. United States. Maryland. Prince Georges Co.: Belts- 
ville (F. R. Smith). Virginia. Plummer's Isl. Missouri. Phelps 
Co.: 5 mi. S of Rolla; Rolla (H. E., D. L. Frizzell). Texas. 
Brewster Co.: Chisos Mts. (W. J. Gertsch). Travis Co.: Austin 
(sev. coll.). Mexico. Chihuahua: Matachic; 13, 32 km W of 
Matachic (W. J. Gertsch) ; Primavera, 1800-2000 m elev. (W. J. 
Gertsch); Santa Clara Canyon (W. J. Gertsch). Durango: 
Palos Colorados, 2600 m elev. (W. J. Gertsch) ; Encina (W. J. 
Gertsch). Tamaulipas: Reynosa (W. Green). West Indies. Ja- 
maica: Kingston, Dec. 1950 (A. Zilch, SMF). 
The A. cordillera species group 
Argyrodes cordillera (Exline), new combination 
Figures 155-159; Map 6 
Conopistha cordillera Exline, 1945, Ann. Ent. Soc. Ainer., vol. 38, p. 516, 
figs. 20-23. Male holotype from Bafios, Tunguralma, Ecuador, in the 
California Academy of Sciences. 
Description. Male. Carapace, sternum brown. Legs yellow. 
Abdomen black with lateral stripe of silvery spots. Carapace 
low, with shallow groove under eyes, clypeus only slightly swol- 
len (Fig. 155). Abdomen longer than high, extending beyond 
spinnerets, without humps, tip with wrinkled cuticle. Total 
length 3.1 mm. Carapace 1.3 mm long. First femur, 2.2 mm; 
patella and tibia, 2.2 mm; metatarsus, 1.7 mm; tarsus, 0.9 mm. 
Female. Carapace dark gray with yellow shading anteriorly. 
Sternum dark brown. Legs yellowish brown. Abdomen pale 
above with white or silvery spots, gray to black on lower sides 
and venter. Clypeus low and sloping. Abdomen high extending 
only a little beyond spinnerets, usually with a pair of posterior 
lateral humps (Fig. 157). Total length 3.6 mm. Carapace 1.3 mm 
long. First femur, 1.9 mm; patella and tibia, 2.0 mm; meta- 
tarsus, 1.2 mm; tarsus, 0.7 mm. 
EXLINE AND LEVI : SPIDER GENUS ARGYRODES 145 
Diagnosis. The male lacks projections or deep grooves on cly- 
peus and eye region (Fig. 155). Palpus slender; embolus a 
straight, stiff tube ; conductor nearly straight but not touching 
embolus ; radix a flattened elongate, transparent plate lying 
against cymbium, dorsal to other two sclerites (Fig. 156). Epi- 
gynum slightly swollen anteriorly, lightly sclerotized ; depressed 
in the central part near genital furrow, with a thin posterior lip 
and a pair of small openings at each end (Fig. 159). Seminal 
receptacles large, round, less than their diameter apart ; connect- 
ing canals short (Fig. 158). Argyrodes cordillera is probably 
related to A. rossi and A. fulvus. Genital structures and clypeus 
of male are simpler than in the other two species. 
Distribution. Central Ecuador; Map 6. 
Records. Ecuador. Tungurahua: Barios; Ambato (H. E., D. L. 
Frizzell). Azuay : 17 km E of Paute, Feb. 17, 1955, ? (E. I. 
Schlinger, E. S. Ross). 
Argyrodes rossi new species 
Figures 160-164 ; Map 6 
Type. Male from 34 km east of Santiago, Nariilo, Colombia, 
March 21, 1955 (E. I. Schlinger and E. S. Ross), in the Califor- 
nia Academy of Sciences. The species is named for Dr. E. S. Ross. 
Description. Male. Carapace, sternum, palpi dark brown ; legs 
a little lighter. Abdomen almost black, shiny with a small light 
patch on sides. Carapace broad at eye region. Eyes far apart, 
equally small, both rows very much recurved if viewed from 
above. Clypeus with a small projection bearing a conspicuous 
brush of long stiff setae ; a deep but narrow cleft under projection 
(Fig. 160). Chelicerae unusually long and slightly diverging; 
fangs long. Abdomen extending far behind spinnerets (Fig. 
160). Total length 4.8 mm. Carapace 1.7 mm long. First femur, 
2.8 mm; patella and tibia, 3.0 mm; metatarsus, 1.5 mm; tarsus, 
0.7 mm. 
Female. Carapace, sternum and mouthparts dark brown. Legs 
orange. Abdomen pale gray with many silvery spots on dorsum. 
Median eyes closer to laterals than to each other. Clypeus with 
a groove under anterior median eyes. Chelicerae much shorter 
than those of male. Abdomen high with small postero-lateral 
humps and a conspicuous posterior protuberance (Fig. 162). 
Total length 4.0 mm. Carapace 1.2 mm long. First femur, 2.0 
mm; patella and tibia, 2.0 mm; metatarsus, 1.1 mm; tarsus, 
0.6 mm. 
146 BULLETIN : MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY 
Diagnosis. The shape of the male clypeus and the structure of 
the palpus are diagnostic. The palpus has the cymbium long and 
narrow. The large embolus has a curved basal sclerite, and a 
long, corkscrew-shaped tip. The conductor is long, enclosing 
twisted portion of embolus. The radix is long, flat, membranous, 
lying against cymbium as in A. trigonam, but rather inconspicu- 
ous (Fig. 161). The epigynum is sclerotized and swollen, with 
a pair of contiguous, round fossae with a posterior rim (Fig. 
164). Internally the seminal receptacles are moderately large 
and round. Tubes open from lateral sides of depression, make 
two wide spiral loops to enter receptacles laterally (Fig 163) . 
Records. Colombia. Narino : 34 km E of Santiago, 1 $ , 2 S 
paratypes collected with type. 
Argyrodes fulvus new species 
Figures 165-167 ; Map 6 
Type. Female from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 1890 ( ? E. Goldi), 
in the British Museum (Natural History) (no. 1890.7.1.7910- 
7911). The specimen had been labeled "A. americanus Tacz." 
The specific name is a Latin adjective meaning brownish yellow. 
Description. Carapace, mouthparts, sternum and femora of 
legs brownish yellow. Distal segments of legs pale yellow with 
reddish brown annulations. Abdomen brownish yellow with 
streaks of dull silvery spots and scattered dark spots. Clypeus 
moderately high, nearly straight with narrow groove under eyes. 
Anterior median eyes large, separated by less than a diameter, 
nearer to anterior lateral eyes. Median ocular area nearly square. 
Sternum very wide in front. Abdomen high, very short, with a 
pair of low lateral humps and a median posterior hump (Fig. 
165). Total length 2.7 mm. Carapace 1.1 mm long. First femur, 
1.7 mm; patella and tibia, 1.9 mm; metatarsus, 0.8 mm; tarsus, 
0.6 mm. 
Diagnosis. Unlike most other species (except A. rossi and A. 
cordillera) the fossa of the epigynum has a posterior rim (Fig. 
167). The seminal receptacles are large, sclerotized, separated 
by nearly a radius. The tubes are very long and narrow, of 
uniform diameter and following a very tortuous path, but not 
forming definite spirals (Fig. 166). 
EXLINE AND LEVI : SPIDER GENUS ARGYRODES 147 
The A. canccllotus species group 
Argyrodes cochleaforma (Exline), new combination 
Figures 178-182: Map 6 
Conopistha cochleaforma Exline, 1945, Trans. Connecticut Acad. Sci., vol. 
36, p. 178, figs. 1-4. Male holotype from Baiios, Tungurahua Prov., 
Ecuador, in the California Academy of Sciences. The specific name is 
a noun in apposition, and the ending is therefore unchangeable. 
Description. Male. Carapace and legs yellow streaked with 
gray, sternum mostly gray. Abdomen with gray background, 
covered with silvery white patches, except for longitudinal dorsal 
stripe. Clypeus with a long, ventral extension (Fig. 178), both 
portions of the extension thickly covered with setae. Abdomen 
with a hump on each side and three posterior dorsal tips which 
are sometimes absent. Total length 3.7 mm. Carapace 1.6 mm 
long. First femur, 3.2 mm ; patella and tibia, 3.4 mm ; metatarsus, 
2.3 mm ; tarsus, 1.3 mm. 
Female. Carapace and sternum dark brown, clypeus yellow. 
Legs yellow and brown annulated. Abdomen dark gray thickly 
covered with small silvery white spots ; sometimes much lighter, 
nearly all silvery over a pale gray background. Abdomen very 
high, not extending behind spinnerets; large lateral humps, al- 
most pointed ; a median postero-dorsal protuberance bears three 
tips as in male (Fig. 180). Total length 2.7 mm. Carapace 1.0 
mm long. First femur, 1.9 mm; patella and tibia, 1.9 mm; meta- 
tarsus, 1.3 mm; tarsus, 0.7 mm. 
Diagnosis. The unique shape of the male clypeus (Fig. 178), 
and the two prominent teeth of the palpal radix (Fig. 179) sep- 
arate this species from A. proboscifer. The embolus is almost 
hidden and the conductor very large, occupying the distal part 
of the palpus. The epigynum of the female has a conspicuous 
central projection with a round fossa on each side. The connect- 
ing canals (Fig. 181) are simple and short. 
Natural History. Argyrodes cochleaforma has been found in 
considerable numbers in webs of Gasteracantha and Argiope to- 
gether with A. elevatus; it was not found in the webs of Leucauge 
and Cyclosa of the same area (Exline, 1945). 
Distribution. Ecuador and northern Peru; Map 6. 
Records. (Exline, 1945). Ecuador. Tungurahua: near Baiios, 
Feb. 8, 1955 (E. I. Schlinger, E. S. Ross) ; Banos, July 1938 
(W. C. Macintyre). 
148 BULLETIN : MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY 
Argyrodes sullana (Exline), new combination 
Figures 183-187 ; Map 6 
Conopistha sullana Exline, 1945, Trans. Connecticut Acad. Sci., vol. 36, 
p. 181, figs. 9-13. Male holotype from Quebrada Mogollon, Dept. Piura, 
Peru, in the California Academy of Sciences. The specific name is that 
of a town in the Chira River Valley, Peru ; it is used as a noun in 
apposition. 
Description. Male with carapace and legs yellow, sternum light 
brown. Abdomen light brown thickly covered on sides and lateral 
part of dorsum with silvery flecks. Clypeus concave beneath eyes, 
projecting in front of chelicerae as an upper lip ; and from lower 
edge a longer, thinner, projection extends ventrally (Fig. 183). 
The opening between the projections is filled with stiff setae. The 
abdomen is small, high, extending a little behind spinnerets, with 
a pair of lateral humps. Total length 2.0 mm. Carapace 1.1 mm 
long. First femur, 2.2 mm ; patella and tibia, 2.3 mm ; metatarsus, 
1.6 mm; tarsus, 0.8 mm. 
Female with carapace, sternum and legs mostly yellow with 
some gray. Abdomen thickly covered with small silvery flecks 
on light gray background, posterior side a little darker and out- 
lined with a silvery band. Clypeus with deep groove under eyes, 
sloping forward below. Abdomen moderately high, not extending 
behind spinnerets ; lateral humps prominent, postero-dorsal prom- 
inence with three low, sometimes pointed tips ; a pair of humps 
usually present on posterior side above spinnerets (Fig. 185). 
Total length 2.0 mm. Carapace 1.0 mm long. First femur, 1.7 
mm; patella and tibia, 1.8 mm; metatarsus, 1.2 mm; tarsus, 
0.6 mm. 
Diagnosis. Clypeal process of male (Fig. 183) is diagnostic. 
Palpal radix longer than in related species, with a deep notch 
on anterior edge, ending medially in a single long, sharp tooth 
(Fig. 184) ; part of anterior edge heavily sclerotized. Embolus 
partly coiled, hidden behind radix. Conductor more heavily 
sclerotized than in related species, large, dissected, but not as 
wide as in A. cochleaforma. Epigynum of female raised, lightly 
sclerotized, with a semicircular fossa on each side having a pos- 
terior lip. There is a very small, black, projection in center (Fig. 
187). Connecting canals pass posteriorly, then form an indis- 
tinct loop before entering the round seminal receptacles (Fig. 
186). 
Distribution. Northern Peru; Map 6. 
Records. Peru. Piura: (Exline, 1945). 
EXLINE AND LEVI : SPIDER GENUS ARGYRODES 149 
Argyrodes atopus Chamberlin and Ivie 
Figures 188-193 ; Map 6 
Argyrodes atopus Chamberlin and Ivie, 1936, Bull. Univ. Utah, biol. ser., 
vol. 3, no. 5, p. 39, pi. 9, figs. 70-72. Male holotype from Barro Colorado 
Island, Panama Canal Zone, in the American Museum of Natural His- 
tory, examined by Exline. 
Argyrodes pachysomus Chamberlin and Ivie, 1936, ibid., p. 41, pi. 10, figs. 
92-93. Female holotype from Barro Colorado Island, Panama Canal 
Zone, probably lost, examined by Exline in 1945. NEW SYNONYMY. 
The synonymy was first recognized by A. M. Chickering. 
Description. Male. Carapace dusky gray with clypeus, mouth- 
parts, and legs yellow. Sternum grayish yellow. Abdomen gray 
on dorsum, sides with a long patch of silver ; a bright silver patch 
behind genital furrow, and a pair of patches above spinnerets; 
posterior tip usually dark. Carapace broad in front with widely 
spaced eyes. Anterior median eyes slightly larger than others, 
separated by nearly a diameter, a little closer to lateral eyes. Cara- 
pace illustrated by Figure 188. Abdomen high, extending a little 
beyond spinnerets; at widest part above spinnerets is a pair of 
indistinct lateral humps; tip of abdomen blunt or ending in 
three small humps. Total length 3.4 mm. Carapace 1.6 mm long. 
First femur, 2.2 mm; patella and tibia, 2.3 mm; metatarsus, 
1.4 mm ; tarsus, 0.8 mm. Males vary in length from 2.6 to 3.5 mm. 
Female smaller and darker than male. Cephalic part of cara- 
pace narrower than in male, and eyes closer together. Chelicerae 
with three teeth on anterior margin, one tooth and three denticles 
posterior. Abdomen thicker, heavier and shorter than in male, 
usually with lateral humps (Fig. 190) and sometimes a tripartite 
posterior hump. The abdomen of gravid females is often shape- 
less in alcohol. Total length of female 2.4 mm. Carapace 0.8 mm 
long. First femur, 1.2 mm ; patella and tibia, 1.2 mm ; metatarsus, 
0.7 mm ; tarsus, 0.5 mm. Length varies from 1.8 to 2.7 mm. 
Variation. Color variation is great, but silvery spots are nearly 
always present. The shape and humps of the abdomen are vari- 
able, especially in females. The slant of the male clypeus and the 
direction of its dorsal projection show some variation. In females 
the spacing betweeen the seminal receptacles varies from their 
radius to over a diameter. The connecting canals follow different 
paths in different individuals. A male 3.5 mm long and female 
2.8 mm long from Mera, Loreto, Peru are paler and covered with 
silver flecks. The clypeus of the male has the upper projection 
shorter. 
150 BULLETIN: MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY 
Diagnosis. Argyrodes atopus is similar to A. cochleaforma, A. 
proboscifer and A. sullana. The large U-shaped radix (Fig. 
189) distinguishes the males. The swollen female genital plate 
with its conspicuous black tongue-like projection with indistinct 
openings (Fig. 193) on each side, separates the female from 
others except A. cochleaforma, in which connecting canals are 
much less winding. 
Distribution. Panama, Venezuela to Ecuador; Map 6. 
Records. Panama Canal Zone. Barro Colorado Isl. (numerous 
coll.) ; Fort Davis, 1936 (A. M. Chickering) ; Balboa, Aug. 1936 
(A. M. Chickering). Panama. El Valle, July 1936 (A. M. Chick- 
ering). Venezuela, [probably northern Venezuela coll. by E. 
Simon] (MNHN). Ecuador. Napo-Pastaza: Mera, Feb. 12, 1955, 
9 S (E. I. Schlinger, E. S. Ross). 
Abgyrodes proboscifer (Exline), new combination 
Figures 194-198 ; Map 6 
Conopistha proioscifrra Exline, 1945, Trans. Connecticut Acad. Sci., vol. 36, 
p. 184, figs. 5-8. Male holotype from near Mera, Napo-Pastaza, Ecuador, 
in the California Academy of Sciences. 
Description. Male. Carapace, sternum dark brown. Legs yel- 
lowish brown. Abdomen blackish with a longitudinal light stripe 
covered by large silvery areas and a few silvery spots on posterior 
and venter. Carapace low with a ventral clypeal projection, hav- 
ing a dorsal excavation near its tip (Fig. 194). Stiff setae fill the 
hollow. Abdomen elongated far behind and sometimes above 
spinnerets with a pair of postero-lateral humps, posterior tip 
blunt. Total length 2.9 mm. Carapace 1.3 mm long. First femur, 
1.7 mm; patella and tibia, 1.9 mm; metatarsus, 1.2 mm; tarsus, 
0.7 mm. 
Female. Carapace and legs brownish yellow. Abdomen dark 
brown to black with most of sides pale with silvery spots. Abdo- 
men much higher than that of male, extended behind and above 
spinnerets with postero-lateral humps more conspicuous (Fig. 
196). Total length 2.6 mm. Carapace 0.8 mm long. First femur, 
1.1 mm; patella and tibia, 1.2 mm; metatarsus, 0.6 mm; tarsus, 
0.5 mm. 
Diagnosis. The different shape of the male clypeus (Fig. 194) 
and abdomen separate this species from A. cochleaforma. The 
radix has an anterior heavily sclerotized truncate extension bear- 
ing three teeth in a line, the distal one being the longest. The 
embolus is heavy, stiff and curved. The conductor is large, mostly 
EXLINE AND LEVI : SPIDER GENUS ARGYRODES 151 
membranous divided distally into two nearly equal leaf-like 
apophyses (Fig. 195). Epigynum (Fig. 198) large and not sclero- 
tized, with a small very dark central protruding lip having an 
opening on each side. The connecting canals are very long and 
irregularly coiled (Fig. 197). 
Natural History. The spiders were collected from Gastera- 
cantha webs. 
Distribution. Ecuador and northern Peru ; Map 6. 
Records. Ecuador. (Exline, 1945). Peru. Junin: near Utcu- 
yac, Feb. 1948 (F. Woytkowski). 
Argyrodes ecaudatus (Keyserling), new combination 
Figures 170-172; Map 6 
Faiditus ecaudatus Keyserling, 1884, Die Spinnen Amerikas, Theridiidae, 
pt. 1, p. 160, pi. 7, fig. 99. Female type from Uassa [Uaqa, Amapa, 
Brazil], in the Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, examined by Levi. 
Figures 170-172 were prepared from the type specimen ; no 
other specimens were available. 
Argykodes arthuri new species 
Figures 199-205 ; Map 7 
Type. Male from Barro Colorado Island, Panama Canal Zone, 
Aug. 1939 (A. M. Chickering), in the Museum of Comparative 
Zoology. This species is named for Dr. Chickering. 
Description. Male. Carapace and palpal tarsus dark brown ; 
legs, mouthparts and sternum yellowish brown. Abdomen dark 
brown anteriorly on dorsum, tan with black patches and a solid 
black posterior tip ; silvery spots and patches on sides. Eyes 
small with anterior median eyes larger than others and protrud- 
ing from anterior edge of cephalic projection (Fig. 199). Pos- 
terior median eyes separated by more than a diameter, quite dis- 
tant from laterals. Clypeus with deep median cleft behind groove. 
Chelicerae short with a short fang, three or four teeth on anterior 
margin and one tooth posterior. Abdomen cylindrical, tapering 
to a blunt tip ; tip in a few specimens divided into a median upper 
and a pair of lower tubercles. Anterior part of dorsum with 
scutum. Total length 4.5 mm. Carapace 1.7 mm long. First 
femur, 3.1 mm; patella and tibia, 3.1 mm; metatarsus, 2.3 nun; 
tarsus, 1.0 mm. Males vary in length from 4.0 to 5.0 mm. 
Female. Coloration as in male, except silvery patches on abdo- 
men are larger and more numerous. Eyes closer together than in 
152 BULLETIN : MUSEUM OP COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY 
male. Clypeus low, somewhat sloping and with wide, shallow 
groove under eyes. Abdomen shaped and patterned as in male, 
but without scutum (Fig. 201). There are slight lateral humps 
in gravid females. Total length 4.2 mm. Carapace 1.3 mm long. 
First femur, 2.3 mm ; patella and tibia, 2.2 mm ; metatarsus, 1.7 
mm ; tarsus, 0.8 mm. Females vary from 3.0 to 4.6 mm in length. 
Diagnosis. Argyrodes arthuri is similar to A. gertschi. The 
carapace of the male (Fig. 199) has the anterior median eyes on 
the cephalic projection and the clypeus bulging below, leaving a 
large excavation between. The palpus (Fig. 200) has the tegulum 
shorter than usual. The basal coil of embolus is supported by the 
radix, the end by the saber-like arm of the conductor. The radix 
of A. gertschi is split almost to the base ; the radix of A. arthuri 
is divided into two parts, a median sclerite and a mesal sclerite. 
The palpal femur is short with a mesal, blunt apophysis ; the 
patella is curved. The epigynum (Figs. 203-205) has the central 
area swollen with a median posterior depression. The anterior 
half of the depression is covered by a hood that is incomplete or 
broken in many specimens (Figs. 203, 204). The internal geni- 
talia (Fig. 202) are white and not sclerotized. There is a short 
blind sac anterior to the entrance of the duct into the anterior end 
of the seminal receptacles. 
Distribution. Only known from Panama Canal Zone ; Map 7. 
Records. Panama Canal Zone. Barro Colorado Isl., June, July, 
Aug. 1939; July 1954, 9 6 paratypes ; Forest Reserve, July 1954 
(all A. M. Chickering). 
Argyrodes gertschi new species 
Figures 206-211 ; Map 7 
Type. Male from El Volcan, 1600 m elev., Chiriqui, Panama, 
Feb. 21, 1936 (W. J. Gertsch), in the American Museum of Nat- 
ural History. This species is named after Dr. W. J. Gertsch. 
Description. Male. Carapace, sternum, tarsus of palpus, 
mouth parts and base of abdomen reddish brown. Legs yellow. 
Most of abdomen pale gray, thickly covered with large silvery 
patches. Carapace rounded in front. Eyes nearly equal in size. 
Anterior median eyes their diameter apart, slightly more than 
their diameter from laterals. Posterior median eyes two diameters 
apart. Clypeus sloping forward and partially divided under the 
dee]) groove (Fig. 206). Clypeus narrows above chelicerae to a 
blunt point. Chelicerae and legs short. Abdomen extended far 
behind spinnerets, tapering to blunt wrinkled tip. Proximal end 
EXLINE AND LEVI : SPIDER GENUS ARGYRODES 153 
of abdomen with a large dorsal sclerotized shield. Total length 
4.3 mm. Carapace 1.5 mm long. First femur, 2.1 mm ; patella and 
tibia, 2.3 mm; metatarsus, 1.6 mm; tarsus, 0.7 mm. 
Female. Paler than male, mostly pale yellow witli carapace 
infused with gray. Clypeus low, slightly slanting, and divided by 
shallow groove. Abdomen without scutum, elongate as in male, but 
extending behind spinnerets, with a low pair of lateral humps; 
posterior tip divided into one upper and two lower points (Fig. 
208). Total length 3.5 mm. Carapace 1.1 mm long. First femur, 
1.5 mm; patella and tibia, 1.6 mm; metatarsus, 1.0 mm; tarsus, 
0.6 mm. A second specimen, total length, 2.9 mm ; a third dam- 
aged, but about 4.5 mm long. 
Diagnosis. Argyrodes gertschi is similar to A. arthuri, but can 
be distinguished by the shape of the male clypeus (Fig. 206). 
The radix of the palpus of A. gertschi is split longitudinally 
nearly to its base, that of A. arthuri is split into two sclerites. 
The small, heavy embolus is only partially coiled (Fig. 207). The 
epigynum is similar to that of A. at opus, with a pointed beak and 
openings immediately posterior (Figs. 210-211). Internal struc- 
ture is as in A. arthuri, with a pair of very large, pale but well 
sclerotized, contiguous seminal receptacles. The tubes enter an- 
teriorly and lie medially and ventrally to the receptacles (Fig. 
209). ' 
Distribution. Only known from northern Panama ; Map 7. 
Records. Panama. Chiriqui : El Volean, 1600 m elev., $39 
paratypes collected with type. 
Argyrodes altus Keyserling 
Figures 212-216; Map 7 
Argyrodes altus KeyseiKng, 1891, Dip Spinnen Amerikas, Brasilianische 
Spinnen, p. 211, pi. 8, fig. 152. Female type from Espirito Santo, 
Brazil, in the British Museum (Natural History), examined by Levi. 
Goldi, 1892, Mitt. Osterlande, neue Folge, vol. 5, p. 224, 228. 
Conopistha pozonae Schenkel, 1953, Verhandl. Naturf. Gesell. Basel, vol. 64, 
no. 1, p. 11. Female type from El Pozon, Dto. Acosta, Prov. Falcon, 
Venezuela, in the Naturhistorisches Museum, Basel, examined by Levi. 
NEW SYNONYMY. 
Description. Male from Venezuela. Carapace, sternum, distal 
segments of legs and tarsi of palpi orange-brown infused with 
gray. Clypeus, mouthparts, femora of legs and proximal seg- 
ments of palpi clear yellowish orange. Abdomen light brown 
with a black patch on basal part of dorsum, and entire tip black 
infused with brown. A patch of silvery spots on each side near 
154 BULLETIN : MUSEUM OP COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY 
base, another across center part of dorsum, and an oblique line 
on posterior lateral margin. Carapace slender. Clypeus very- 
high, slanting forward beneath eyes to closed groove ; swollen 
and projecting below and hanging over base of chelicerae (Fig. 
212). Anterior median eyes a little larger than others, less than 
a diameter apart, about same diameter from posterior medians 
and farther from laterals. Ocular area wider behind than in 
front. Abdomen extending far behind spinnerets, somewhat en- 
larged at posterior end and bluntly rounded with a trace of 
paired lateral humps. Cuticle of posterior part of abdomen 
wrinkled. Total length 3.1 mm. Carapace 1.4 mm long. First 
femur, 2.1 mm; patella and tibia, 2.3 mm; metatarsus, 1.6 mm; 
tarsus, 0.6 mm. 
Female from Venezuela. Paler than male ; carapace orange- 
yellow infused with gray ; sternum and proximal part of femora 
pale yellow ; distal segments of legs grayish orange. Abdomen 
with dorsum with broad, longitudinal, light brown band. Sides, 
posterior, and venter thickly covered with silvery flecks. A brown 
band including some dark gray on each side above spinnerets 
and a gray streak along each lateral posterior margin. Carapace 
shorter and broader than in male. Clypeus sloping forward, 
rounded, without groove. Eyes similar to those of male. Abdo- 
men slender, extended above rather than behind spinnerets, dis- 
tal end blunt, with a trace of lateral humps as in male (Fig. 214) . 
Cuticle of posterior side wrinkled. Total length 2.2 mm. Cara- 
pace 1.0 mm long. First femur, 1.6 mm; patella and tibia, 1.5 
mm ; metatarsus, 0.7 mm ; tarsus, 0.5 mm. 
Diagnosis. The male A. alius can be distinguished from most 
species by the high, bulging clypeus (Fig. 212), similar to that 
of A. amplifrons, and from the latter by the small, heavily sclero- 
tized, crescent-shaped palpal radix (Fig. 213). The conductor 
lies within the tip of the cymbium; a posterior projection of the 
conductor interlocks with the radix. The embolus forms a small 
heavy spiral, not visible in ventral view, hidden behind radix 
and projection of conductor. The epigynum is very large, central 
area concave with sclerotized wall. Openings large, anterior to a 
pair of oblique median ridges (Fig. 216). Tubes are unusually 
wide with membranous walls, nearly encircling the seminal re- 
ceptacles, narrowing toward receptacles. Receptacles separated 
by a radius, heavily sclerotized (Fig. 215). No other species has 
a similar epigynum. 
Natural History. Goldi (1892), who collected this species for 
Keyserling, reports finding the spider in virgin tropical forest 
EXLINE AND LEVI : SPIDER GENUS ARGYRODES 155 
within several days' trip from Sao Eduardo [Santo Eduardo] on 
the Rio Itahapoana, the border river between the provinces Rio 
de Janeiro and Espirito Santo. 
Distribution. Venezuela to southern Brazil; Map 7. 
Records. Venezuela. Carabobo: San Esteban, Jan., Feb. 1888, 
9 6 (E. Simon, MNHN). 
Argykodes amplifrons 0. P. -Cambridge 
Figures 217-224 ; Map 7 
Argyrodes obtusa O. P. -Cambridge, 1880, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, p. 338, 
pi. 30, fig. 17. Male holotype from the Amazons, [Brazil], in the Hope 
Department of Entomology, Oxford University, examined by Levi. 
Simon, 1894, Histoire Naturelle des Araignees, vol. 1, p. 496, fig. 505. 
NEW SYNONYMY. 
Argyrodes amplifrons O.P.-Cambridge, 1880, ibid., p. 339, pi. 30, fig. 17. 
Male and female syntypes from the Amazons, [Brazil], in the Hope 
Department of Entomology, Oxford University, examined by Levi. 
Kcyserling, 1884, Die Spinnen Amerikas, Theridiidae, pt. 1, p. 186, 
pi. 9, fig. Ill ; 1891, op. cit., Brasilianische Spinnen, p. 214, pi. 8, fig. 
156. Simon, 1894, op. cit., p. 499. 
Conopistlia pi~ai Soares and Camargo, 1948, Bol. Mus. Paraense, vol. 10, 
p. 364, fig. 14, $ . ? Juv. male type from Chavantina, Mato Grosso, 
Brazil, in the Departamento de Zoologia Secretaria da Agrieultura do 
Estado de Sab Paulo. NEW SYNONYMY. 
Note. Because specimens belonging to this species have been 
correctly named A. amplifrons, and the name A. obtusus has been 
incorrectly used for several other species, we prefer to use the 
name A. amplifrons even though A. obtusus has page priority. 
Argyrodes obtusus of F.P.-Cambridge 1902 is A. subdolus; A. 
obtusus of Petrunkevitch 1930 is A. exiguus. Specimens of several 
species from the West Indies, Guatemala, and Mexico have been 
erroneously identified as A. obtusus in collections. 
Description. Male from San Martin, Peru. Carapace and legs 
chestnut brown, sternum and tarsi of palpi darker. Abdomen 
brown with large pale patches, flecked with silver. Carapace 
flat, broad and rounded in front. Anterior median eyes slightly 
protruding over clypeus. Clypeus with cleft near anterior median 
eyes; below cleft a large, divided bulge overhangs chelicerae 
(Fig. 217). Palpi very short with large tarsi. Base of abdomen 
with large selerotized area. Abdomen extending far behind and 
above spinnerets, tapering posteriorly, with tip distinctly bifid. 
Total length 4.6 mm. Carapace 1.6 mm long. First femur, 3.3 
mm; patella and tibia, 3.3 mm; metatarsus, 2.3 mm; tarsus, 
1.0 mm. 
156 BULLETIN : MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY 
Female from Huanuco, Peru. Carapace and legs yellow with 
gray infusions, sternum pale yellow. Abdomen white covered 
with silvery patches, with a broad gray longitudinal band on 
dorsum. Abdomen very high above spinnerets, and extending only 
a little behind them, blunt and bifid (Fig. 221). Total length 2.3 
mm. Carapace 0.9 mm long. 
Figures 217, 218, 221, 222, 224 were prepared from the syn- 
types of A. amplifrons. 
Variation. Color, shape of abdomen, and length of male clypeal 
protrusion vary within populations. There is considerable varia- 
tion in shape of genitalia (Figs. 218-220, 222, 223) between dif- 
ferent populations. A male from Paraguay, 3.0 mm long, has 
carapace, legs and sternum yellow with gray infusions. Abdo- 
men very pale yellow, flecked with silver and gray infusions 
ventrally. Abdomen low, with a suggestion of lateral humps near 
tip ; tip very blunt, not bifid but with cuticle wrinkled in a pair 
of concentric circles. A male 3.7 mm long, much as above, but 
carapace, legs and sternum orange. 
Males from Panama range from 2.7 to 3.3 mm total length. 
Cephalothorax pale yellow to dark brown, abdomen varies from 
almost white with dark gray to dark gray or brown. None has 
the tip of the abdomen bifid or trifid. The palpal radix is more 
concave anteriorly, and has a mesal tooth ; the conductor is 
slightly different in shape (Fig. 220). Two females collected in 
Panama measure 2.8 mm and 3.0 mm long. Both are very pale, 
with the abdomen silver flecked, high, and bifid at tip. The epi- 
gyna are more transparent, and the median ridge more distinct. 
The connecting canals of all females examined appear to be larger 
in diameter than in the female type (Fig. 222), and the seminal 
receptacles are smaller (Fig. 223). 
Diagnosis. The bulbous clypeus (Fig. 217) is diagnostic in the 
male; A. alius also has a swollen clypeus but differs in shape 
of the palpal radix (Figs. 218-220). Bulb of palpus with parts 
tightly fitting; tegulum with two distinct concentric loops of 
duct ; median apophysis large showing duet ; subtegulnm with 
large tooth extending over median apophysis on mesal side (not 
visible in figures) ; radix short, wide, narrowing to eetally di- 
rected point; embolus heavy, hidden, forming small coil firmly 
supported by radix and visible only through it ; conductor large, 
sclerotized, dissected, supporting embolus, with a large, distally 
attached apophysis that lies ventrally and bisects tip of bulb, 
almost reaching radix posteriorly (Figs. 218-220). The female 
differs from other species by being pale, with abdomen bifid at 
EXLINE AND LEVI : SPIDER GENUS ARGYRODES 157 
tip, and by having epigynum large, poorly sclerotized. Epigynum 
with a pair of uniquely wide, curved ridges uniting medially in a 
scape with openings inside posterior ends of ridges (Fig. 224). 
Connecting canals large, forming two large loops, then narrow- 
ing to enter seminal receptacles. Seminal receptacles are anterior 
to ridge (Figs. 222, 223). 
Distribution. Rare in Panama, to Paraguay, most collections 
from interior of South America ; Map 7. 
Records. Panama Canal Zone. Barro Colorado Isl., $ $ (A. 
M. Chickering) ; $ (T. C. Schneirla). Peru. Loreto: (Keyser- 
ling, 1884); Pebas, $ (M. de Mathan, MNHN). San Martin: 
20 km NE of Moyobamba, 1600 m elev., 2$ (F. Woytkowski). 
Hudnuco: Divisoria, $ (F. Woytkowski). Brazil. Para: San- 
tarem (BMNH). Bio de Janeiro: (Keyserling, 1891). Santa 
Catarina: Nova Teutonia, $ $ (F. Plaumann, SMF). Paraguay. 
Apa, S. Bolivia. Cochabamba: Esperitu Santo (MNIIN). 
Argyrodes acuminatus Keyserling 
Figures 225-230 ; Map 7 
Argyrodes acuminatus Keyserling, 1891, Die Spinnen Amerikas, Brasilian- 
isehe Spinnen, p. 207, pi. 7, fig. 149. Male, female syntypes from Serra 
Vermella [Serra Vermelha, right bank of Eio Paraiba, probably near 
Sao Fidelis, Eio de Janeiro], Miracena [Minas Gerais], Facenda Cal- 
vario [near Sao Fidelis, left bank of Eio Paraiba, Eio de Janeiro], 
Espirito Santo, Brazil, in the British Museum (Natural History), 
examined by Levi. Goldi, 1892, Mitt. Osterlande, neue Folge, vol. 5, 
p. 224. 
Goldi collected this species in several localities, all from virgin 
forests in hot lowlands ; no additional specimens were available. 
The illustrations were prepared from the syntypes. 
Argyrodes exiguus new species 
Figures 231-235 ; Map 7 
Argyrodes obtiisus, Petrunkevitch, 1930, Trans. Connecticut Acad. Sci., vol. 
30, p. 186, figs. 29-32. Not A. obtusus O.P.-Cambridge. 
Type. Male from Collazo, east of San Sebastian, Puerto Rico, 
July 30, 1958 (A. F. Archer), in the American Museum of Natu- 
ral History. The specific name is an adjective meaning small. 
Bemarks. Petrunkevitch 's figures show the carapace, and the 
palpus from a lateral angle, seemingly cleared, and perhaps with- 
out radix. His specimen was examined by Exline ; it is not well 
pigmented and is a little smaller than others. 
158 BULLETIN : MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY 
Description. Male type. Carapace, sternum and legs dusky 
yellow, streaked. Mouthparts and proximal parts of legs yellow. 
Abdomen yellow ; dorsum at base and entire posterior third 
black ; two pairs of irregular silvery stripes on sides, three pairs 
of small silver spots on posterior ; venter reddish without silver. 
Anterior median eyes slightly larger than others, not quite a 
diameter apart, a little farther from laterals. Posterior median 
eyes separated by two diameters, closer to laterals. Clypeus high, 
with closed groove below eyes, notched and swollen below groove, 
almost straight below swelling to edge (Fig. 231). Legs slender; 
sternum wide in front. Abdomen elevated far above spinnerets 
and blunt tip extending posteriorly beyond them. A pair of very 
low lateral humps above spinnerets. Total length 2.6 mm. Cara- 
pace 1.0 mm long. First femur, 1.3 mm; patella and tibia, 1.6 
mm; metatarsus, 1.0 mm; tarsus, 0.7 mm. 
Female from Cuba. Carapace dusky yellow. Mouthparts yel- 
low with gray markings. Sternum gray. Legs pale yellow annu- 
lated and streaked with reddish brown and gray. Abdomen dark 
gray with a pair of silvery spots at base of dorsum, two pairs of 
large silvery spots and one very small pair posterior; a cluster 
of silvery spots on each lateral hump, on venter, and a few 
scattered on dorsum. Carapace short and wide. Clypeus only 
moderately high with groove under e3 T es. Anterior median eyes 
slightly larger than others, separated by about a diameter. Median 
ocular area square, close to lateral eyes. Sternum unusually wide 
in front. Abdomen projecting above and a little beyond spin- 
nerets, with a low hump above spinnerets and a blunt posterior 
dorsal hump (Fig. 233). Total length 2.2 mm. Carapace 0.8 mm 
long. First femur, 0.9 mm ; patella and tibia, 1.1 mm ; metatarsus, 
0.6 mm ; tarsus, 0.5 mm. 
Diagnosis. The form of the male clypeus (Fig. 231) separates 
this from males of other West Indian species. The palpal radix 
is diagnostic, large and high, with a large spur in center of an- 
terior edge. The embolus is thick, forming a wide spiral. The 
conductor is large with a tooth extending slightly beyond cym- 
bium (Fig. 232). The epigynum of the female has a wide, fairly 
long fossa, an anterior cuticular rim, with central thickened lip, 
continuous around lateral margins. A conspicuous brown spot 
marks the center of each side of fossa (Fig. 235). The seminal 
receptacles are small. Large tubes diminishing in diameter from 
openings to receptacles follow an S-shaped path (Fig. 234). 
Males and females have not been collected together and it is 
therefore not certain that thev belong together. 
.— 
EXLINE AND LEVI : SPIDER GENUS ARGYRODES 159 
Distribution. Cuba, Puerto Rico; Map 7. 
Records. Cuba. Pinar del Rio: N of Vinales, Sept. 16-22, 1913, 
9 . Puerto Rico. Martin Pena, Nov. 7, 1925, $ (A. Petrunke- 
vitch) ; Estacion Experimental, Mayagiiez, Aug. 1958, <5 (A. F. 
Archer). 
Argyrodes plaumanni new species 
Figures 168, 169 ; Map 9 
Type. Male from Nova Teutonia, lat 27 ir, long 52°23', Santa 
Catarina, Brazil, 1930-1940 (F. Plaumann), in the Senckenberg 
Museum, Frankfurt. The species is named for the collector. 
Description. Carapace brown paling to brownish yellow in eye 
region and on clypeus. Tarsi of palpi, sternum and mouthparts 
brown. Legs dusky orange. Abdomen with brown sclerotized 
basal area on dorsum and venter anterior to genital groove, other- 
wise grayish white covered with dull silvery flecks. Carapace 
short, wide and high, sloping gradually from posterior to eyes. 
Eye region flattened with anterior median eyes borne on pointed 
projection. Clypeus high, with wide, open groove separating 
cephalic projection from long, thumb-like elypeal projection; 
clypeus sloping slightly forward below (Fig. 168). Eyes small, 
anterior medians largest, separated by a diameter, and about a 
diameter and a half from posterior medians, much farther from 
anterior laterals. Posterior eyes equally spaced, about four dia- 
meters apart. Abdomen extending far behind spinnerets with a 
pair of dorso-lateral humps midway between spinnerets and pos- 
terior bifurcate tip (Fig. 168). Total length 4.5 mm. Carapace 
1.6 mm long. First femur, 2.7 mm; other segments missing. 
Diagnosis. Shape of clypeus and cephalic region (Fig. 168) 
is diagnostic and similar to that of A. argyrodes group. The 
palpal structure and shape of the abdomen relate it to A. cancel- 
latus. Palpus wide; radix large with transverse anterior margin 
ending in sharp ventrally bent tooth. Embolus narrow, forming 
wide spiral, seen only through radix. Conductor conspicuous 
with rounded basal portion, bearing a pair of scissor-like blades 
that protrude beyond cymbium (Fig. 169). The female is 
unknown. 
Argyrodes woytkowskii new species 
Figures 173-177 ; Map 9 
Type. Male from Utcuyacu, Junin, Peru, 1600-2200 m elev., 
March 1948 (F. Woytkowski), in the American Museum of Nat- 
ural History. The species is named for the collector, who has 
160 BULLETIN : MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY 
contributed greatly in exploring the flora and fauna of Peru. 
Description. Male. Carapace and chelicerae brown. Sternum, 
labium and palpal tarsi almost black. Legs brownish yellow. 
Abdomen black infused with yellow anteriorly, with a wide saddle 
of pale yellow flecked with silvery spots in posterior half. A pair 
of silvery spots behind and above spinnerets, and three silvery 
spots at posterior extremity. Another male is slightly lighter. 
Cephalic part of carapace elevated gradually from thoracic 
groove. Clypeus high, sloping forward beneath anterior median 
eyes to a deep groove containing a brush of stiff setae ; ventral 
part bulging (Fig. 173). Anterior median ej r es large, separated 
by only slightly more than a radius. Posterior median eyes 
smaller, separated by two diameters. Abdomen bluntly rounded 
behind spinnerets. The cuticle of the posterior tip somewhat 
wrinkled. Total length 2.6 mm. Carapace 1.2 mm long. First 
femur, 2.5 mm; patella and tibia, 2.7 mm; metatarsus, 1.9 mm; 
tarsus, 1.1 mm. 
Female. Carapace and chelicerae brownish yellow infused 
with dark gray. Legs bright yellow. Sternum dark gray. Abdo- 
men as in male with pale saddle larger and covering more of 
sides, and a pair of silvery spots in front of spinnerets as well as 
the pair behind. Posterior side mostly pale. Cephalic part of 
carapace not elevated as in male. Clypeus moderately high with 
deep groove under eyes, somewhat bulging and sloping. Eyes as 
in male. Abdomen with very slight posterior hump (Fig. 175). 
Total length 2.0 mm. Carapace 0.8 mm long. First femur, 1.3 
mm; patella and tibia, 1.4 mm; metatarsus, 0.7 mm; tarsus, 
0.6 mm. 
Diagnosis. Argyrodcs woytkoivskii has a narrow radix, pro- 
jecting on venter with a long spine, and two distal teeth (Fig. 
174) ; it does not support the embolus. The short, heavy embolus 
forms a semicircle. The conductor lies entirely within the cym- 
bium of the bulb. The epigynum is very wide and has round 
openings at lateral ends of a wide, sclerotized groove (Fig. 177). 
From the openings the tubes pass toward the median line, fold 
back in an arched curve to enter the seminal receptacles. Re- 
ceptacles separated by a radius (Fig. 176). 
Records. Peru. Junin: Utcuyacu, 1600-2000 m elev., Feb. 
8-26, 1948, 1 9 , 1 6 paratypes (F. Woytkowski). 
EXLINE AND LEVI : SPIDER GENUS ARGYRODES 161 
Argyrodes americanus ( Taczanowski ) 
Figures 236-247 ; Map 8 
Ero americana Taczanowski, 1872 (1873), Horae Soc. Ent. Rossicae, vol. 10, 
p. 62. Female lectotype here designated from Uassa, French Guiana 
[Rio Uac,a, Amapa, Brazil], in the Polish Academy of Sciences, War- 
saw, examined by Levi. 
Argyrodes tritubercvlatus Becker, 1879, Ann. Soc. Ent. Belgique, vol. 22, 
p. 79, pi. 1, figs. 1-3. Male type from Pascagoula, Mississippi, in the 
Institut Royal des Sciences Naturelles de Belgique, Brussels, examined 
by Levi. Keyserling, 1884, Die Spinnen Amerikas, Theridiidae, pt. 1, 
p. 203, pi. 10, fig. 122. Simon, 1894, Histoire Naturelle des Araignees, 
vol. 1, p. 499. NEW SYNONYMY. 
Argyrodes americanus, Keyserling, 1884, Die Spinnen Amerikas, op. tit., 
Theridiidae, pt. 1, p. 195, pi. 9, fig. 117; 1891, op. cit., Brasilianische 
Spinnen, p. 215. F.P. -Cambridge, 1902, Biologia Centrali- Americana, 
Araneidea, vol. 2, p. 403, pi. 38, figs. 4, 5. Petrunkevitch, 1930, Trans. 
Connecticut Acad. Sci., vol. 30, p. 185, figs. 27, 28. Bryant, 1940, Bull. 
Mus. Comp. Zool., vol. 86, no. 7, p. 306. Bonnet, 1955, Bibliographia 
Araneorum, vol. 2, pt. 1, p. 706. 
Argyrodes ululabilis Keyserling, 1891, op. cit., Brasilianische Spinnen, p. 
212, pi. 8, fig. 153. Female type from Taquara do Mundo Nova, Rio 
Grande do Sul, Brazil, in the British Museum (Natural History), 
examined by Levi. NEW SYNONYMY. 
Argyrodes argenteola O. P. -Cambridge, 1894, Biologia Centrali-Americana, 
Araneidea, vol. 1, p. 128, pi. 16, fig. 4. Male type from Teapa, Tabasco, 
[Mexico], in the British Museum (Natural History), examined by 
Levi. Bonnet, 1955, op. cit., p. 707. 
Argyrodes aurea O.P.-Cambridge, 1896, op. cit., p. 207, pi. 26, fig. 1 ; 1898, 
p. 259, pi. 38, fig. 4. Female type from Teapa, Tabasco, [Mexico], in 
the British Museum (Natural History), examined by Levi. 
Argyrodes parvior Chamberlin and Ivie, 1936, Bull. Univ. Utah, biol. ser., 
vol. 3, no. 5, p. 37, pi. 9, figs. 68, 69. Male type from Panama Canal 
Zone, in the American Museum of Natural History, examined by Exline. 
(Not female, pi. 10, figs. 85-87 = A. caudatus.) NEW SYNONYMY. 
Argyrodes indignus Chamberlin and Ivie, 1936, ibid., p. 38, pi. 10, figs. 94, 
95. Female type from Panama Canal Zone, lost. NEW SYNONYMY. 
Description. Male from Panama. Carapace and mouthparts 
brownish yellow. Legs brownish orange with proximal parts of 
femora yellow. Sternum orange-brown. Abdomen gray with basal 
part and spinnerets brown, dark gray in patches on humps, and 
with scattered bright silver spots or patches. A pair of round 
silver spots above spinnerets, none on venter. Carapace with 
cephalic part low. Clypeus low with closed groove under eyes, 
nearly straight, slightly projecting ventrally in midline (Fig. 
242). Anterior median eyes larger than others, separated by 
162 BULLETIN : MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY 
about a diameter, farther from laterals. Posterior median eyes 
nearer posterior laterals than each other. Abdomen highest and 
witlest above spinnerets with a pair of lateral humps; posterior 
part rounded, extending beyond spinnerets with a median pos- 
terior hump (Fig. 243). Total length 3.5 mm. Carapace 1.6 mm 
long. First femur, 3.4 mm ; patella and tibia, 3.3 mm ; metatarsus, 
1.9 mm; tarsus, 0.8 mm. 
Female. Carapace, mouthparts and distal parts of femora, 
tibiae and tarsi yellowish brown. Proximal parts of femora, 
patellae and metatarsi yellow. Abdomen mostly mottled silver 
with dark gray patch anterior and streaks of dark gray medially 
on dorsum and on posterior side. Spinnerets and venter anterior 
to genital groove brown. A pair of round silver patches above 
spinnerets, as in male. Carapace similar to that of male with 
clypeus nearly as high. Eyes as in male except medians nearer 
laterals. Dorsum of abdomen with lateral humps above spinnerets 
more conspicuous than in male ; the single low posterior hump 
as in male (Fig. 244). Two silver spots above spinnerets are often 
borne on small raised protuberances. Total length 2.9 mm. Cara- 
pace 1.2 mm long. First femur, 1.8 mm; patella and tibia, 1.8 
mm ; metatarsus, 0.9 mm ; tarsus, 0.5 mm. 
Variation. Panamanian males vary from 2.3 mm in length to 
3.5 mm ; females from 2.0 to 3.2 mm. Specimens from other re- 
gions are within this size range, those from Florida and the West 
Indies usually being small, and those from southern Mexico, 
Costa Rica and Brazil usually large. The female abdomen varies 
greatly in width (from 1.0 to 3.5 mm) becoming much wider as 
the ovaries develop. The male abdomen is not as variable, but 
the humps of some males are reduced, and old specimens appear 
to lose the humps and the posterior part of the abdomen becomes 
low and blunt. 
Color and pattern are variable in any series of specimens, even 
from one locality. Specimens with carapace and legs pale yellow 
and abdomen mostly silver are found in association with dark 
specimens (carapace and legs brown, abdomen nearly black with 
bright lateral silver patches). When the female abdomen is very 
wide and high, the color is usually pale, thickly mottled with 
tiny silver spots. 
The genitalia are not as variable as in most widespread species, 
but a difference in the amount of sclerotization of parts of the 
male palpus changes the appearance somewhat. The radix is often 
quite transparent, and sometimes dark and well outlined. The 
conductor appears entirely fleshy and almost formless in some 
palpi, and in others shows some sclerotization (Figs. 236-241). 
EXLINE AND LEVI : SPIDER GENUS ARGYRODES 163 
The seminal receptacles are oval to almost spherical (Figs. 245, 
246). South American females usually seem to have the ducts 
longer. 
Figures 240, 241 were prepared from the type of A. tritubercu- 
latus. 
Diagnosis. Many individuals can be separated from A. globosus 
by the posterior median hump on the abdomen, but this is some- 
times absent. Others can be separated by the epigynum (Fig. 
247). The palpi seem alike superficially, but when cleared in 
oil, A. americanus is seen to have the embolus much shorter than 
has A. globosus, and usually lying near the anterior edge of the 
radix (Figs. 236, 238, 240). The female connecting ducts are 
shorter than in A. globosus, the seminal receptacles oval, usually 
less than their radius apart and larger (0.08 to 0.09 mm the 
shorter diameter), while those of A. globosus are spherical, us- 
ually their radius or more apart and are smaller, 0.07 mm in 
diameter. 
In the West Indies and Panama, A. americanus has been con- 
fused with small specimens of A. caudatus, and in Florida with 
A. canceUatus. The shape of the radix separates males, and the 
wide fossae in the epigyna of the latter two species separate 
females. 
Females of A. atopus can be confused with A. americanus in 
Panama. Internally the structure of the epigyna is very different. 
Also, the abdomen of A. atopus bears a pair of bright silver mark- 
ings in front of the spinnerets ; A. americanus has no such silver 
markings on the venter, but a pair behind the spinnerets on the 
posterior side. 
Distribution. Southeastern United States, Mexico, Central 
America, West Indies, Peru to southern Brazil; Map 8. 
Records. United States. Florida. Alachua Co. : Gainesville 
(H. K. Wallace; W. J. Gertsch) ; Newnans Lake. Highlands Co. : 
Lake Placid (M. Cazier). Indian River Co.: Sebastian (G. Nel- 
son). Martin Co.: Port Mayaca (W. J. Gertsch, R. Forster). 
Sarasota Co. : Myakka River State Park (W. J. Gertsch). Texas. 
Cameron Co.: (L. I. Davis) ; Olmito. Hidalgo Co.: Weslaco (S. 
Mulaik). Mexico. Tamaulipas: Tampico; 10 km E of Villa 
Juarez [Mante] (L. I. Davis). San Luis Potosi: Valles (L. 
Steude). Veracruz: Veracruz (H.Wagner). Chiapas: Cacahua- 
tan (C. Goodnight); Tapachula (A. Petrunkevitch) ; La Zacu- 
alpa (A. Petrunkevitch). Costa Rica, Rio Anonos (Tristan). 
Panama. Boquete ; El Valle (both A. M. Chickering). Canal 
Zone: Barro Colorado Isl. (many coll.) ; Fort Randolph ; Madden 
Dam: Miraflores Dock; Pedro Miguel (all A. M. Chickering). 
164 BULLETIN : MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY 
Cuba. Oriente: Yunque de Baraeoa (P. J. Darlington) ; Soledad 
(sev. coll.) ; Cuabitas (P. Alayo). Jamaica. St. Catharine Par.; 
St. James Par.; St. Andrew Par.; St. Ann Par. (A. M. Chicker- 
ing) ; Trelawny Par. (E. Williams). Dominican Republic. Pain 
forest near Valle Nuevo (P. J. Darlington). Peru. Cajamarca: 
Bellavista, Prow Jaen (D. L. Frizzed). Brazil. fPard: Rio 
Maputra [? Mapuera], 16 km S of Equator (W. G. Hassler). 
Minas Gerais: Matozinhos (E. Gounelle, MNHN). Rio de Janeiro: 
Rio de Janeiro (Keyserling coll., BMNH). 
Argyrodes globosus Keyserling 
Figures 248-260 ; Map 8 
Argyrodes globosus Keyserling, 1884, Die Spinnen Amerikas, Theridiidae, 
pt. 1, p. 204, pi. 10, fig. 123. Male type from Crescent City, Florida, 
in the United States National Museum, examined by Levi. 
Argyrodes argentcomaculata O.P.-Cambridge, 1896, Biologia Centrali-Amer- 
icana, Araneidea, vol. 1, p. 193, pi. 24, fig. 6. Male type from Teapa, 
Tabasco, Mexico, in the British Museum (Natural History), examined 
by Levi. F.P. -Cambridge, 1902, Biologia Centrali-Americana, Araneidea, 
vol. 2, p. 404, pi. 38, fig. 6. NEW SYNONYMY. 
Conopistha rorerae Exline, 1945, Ann. Ent. Soc. Anier., vol. 38, p. 519, 
figs. 38-42 (fig. 39 inaccurate). Male type from Milagro, Guayas, 
Ecuador, in the California Academy of Sciences. NEW SYNONYMY. 
Description. Male from Florida. Carapace, mouthparts, legs 
mostly bright yellow to orange. Cymbium of palpus, distal seg- 
ments of anterior legs reddish brown. Sternum dusky. Abdomen 
pale with large reddish brown markings, a large bright silver 
patch on each side and a pair of round silver markings above 
spinnerets. Venter dusky. Carapace and clypeus (Fig. 254) 
nearly as in A. americanus. Eyes nearly equal in size and more 
evenly spaced than in A. americanus. Abdomen a little longer 
than wide, rounded behind, without median posterior hump (Fig. 
255). Total length 2.3 mm. Carapace 1.1 mm long. First femur, 
1.9 mm; patella and tibia, 1.9 mm; metatarsus, 1.2 mm; tarsus, 
0.6 mm. 
Female from same collection as male. Carapace, mouthparts and 
legs mostly yellow, paler than in male, distal segments of anterior 
legs reddish brown. Sternum dusky yellow. Abdomen entirely 
mottled silver. Carapace and height of clypeus as in male. An- 
terior median eyes larger than others, and nearer laterals than in 
male. Abdomen a little longer than wide, higher than long, with 
a pair of angular dorsal shoulders (Figs. 256, 257). Total length 
2.3 mm. Carapace 1.0 mm long. First femur, 1.6 mm ; patella 
and tibia, 1.6 mm; metatarsus, 0.8 mm; tarsus, 0.5 mm. 
EXLINE AND LEVI : SPIDER GENUS ARGYRODES 165 
Variation. Not so variable in size as A. americanus. Florida 
males measure from 1.9 to 2.8 mm in length ; females from 2.1 
to 2.6 mm. Color not so variable as in A. americanus. Some 
males have the abdomen mostly gray with a large bright silver 
patch on each side. Female abdomens vary in brightness and 
some have a yellow cast ; some are banded with pale gray or 
light brown. Some Mexican males are more brightly colored than 
any in Florida, with deep reddish brown contrasting with the 
shiny silver patches. 
The shape of the abdomen in both sexes is quite variable, and 
it may be shrivelled in alcohol. In some males the abdomen is 
almost bluntly angular behind but never pointed or with humps. 
As eggs develop in the ovary, the female abdomen increases in 
size and becomes rounder. 
There is considerable variation in shape of the palpal radix 
(Figs. 248-253). Also, the diagnostic characters vary. The sem- 
inal receptacles are a radius to a diameter apart and the ducts in 
some individuals are much shorter (Figs. 258, 259). There seems 
to be a corresponding variation in length of embolus (Figs. 248, 
250, 252). Several collections from near Tamazunchale have the 
ducts and emboli noticeably shorter (Figs. 250, 258). Whether 
these might be hybrids is impossible to say. 
Diagnosis. Superficially most specimens can be separated from 
A. americanus by the lack of a median posterior abdominal hump. 
Males have the embolus noticeably longer than have A. ameri- 
canus males (to examine the palpi, one must clear them in clove 
oil, and take care to tilt them correctly; Figs. 248, 250, 252). 
The epigynum (Fig. 260) separates some females. The seminal 
receptacles of A. globosus females are spherical and their radius 
or more apart (Figs. 258, 259) ; those of A. americanus are us- 
ually ovoid and are separated by less than their radius. The 
female ducts are longer than in A. americanus. The diameter of 
seminal receptacles is 0.7 mm with little size variation ; the shorter 
diameter of those of A. americanus is between 0.8-0.9 mm. 
Natural History. In Ecuador this species was taken from the 
webs of large orb-weavers other than Nephila. In Louisiana a 
pair of A. globosus was found, along with a pair of A. cancella- 
tus, in the web of a female Nephila clavipes (Linnaeus). 
Distribution. Southeastern United States, Mexico, Ecuador: 
Map 8. 
E 'r cords. United States. South Carolina. Charleston. Georgia. 
Billy's Isl., Okefinokee Swamp. Florida. Alachua Co.: Gaines- 
ville (W. J. Gertsch; S. Jones). Dade Co.: Royal Palm Park 
166 BULLETIN : MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY 
[Everglades Natl. Park] (W. S. Blatchley). Glades Co.: 5 mi. S 
of Lake Istopoka (A. M. Nadler) ; Palmdale ; Archibald Biol. Sta. 
Highland Co. : Highland Hammock, near Sebring (W. J. Gertsch, 
R. Forster). Lake Co.: 7 mi. E of Apopka (M. Nirenberg) ; 
Winter Park (W. J. Gertsch). Orange Co.: Orlando (M. Niren- 
berg). Putnam Co.: Florahome (Leonard). St. Johns Co.: St. 
Augustine (R. V. Chamberlin). Alabama. Houston Co. : Chatta- 
hoochee State Park ; Dothan ; S of Dothan ; Big Creek near Do- 
than (all A. F. Archer). Louisiana. St. Tammany Par.: Coving- 
ton (N. Banks). Texas. Tyler Co.: Woodville (L. I. Davis). 
Mexico. San Luis Potosi: 8 km N of Tamazunchale (A. M., L. I. 
Davis) ; Tamazunchale (W. J. Gertsch) ; 11 km E of Ciudad des 
Maiz (A. M. Davis). Veracruz: Conejo (V. Roth, W. J. Gertsch) ; 
Panuco (A. M., L. I. Davis) ; Tlapaeoyan (H. Wagner). Tabasco: 
Teapa (C, M. Goodnight). Chiapas: La Zacualpa (A. Petrunke- 
vitch) ; Tapachula (A. Petrunkevitch). Campeche: Lerma (C, 
M. Goodnight). Cuba. Santiago, Oriente (A. F. Archer, P. 
Alayo). Ecuador. Guayas: Guayaquil (D. L. Frizzell) ; Milagro 
(H.*E., D. L. Frizzell). 
Argyrodes jamaicensis new species 
Figures 261-265 ; Map 8 
Type. Male from Rio Cobre Gorge, St. Catherine Parish, Ja- 
maica, British West Indies, Nov. 6, 1957 (A. M. Chickering), in 
the Museum of Comparative Zoology. The specific name is an 
adjective. 
Description. Male. Carapace, mouthparts, sternum dull yellow- 
ish brown ; palpi brighter. Legs brownish yellow ringed with 
reddish brown. Abdomen brown, red, and silvery white, speckled ; 
a pair of very small silver spots above spinnerets. Carapace with 
cephalic part narrow and coming to a blunt anterior point. An- 
terior median eyes a little larger than others, separated by nearly 
a diameter, farther from anterior lateral eyes. Seen from above, 
anterior row recurved; posterior row nearly straight with eyes 
equidistant. Clypeus rather low, straight above groove, bulging 
forward abruptly below groove, and narrowed to blunt point 
(Fig. 261). Abdomen with a pair of pointed lateral humps be- 
hind spinnerets, rounded behind humps, extending little behind 
spinnerets. Total length 2.4 mm. Carapace 1.3 mm long. First 
femur, 1.8 nun: patella and tibia, 2.2 mm; metatarsus, 1.1 mm; 
tarsus, 0.6 mm. 
EXLINE AND LEVI: SPIDER GENUS ARGYRODES 167 
Female. Carapace, sternum dull brown. Mouthparts, clypeus 
yellow. Legs yellow ringed with reddish brown. Abdomen gray 
thickly covered with silvery white spots and dark brown streaks. 
The pair of silvery white spots above spinnerets larger than in 
male. Abdomen (Fig. 263) similar but shorter, wider and higher 
than that of male. Total length 2.3 mm. Carapace 0.9 mm long. 
First femur, 1.6 mm; patella and tibia, 1.6 mm; metatarsus, 0.7 
mm ; tarsus, 0.6 mm. 
Variation. Some specimens are darker, others paler than those 
described. A couple of male specimens are very dark with only 
a few white spots. The humps of the abdomen vary in size and 
are much reduced in several males. In one female the lateral 
humps are widespread, long and pointed. All males are approxi- 
mately the same size. Females vary in total length from 1.7 to 
2.3 mm. 
Diagnosis. Argyrodes jamaicensis is similar to A. americanus, 
A. globosus and A. cubcnsis. The shape of the male clypeus (Fig. 
261), and the higher radix of the palpal bulb, with its shallower 
anterior margin and more nearly straight tip (Fig. 262) separate 
it from the others. The conductor of the bulb is similar to that 
of A. caudatus but lacks the projection. The embolus is slender, 
forming a very small coil, visible through the transparent radix. 
The tegulum is sclerotized and slightly rugose. The epigynum 
has a large oval depression in front of the scape. The lateral mar- 
gins that extend from the scape spiral around the fossae, which 
contain the openings (Fig. 265). The large spherical seminal 
receptacles are almost touching. Tubes are simpler than in the 
other two species, without loops (Fig. 264) . The abdomen is often 
similar to that of A. globosus, but the color differs. The wider 
scape of the epigynum (Fig. 265) separates A. jamaicensis from 
A. globosus and A. cubcnsis. 
Distribution. Only known from Jamaica; Map 8. 
Records. Jamaica. (MNHN). St. Thomas Par.: Holland Bay 
(A. M. Nadler) ; Lyssons (A. M. Nadler) ; 10 km NE of Bath; 
Bawden (both A. M. Chickering). Hanover Par.: Dolphin Head 
Trail (A. M. Chickering). St. Catherine Par.: Rio Cobre Gorge; 
Guanaboa Vale (both A. M. Chickering) . St. Andrew Par. : Hard- 
war Gap, Blue Mts. (A. M. Chickering; A. F. Archer). 
Argyrodes cubensis new species 
Figures 266-270 ; Map 8 
Type. Male from La Bayamesa, 1900 m elev., Oriente, Cuba 
"7/3/1955" (A. F. Archer), in the American Museum of Natural 
History. The species name is an adjective. 
168 BULLETIN : MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY 
Description. Male. Carapace brownish, dusky around margin ; 
clypeus reddish. Sternum dark brown. Legs brown. Abdomen 
with a silvery stripe on each side, a black mark behind each lateral 
hump. Dorsum dusky. Venter brown anterior to spinnerets, black 
behind with a pair of white marks, side by side, immediately 
behind spinnerets. Carapace slightly raised in eye region with a 
deep groove below anterior median eyes and clypeus projecting 
and hanging below chelicerae (Fig. 266). Anterior median eyes 
slightly larger than others, their diameter apart. Posterior me- 
dian eyes two and one-half diameters apart. Abdomen extended 
behind spinnerets. Total length 3.0 mm. Carapace 1.8 mm long. 
First femur, 2.2 mm. 
Female. Carapace darker than in male, brown. First femora 
brown, other leg segments whitish with darker bands. Abdomen 
silvery except for black venter and posterior ; two silvery spots 
behind spinnerets. Carapace with groove below eyes and clypeus 
slightly bulging. Eyes closer together than in male. Abdomen 
shorter than that of male (Fig. 268). Total length 2.2 mm. Cara- 
pace 0.9 mm long. First femur, 1.2 mm; patella and tibia, 1.3 
mm; metatarsus, 0.7 mm; tarsus, 0.4 mm. 
Diagnosis. The elongate abdomen separates this species from 
A. jamaicensis and A. globosus. The palpus is similar but the 
tegulum is shorter (Fig. 267). The scape of the epigynum is 
much narrower than that of A. jamaicensis, and resembles that 
of A. globosus. 
Record. Cuba. 9 paratype collected with type. 
Argyrodes maculosus O. P. -Cambridge 
Figures 271-275; Map 
Argyrodes maculosa O.P.-Cambridge, 1898, Biologia Centrali-Americana, 
Araneidea, vol. 1, p. 258, pi. 37, fig. 3. Female syntypes from Teapa, 
[Tabasco], Mexico, in the Hope Department of Entomology, Oxford 
University, examined by Levi. 
Description. Male from Mexico. Carapace, sternum yellowish 
brown with clypeus yellow. Legs and mouthparts yellow with 
some gray. Posterior two pairs of legs annulate. Abdomen pale 
gray on dorsum with metallic silvery spots, especially on sides of 
dorsum ; venter and lower part of sides reddish gray, a pair of 
silvery spots above spinnerets. Carapace slender; cephalic part 
narrowed between lateral and anterior median eyes, clypeus un- 
usually high (Fig. 271). Anterior median eyes slightly larger 
than others and about a diameter apart, forming a square with 
EXLINE AND LEVI : SPIDER GENUS ARGYRODES 169 
posterior median eyes ; anterior laterals and posterior medians 
in a straight line and about equidistant. Abdomen short with a 
median and lateral pair of low humps and another pair of very 
low humps on posterior face, midway between spinnerets and 
dorsum. Total length 2.6' mm. Carapace 1.3 mm long. First 
femur, 2.4 mm; patella and tibia, 2.6 mm; metatarsus, 1.5 mm; 
tarsus, 0.9 mm. Another specimen had total length 2.2 mm. 
Female. Carapace paler than that of male. Abdomen grayish 
white, streaked with dark gray and many small silvery spots. 
Genital area dark brown, a pair of bright silvery spots above 
spinnerets. Clypeus high and straight, with anterior median eyes 
projecting and a deep groove under eyes. Abdomen similar to 
that of male with three posterior humps (Fig. 273). Posterior 
pair of humps above spinnerets not easy to see. Total length 2.1 
mm. Carapace 0.9 mm long. First femur, 1.4 mm; patella and 
tibia. 1.6 mm; metatarsus, 1.0 mm; tarsus, 0.6 mm. A second 
female, barely mature, measured 1.6 mm long. 
Variation. A male collected in Florida shows some slight differ- 
ences in position of the ducts and embolus. The carapace is like 
that of other specimens. 
Diagnosis. Argyrodes maeulosus is similar to A. subdolus, A. 
spinosus, and A. taeter. The very high clypeus of the male (Fig. 
271 ) separates it from the first two, and the inconspicuous em- 
bolus (Fig. 272) from A. taeter. The female is separated from 
other species by the relatively small genital plate (Fig. 275) 
with its short scape, and by the internal genitalia with a wide 
tube from each opening forming a semicircle, then sharply bend- 
ing anteriorly and becoming very slender before entering seminal 
receptacles. The receptacles are well separated (Fig. 274). The 
posterior hump on the abdomen of A. maeulosus does not develop 
the two pair of points found in some other species, but is of 
variable length, much longer in the syntypes than in more re- 
cently collected specimens. 
Distribution. Florida, eastern and southern Mexico ; Map 9. 
Records. United States. Florida. Highlands Co. : Highland 
Hammock, Sebring, April 2, 1957, $ (W. J. Gertsch, R. Forster) . 
Mexico. San Luis Potosi: Tamazunchale, July 6, 1941 (L. I. 
Davis) ; May 20, 1952 (W. Cazier, W. J. Gertsch, R. Schrammel) ; 
8 km N of Tamazunchale, July 2, 1941 (A. M., L. I. Davis). 
Veracruz: La Buena Ventura, July 1909 (A. Petrunkevitch). 
170 BULLETIN : MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY 
Argyrodes taeter new species 
Figures 276-280 ; Map 9 
Type. Male from Xilitla, San Luis Potosi, Mexico, Dec. 2, 1939 
(A. M. and L. I. Davis), in the American Museum of Natural 
History. The specific name is a Latin adjective meaning horrid. 
Description. Male. Carapace yellowish brown, sternum a little 
darker. Legs yellowish, with dark rings. Abdomen mostly light 
gray, darker gray posteriorly, thickly covered with metallic 
golden to silvery spots. Carapace with extremely high clypeus 
(Fig. 276). Anterior median eyes less than a diameter apart. 
Abdomen extending a little behind spinnerets with a pair of pos- 
terior, lateral and median humps which are indistinct. Total 
length 2.2 mm. Carapace 1.3 mm long. First femur, 2.0 mm; 
patella and tibia, 2.0 mm; metatarsus, 1.2 mm; tarsus, 0.8 mm. 
Female. Carapace dull brown with legs a little paler and the 
posterior three pairs with dark rings. Abdomen darker than in 
male with dark brown paired streaks above, and spotted with 
silvery flecks. Posterior surface mostly brown with a pair of 
inconspicuous silvery spots above spinnerets. Genital area orange- 
brown. Carapace rather wide, clypeus high, slightly bulging 
beneath shallow groove under eyes. Eyes as in male, but closer 
together. Abdomen high with small lateral humps, and poster- 
iorly a small median dorsal hump (Fig. 278). Total length 1.9 
mm. Carapace 0.6 mm long. First femur 1.4 mm; patella and 
tibia, 1.4 mm; metatarsus, 0.6 mm ; tarsus, 0.5 mm. 
Diagnosis. The carapace (Fig. 276) is similar to that of A. 
maculasus, the eye region is shorter, the groove deeper and wider. 
The palpus (Fig. 277) is a little heavier than in A. maculosus; 
the embolus, forming a large conspicuous spiral, visible through 
transparent radix. The radix and conductor are similar to those 
of A. caudatus. Epigynum with a blunt scape. Some sections of 
connecting canals show between scape and lateral walls of fossae 
(Fig. 280) . The ducts are wider and longer than those of A. mac- 
ulosus (Fig. 279). 
Records. Mexico. San Luis Potosi: Xilitla, 9 $ paratypers 
collected with type; Nov. 30, 1940, $ paratype (A. M., L. I. 
Davis). 
Argyrodes ululans O.P.-Cambridge 
Figures 281-285 ; Map 9 
Argyrodes ululans O.P. -Cambridge, 1880, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, p. 336, 
pi. 30, fig. 14. Male, female syntypes from the Amazon, [Brazil], in 
EXLINE AND LEVI : SPIDER GENUS ARGYRODES 171 
the Hope Department of Entomology, Oxford University, examined by 
Levi. 
Argyrodes sooius Chamberlin and Ivie, 1936, Bull. Univ. Utah, biol. ser., 
vol. 3, no. 5, p. 40, pi. 10, figs. 90, 91. Female type from Barro Colorado 
Island, Panama, at the University of Utah, genitalia missing, examined 
by Exline. NEW SYNONYMY. 
Description. Male from Panama Canal Zone. Carapace, mouth- 
parts, legs brown with tarsi and basal part of metatarsi lighter ; 
sternum darker. Abdomen nearly black with a longitudinal pale 
stripe that includes a few bright silvery spots on each side, a pair 
of silvery spots above spinnerets. There is considerable color 
variation. Carapace broad at eye region with clypeus swollen, 
deeply grooved (Fig. 281). Eyes approximately equal in size, 
with two rows close together; anterior eyes equidistant, a little 
over a diameter apart ; posterior eyes forming straight line, with 
medians one and one-half diameters apart, nearer lateral eyes. 
Chelicerae slender with three teeth on anterior margin of fang 
groove, one tooth and a row of long fine denticles on the posterior 
margin. Abdomen greatly extended behind spinnerets with pos- 
terior tip turned down. Total length 4.0 mm. Carapace 1.5 mm 
long. First femur, 3.3 mm ; patella and tibia, 3.5 mm ; metatarsus, 
2.4 mm ; tarsus, 0.7 mm. Males vary from 3.3 to 4.5 mm long' 
(one specimen only 2.8 mm long), length depending on extent of 
abdomen. 
Female from Panama Canal Zone. Color as in male but more 
variable. Older females may become pale but some are reddish or 
nearly black with dark brown legs. Carapace with nearly parallel 
sides, blunt behind, narrowing in cephalic region. Clypeus mod- 
erately high. Abdomen as in male though heavier and not so 
long (Fig. 283). In gravid specimens the abdomen becomes very 
heavy and elongate. Total length 3.7 mm. Carapace 1.4 mm. long. 
First femur, 2.6 mm; patella and tibia, 2.7 mm; metatarsus, 1.6 
mm ; tarsus, 0.8 mm. 
Variation. Length of females varies from 3.0 to 5.0 mm, de- 
pending mostly on age and development of ovaries. A female 
specimen from Fonte Boa, Amazonas, Brazil, was 6.5 mm long, 
with carapace 1.5 mm long. Its epigynum had an additional short 
transverse anterior lip overhanging a slight depression. This 
structure was best seen in slightly posterior view. The ends of 
this structure were slightly anterior to the anterior margin of 
lateral fossae. 
Diagnosis. Argyrodes ululans is larger than other Argyrodes 
species from Panama and easily distinguished. It differs from 
172 BULLETIN : MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY 
A. leoncnsis by having a seam on swollen portion of the male 
clypens (Fig. 281), the coil of the embolus small, and the radix 
high with bluntly recurved tip (Fig. 282). The ducts in the 
median apophysis and tegulum are unlike those of other species. 
The female has a conspicuous wide scape with a fossa on each 
side (Fig. 285). The internal genitalia are illustrated by Figure 
284. 
Natural History. Dr. Chickering found some specimens in the 
webs of Nepkila clavipes (Linnaeus). 
Distribution. Southern Mexico to northern Brazil; Map 9. 
Records. Mexico. Chiapas: Tapachula, Aug. 1909 (A. Petrun- 
kevitch). Panama. El Valle, July 1936. Panama Canal Zone. 
Gamboa, July 1954 (A. M. Chickering) ; Barro Colorado Isl. 
(numerous coll.). Venezuela. Aragua: Maracay, 1935, 1936 
(P. C. Vogl, ZSM). Carabobo: San Esteban, 1888 (E. Simon, 
MNHN). Brazil. (O.P.-Cambridge, 1880). Amazonas: Fonte 
Boa (de Mathan, MNHN). 
Argyrodes bryantae new species 
Figures 286-288 ; Map 9 
Argyrodes maculosus, Banks, 1909, Proe. Philadelphia Acad. Sci., vol. 61, 
p. 205. Not A. maculosus O.P.-Cambridge. 
Type. Male from Boquete, Panama, Aug. 1-8, 1950 (A. M. 
Chickering), in the Museum of Comparative Zoology. This species 
is named in memory of Miss Elizabeth B. Bryant, araehnologist, 
friend, and benefactress. 
Description. Carapace yellowish brown, orange on clypeus. 
Sternum, mouthparts brown. Anterior legs mostly yellowish 
brown, posterior legs yellow with brown streaks and rings. Abdo- 
men pale gray thickly covered with bright silvery spots, and dark 
gray patches on dorsum, and posterior side. Carapace gently 
inclined from thoracic groove to anterior margin, which is broadly 
rounded. Clypeus high with seam dividing it into equal halves, 
extending a little over base of chelicerae (Fig. 286). Eyes equal 
in size, posterior eyes about two diameters apart. Abdomen ex- 
tended beyond spinnerets, with a pair of lateral humps a little 
behind spinnerets and a posterior extension, bifid at tip. Total 
length 3.2 mm. Carapace 1.4 mm long. First femur, 3.1 mm; 
patella and tibia, 3.5 mm; metatarsus, 2.4 mm; tarsus, 1.1 mm. 
Female. Carapace and sternum dark, as in male. Legs reddish 
brown, with distal segments yellow and posterior legs annulate 
yellow and reddish brown. Abdomen darker than in male with a 
EXLINE AND LEVI : SPIDER GENUS ARGYRODES 173 
pattern of three pairs of large black patches and a couple of 
median markings on dorsum with posterior side black ; sides and 
venter as in male. Carapace low. Clypeus rather low with groove 
under eyes, somewhat bulging anteriorly. Anterior median eyes 
larger than others, over one diameter apart. Other eyes closer 
together than in male. Abdomen smaller, flattened dorsally, less 
extended behind, but with comparable protuberances (Fig. 288). 
Total length 2.5 mm. Carapace 1.0 mm long. First femur, 1.7 
mm; patella and tibia, 1.8 mm; metatarsus, 1.0 mm; tarsus, 
0.6 mm. 
Variation. A male from northern Panama has the dorsal part 
of the clypeus higher, receding to seam, with chelicerae weaker 
and placed below lateral eyes so that clypeus protrudes farther. 
Diagnosis. The male clypeus of A. bryantae (Fig. 286) is simi- 
lar to that of A. dracus. The posterior extension of abdomen is 
sometimes conspicuously bifid (Fig. 288). The palpus is large, 
rounded. The radix is high with anterior margin almost straight, 
ending in a hook. Unlike related species, A. bryantae has the 
median apophysis unusually thick ventrally, crossed by three 
uneven, diagonal parts of the tube (Fig. 287). Embolus narrow, 
forming small spiral mostly covered by radix. The conductor 
resembles that of A. caudatus. Epigynum has a long scape, as in 
A. dracus but not so bulging posteriorly. Seminal receptacles 
small ; tubes very narrow and spiralled posteriorly, enlarging 
greatly to arch anterior to receptacles, then narrowing abruptly 
before entering them. (Epigynum of the only female specimen 
is lost.) 
Records. Costa Rica. Santa Maria Dota, S (Tristan). Panama. 
Boquete, 2 $ paratypes collected with type ; El Volcan, Chiriqui, 
Feb. 1936, $ (W.J. Gertsch). 
Argyrodes spinosus Keyserling 
Figures 289-291 ; Map 9 
Argyrodes spinosus Keyserling, 1884, Die Spinnen Amerikas, Theridiidae, 
pt. 1, p. 201, pi. 9, fig. 121. Male lectotype here designated from 
Amable Maria, [Dept. Junin], Peru, in the Polish Academy of Sciences, 
Warsaw, examined by Levi. (Not Keyserling, 1891, op. oit., Brasilian- 
ische Spinnen, p. 214, pi. 8, fig. 155.) 
The illustrations were prepared from the lectotype. 
The only specimen which might be this species is a male from 
Hacienda Corosal, near La Silla Mt., Dist. Fed., Venezuela, 1888 
(E. Simon, MNHN), which has a longer embolus, and a shorter 
duct loop in the tegulum, but has a similar clypeal bulge. 
174 BULLETIN : MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY 
This species differs from A. dracus by the shorter embolus and 
bulging clypeus. 
Argyrodes gapensis new species 
Figures 292-294 ; Map 9 
Type. Female from Hardwar Gap, Jamaica, Nov. 17, 1959 
(A. M. Nadler), in the American Museum of Natural History. 
The specific name is a latinized adjective derived from a geo- 
graphical name. 
Description. Female. Carapace and sternum gray infused 
with red. Legs red banded with pale yellow. Abdomen back- 
ground very pale, mottled with red and silver and with horizon- 
tal streaks of dark gray on sides and posterior. Clypeus nearly 
straight with groove under eyes obscure. Anterior median eyes 
a little larger than others, over a diameter apart, and forming a 
square with posterior median eyes. Lateral eyes near median 
eyes. Abdomen extended above rather than behind spinnerets, 
with a pair of conspicuous humps above spinnerets and a median 
dorsal protuberance (Fig. 292). Protuberance with four obscure 
points and with cuticle deeply wrinkled. Total length 2.6 mm. 
Carapace 1.2 mm long. First femur, 1.9 mm; patella and tibia, 
2.0 mm; metatarsus, 1.0 mm; tarsus, 0.5 mm. 
Diagnosis. Color and shape of abdomen unlike that of other 
West Indian species. Epigynum similar to that of A. caudatus, 
with scape a little longer and excavation anterior to it deeper 
(Fig. 294). A pair of conspicuous, large, round median bulges 
between fossa and genital groove. Seminal receptacles and an- 
terior part of tubes (Fig. 293) as in A. cancellatus, with posterior 
part of tubes not twisted as in A. caudatus and A. cancellatus. 
Argyrodes sicki new species 
Figures 295-299 ; Map 9 
Type. Male from Sumare, 200-300 m elev., Cidade Rio de 
Janeiro, Brazil, Jan. 1946 (II. Sick), in the American Museum 
of Natural History. The species is named for Dr. H. Sick. 
Description. Male. Carapace and sternum dark brown with 
clypeus and legs lighter brown, posterior three pairs of legs an- 
nulate brown and yellow. Abdomen dark gray with a few lines 
and small spots of silver. Carapace broad and quite blunt in 
front. Clypeus straight and only slightly sloping forward under 
anterior median eyes to a deep cleft, Cleft with nearly circular 
EXLINE AND LEVI : SPIDER GENUS ARGYRODES 175 
lateral excavations covered by setae, and medially closed by lips. 
Below cleft, clypeus bulges anterior to and overhanging base of 
chelicerae (Fig. 295). Anterior median eyes larger than others, 
and closer together than posterior median eyes. Posterior eyes 
in nearly straight line if viewed from above, posterior medians 
separated by two and one-half diameters, by less than two from 
laterals. Abdomen extending a little above and behind spinnerets 
with a pair of pointed lateral humps, and ending above in an 
upper and two lower pointed tips. Total length 2.7 mm. Carapace 
1.3 mm long. First femur, 2.9 mm; patella and tibia, 2.3 mm; 
metatarsus, 1.3 mm; tarsus, 0.8 mm. 
Female. Color as in male but abdomen lighter gray; dorsum 
more or less outlined with rows of silvery spots and a diamond- 
shaped mark in middle of dorsum, two lines of silvery spots on 
sides, and a group of silvery spots anterior to tip. Clypeus high 
with anterior median eyes projecting over it. Abdomen a little 
higher and wider than in male, but with similar pointed pro- 
tuberances (Fig. 297). Total length 2.5 mm. Carapace 0.8 mm 
long. First femur, 1.4 mm ; patella and tibia, 1.5 mm ; metatarsus, 
0.8 mm ; tarsus, 0.6 mm. 
Variation. Size and shape are not very variable, but the humps 
on the abdomen are very small and not pointed in some specimens. 
Carapace and legs of some specimens are darker than in others. 
Diagnosis. The shape of the abdomen is similar to that of 
A. caudatus and A. dracus. The high male clypeus with the cleft 
near the ventral margin (Fig. 295) separates A. sicki from A. 
dracus. The palpus of the male is similar to that of A. dracus, 
but more slender. The radix is long, with the anterior margin 
concave, ending medially in a long recurved bluntly pointed 
arm. The fleshy basal portion of the embolus is conspicuous; 
the sclerotized coiled end is mostly under the transparent radix. 
The conductor has a ventral, rectangular, membranous arm, and 
a long, sharp sclerotized tooth lying against the cymbium on the 
mesal side (Fig. 296). 
The epigynum of the female is vaulted anteriorly, sloping to a 
median scape. The lateral margins of the scape curve around 
the fossae (Fig. 299) . A pair of large round openings with sclero- 
tized edges lie in the fossae and open to an inner sclerotized 
chamber (Fig. 298), perhaps similar to A. argyrodes group. The 
seminal receptacles are small, anterior to the anterior wall. The 
tubes are difficult to see. They lie in the mesal wall of the vaulted 
sclerotized chamber, and empty directly into the receptacles 
176 BULLETIN : MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY 
(Fig. 298). No other species known has spherical chambers such 
as found in A. sicki. 
Natural History. The species has been collected from webs of 
Nephila. 
Distribution. Southeastern Brazil ; Map 9. 
Records. Brazil. Rio cle Janeiro: Sumare, Cidade Rio de Ja- 
neiro, 200-400 m elev., Jan.-March 1946, 9 $ paratypes (H. 
Sick) ; Teresopolis, 900-1000 m elev, March 1946 (H. Sick). 
Argyrodes caudatus (Taczanowski) 
Figures 300-322 ; Map 10 
Ero caudatus Taczanowski, 1872 (1873), Horae Soc. Ent. Eossieae, vol. 10, 
p. 63. Male, female syntypes from Uassa, French Guiana [Uaqa, 
Amapa, Brazil], in the Polish Academy of Sciences, examined by Levi. 
Argyrodes sextubercidata O.P.-Cambridge, 1880, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 
p. 335, pi. 30, fig. 13. Male, female syntypes from Amazon, Brazil, in 
the Hope Department of Entomology, Oxford University, examined by 
Levi. NEW SYNONYMY. 
Argyrodes felix O.P.-Cambridge, 1880, ibid., p. 340, pi. 30, fig. 19. Female 
type from Parana, Brazil, in the Hope Department of Entomology, 
Oxford University, examined by Levi. NEW SYNONYMY. 
Argyrodes caudatus, Keyserling, 1884, Die Spinnen Amerikas, Theridiidae, 
pt. 1, p. 198, pi. 9, fig. 119. Petrunkevitch, 1930, Trans. Connecticut 
Acad. Sci, vol. 30, p. 182, figs. 23-26. 
Argyrodes cylindrica Franganillo, 1936, Los Arachnidos de Cuba, Havana, 
p. 57, figs. 22, 23. Types from Oriente, Cuba, probably lost. NEW 
SYNONYMY. 
Argyrodes parvior Chamberlin and Ivie, 1936, Bull. Univ. Utah, biol. ser., 
vol. 3, no. 5, p. 37, figs. 85, 86. In part, female only. (Male type = A. 
americanus.) 
Argyrodes vexus Chamberlin and Ivie, 1936, ibid., p. 39, figs. 76-78. Male 
type from Panama Canal Zone, in the American Museum of Natural 
History, examined by Exline. NEW SYNONYMY. 
Conopistha caudata, Bryant, 1940, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool, vol. 86, no. 7, 
p. 306. 
Conopistha obtusa, Bryant, 1940, ibid., p. 308. Caporiacco, 1948, Proc. Zool. 
Soc. London, vol. 118, p. 649, fig. 56. Not A. obtusm O.P.-Cambridge. 
Conopistlui manta Exline, 1945, Ann. Ent. Soc. America, vol. 38, p. 524, 
figs. 24-33. Holotype from Manta, Manabi, Ecuador, in the California 
Academy of Sciences. NEW SYNONYMY. 
Description. Male from Panama Canal Zone (compared with 
type). Carapace, mouthparts, sternum, and femora, patellae and 
tibiae of first two pairs of legs light brown. Other legs and seg- 
ments pale yellow with brown and red annulations. Dorsum and 
posterior side of abdomen tan, outlined with dark gray streaks 
EXLINE AND LEVI: SPIDER GENUS ARGYRODES 177 
and with some irregular gray markings and dull silvery spots. 
Sides mostly covered with silver. Venter silver, red and black, 
with genital and lung areas brown. Carapace lowest at thoracic 
groove, wide at lateral eyes, then abruptly narrowed in front to 
width of anterior median eyes. Anterior median eyes largest, 
projecting slightly over clypeus, about a diameter apart, as far 
from posterior medians and farther from anterior laterals. Me- 
dian eyes forming a square. Posterior eyes in recurved row, about 
equidistant, widely separated. Lateral eyes sometimes separated. 
Clypeus rather low. Groove near eyes closed, narrow ; below 
groove, clypeus nearly straight, very slightly projecting in mid- 
dle. Chelicerae long (Figs. 300-306). Abdomen extended far 
beyond spinnerets, with a pair of posterior lateral humps, and a 
blunt median posterior hump with a trace of four points. Total 
length 4.3 mm. Carapace 1.8 mm long. First femur, 3.3 mm; 
patella and tibia, 3.9 mm; metatarsus, 2.4 mm; tarsus, 0.9 mm. 
Female from same collection. Carapace, sternum and legs 
colored as in male. Dorsum and posterior side of abdomen light 
brown with a few dull silver spots and outlined with groups of 
spots. Sides and venter speckled brown and silver. Epigynum 
and lung cuticle light brown. Carapace smoother than that of 
male. Eyes much closer together. Anterior median eyes largest 
and about a diameter apart. Clypeus moderately high, slightly 
rounded beneath a shallow groove under eyes. Abdomen extend- 
ing beyond spinnerets with a pair of low lateral humps, and a 
median posterior hump with two dorsal points and two more 
widely spaced ventral points (Fig. 319). Total length 3.5 mm. 
Carapace 1.3 mm long. First femur, 2.1 mm; patella and tibia, 
2.4 mm; metatarsus, 1.3 mm; tarsus, 0.6 mm. 
Figures 307, 314, 320 were prepared from the syntypes of Ero 
caudatus. 
Variation. Size, color and shape of abdomen are extremely 
variable. Males vary in length from 2.5 to 5.3 mm ; females from 
2.2 to 4.0 mm. Color varies from very pale to dark, and some 
specimens have a reddish cast. The pattern of the abdomen is 
conspicuous in some specimens; a few specimens have dorsum 
black with sides a bright contrasting silver ; in others the dorsum 
is dark gray bordered with narrow streaks of black and a broad 
band of bright silver. Many specimens (especially from Panama) 
are almost black with only a few silvery spots. Pale specimens 
have the abdomen light gray or tan, sometimes streaked with 
darker gray and partially covered with dull silvery spots ; a few 
178 BULLETIN : MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY 
specimens have the abdomen almost all dull silver. The shape of 
the abdomen varies from broadly oval with low lateral and pos- 
terior humps, to elongate, extended considerably beyond the 
spinnerets, and with or without conspicuous humps. The pos- 
terior projection may end in conspicuous fleshy points, or these 
may be almost non-existent. 
Size and distance between eyes are variable, but the shape of 
the carapace and clypeus is fairly constant (Figs. 300-306). 
The clypeal shape is most variable in Texas and Mexico (Figs. 
303-306) ; that of a specimen from southern Brazil also differs 
(Fig. 300). The lateral eyes may be separated. The tip of the 
male radix varies in length ; the tip of the conductor is long, some- 
times rather conspicuous, and sometimes almost invisible. The 
width of the fossae of the epigynum is variable, and the anterior 
margin may be almost straight or may have a small, rounded, 
median lip (Figs. 320-322). One female from Tingo Maria, Peru, 
has a noticeably sclerotized scape. One specimen from Cuba 
has the scape unusually long, but the internal genitalia as in 
other specimens. The position of the anterior loops of the duct 
is extremely variable in different individuals and also geographi- 
cally. They loop anterior to the seminal receptacles (as in A. 
cancellatus) in Mexican specimens (Fig. 318) ; in specimens from 
Panama one side may be anterior but not the other. The duct is 
narrowed near seminal receptacles in most specimens except those 
from Mexico (Figs. 311-316). The duct is most variable in south- 
ern and eastern Brazil (Figs. 311-313) and some specimens may 
belong to a different species (Fig. 311). Specimens from Mexico 
in general resemble A. cancellatus. 
Some intermediates are found in southern Florida, Bimini, 
Cuba and Dominican Republic. Females have the epigynum less 
swollen, as in A. caudatus, but the internal genitalia are as in 
A. cancellatus. One female from Jamaica and one from San Este- 
ban, Venezuela, thought to be A. caudatus, had internal genitalia 
similar to those of A. cancellatus. Several males have the cara- 
pace high as in A. cancellatus, the clypeus straight as in A. cauda- 
tus, and the palpus much wider than that of A. caudatus. 
Males of A. caudatus have been collected with females having 
these intermediate characters in Monroe County, Florida and 
Bimini. Males were collected with other A. caudatus males in 
Bimini and Cuba. Two males from the Dominican Republic 
mountains have the clypeus intermediate ; one male has the palpus 
(Fig. 310) somewhat like that of A. cancellatus, the other has a 
EXLINE AND LEVI : SPIDER GENUS ARGYRODES 179 
shorter tegulum loop but a longer embolus [Loma Lucilla Mts., 
Cordillera Central, 1500-2000 m elev., June 1938 (P. J. Darling- 
ton) ; between Constanza and Lomo Cibao, Aug. 1958 (A. F. 
Archer)]. 
A much larger number of specimens is needed to study this 
variation in detail, and in particular, to understand the specimens 
believed to be intermediate with A. cancellatus. 
Diagnosis. Males of A. caudatus can be separated from those 
of A. cancellatus by the straight rather than bulging clypeus 
and by the longer chelicerae. The anterior median eyes are usu- 
ally larger than the others (Figs. 300-306). The females have 
the epigynum (Figs. 320-322) flat behind the openings, not 
swollen as in A. cancellatus. The internal ducts are shorter and 
not fused (Figs. 311-318). 
Distribution. Southern Texas, Florida to southern Brazil; 
Map 10. 
Records. United States. Florida. Dade Co. : Miami, 1903, $ 
(J. Comstock). Monroe Co.: Tavernier, 9 $ , Nov. 29, 1952 (A. 
M. Nadler) ; Palmetto Key (C. M. Breder). Texas. Hidalgo Co.: 
Edinburg, 1933, 6 (S. Mulaik) ; 7 mi. E of Edinburg, Oct. 14, 
1936, $ (S. Mulaik) ; S of Pharr, Apr. 5, 1936, S (S. Mulaik). 
Mexico. Tamaulipas: near El Limon (C. M. Goodnight) ; 10 
km E of Villa Juarez (L. I. Davis). San Luis Potosi: 8 km N of 
Tamazunchale (A. M., L. 1. Davis) ; Valles (L. Steude). Vera- 
cruz: Cordoba (J. C, D. L. Pallister) ; 24 km E of Panuco (A. M., 
L. I. Davis) ; Tecolutla (M. Johnston, A. M. Davis). Chiapas: 
Tonala (A. Petrunkevitch). Costa Rica. Rio Anonos (Tristan); 
San Jose (E. Schmidt). Panama. La Campana (E. Fichter). 
Panama Canal Zone. Forest Reserve; Ancon; Cocoli ; Experi- 
mental Gardens ; Miraflores Lock ; Summit ; Ft. Sherman ; Chili- 
bre ; France Field ; Madden Dam ; Chiva Rd. ; near Pedro Miguel ; 
Farfan; Ft. Randolph; Summit Park; Arraijan; El Valle ; Fort 
Davis ; Balboa ; Barro Colorado Isl. 
Bahama Isl. South Bimini (A. M. Nadler) ; Grand Bahama 
Isl. (Hayden, Rabb). Cuba. Oriente : Banes (A. F. Archer). 
Villas: Soledad (P. J. Darlington; L. G. Worley). Matanzas: 
Pan de Palenque (A. F. Archer). Pinar del Rio : Sierra de Anafe 
(M. Barro). Jamaica. Trelawny Par.: Rd. to Adelphi. St. An- 
drew Par. : Kingston. St. Catherine Par. : Guanaboa Valley; near 
Bushby ; near Spanish Town. St. Thomas Par. : Morant Bay Rd. 
Clarendon Par. Portland Par. : Plardwar Gap. Dominican Re- 
public. Colonia Ramfis, Trujillo Valdez (A. F. Archer) ; Puerto 
180 BULLETIN : MUSEUM OP COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY 
Plata (D. Hurst); near La Romana (Hassler). Puerto Rico. 
E of San Sebastian Collazo (A. F. Archer) ; Mayagiiez (A. F. 
Archer; A. M. Nadler) ; N of Las Maria Mts. de Urayan (A. F. 
Archer) ; Rio Piedras (A. M. Nadler) ; Cuevas de los Alfanos, 
Barro Mona (A. F. Archer) ; ?Rubianes (A. F. Archer) ; Are- 
cibo (A. M. Nadler). Virgin Isl. St. Thomas Isl. (A. F. Archer). 
St. John (A. F. Archer). St. Croix : Christianstad (A. M. Nadler; 
H. A. Beatty). Lesser Antilles. St. Vincent Isl. (MNHN). 
Trinidad: (MNHN) ; Gasparee (R, H. Montgomery) ; Mt. St. 
Benedict (J. G. Myers). Aruba. (A. M. Nadler). 
Venezuela. Aragua: Maraca} 7 (A. M. Nadler). Dist. Fed.: 
La Guaira, Caracas (E. Simon, MNHN). Carabobo: San Este- 
ban (E. Simon, MNHN). British Guiana. Sauri-wau River 
near Tacutu (W. G. Hassler). French Guiana. Cayenne (A. M 
Nadler). Ecuador. Guayas: 5 km N of Manglar Alto (E. I 
Schlinger, E. S. Ross) ; 13 km S of Manglar Alto (E.I. Schlinger 
E. S. Ross). Peru. Loreto: Pebas (M. de Mathan, MNHN) 
Hudnuco: Monzon Valley, Tingo Maria (E. I. Schlinger, E. S 
Ross). Brazil. Para: Santarem (MNHN). Ceara: Serra Com 
munaty (MNHN). Bahia: Condeuba (E. Gounelle, MNHN) 
Salvador (MNHN). Espirito Santo: Santa Teresa (A. M. Nad- 
ler). Sao Paulo: Jequirituba, Sao Paulo (H. Sick). Paraguay. 
Alto Parana: Taquararapa. 
Argyrodes cancellatus (Hentz) 
Figures 323-336 ; Map 10 
Thcridion cancellatum Hentz, 1850, Proc. Boston Soe. Nat. Hist., vol. 6, 
p. 278, pi. 9, figs. 17, 18. Types from Alabama, lost. 1875, The spiders 
of the United States, p. 149, pi. 16, figs. 17, 18. 
Lasaeola cancellata, Emerton, 1882, Trans. Connecticut Acad. Sci., vol. 6, 
p. 26, pi. 5, fig. 4. 
Argyrodes larvatus Keyserling, 1884, Die Spinnen Amerikas, Theridiidae, 
pt. 1, p. 197, pi. 9, fig. 118. Male type from Columbus, [Colorado Co.], 
Texas, in the United States National Museum. 
Bellinda cancellata, Keyserling, 1884, op. tit., pt. 1, p. 216, pi. 10, fig. 130. 
Argyrodes cancellatus, Keyserling, 1886, op. tit., pt. 2, p. 243, pi. 20, fig. 297. 
Emerton, 1909, Trans. Connecticut Acad. Sci., vol. 14, p. 184, pi. 1, 
fig. 10. Bonnet, 1955, Bibliographia Araneorum, vol. 2, pt. 1, p. 709. 
Conopistha cancellata, Kaston, 1948, Bull. Connecticut Geol. Nat. Hist. 
Surv., no. 70, p. 88, pi. 4, figs. 80-84. 
Conopistha partita, Chamberlin and Ivie, 1944, Bull. Univ. Utah, biol. ser., 
vol. 8, no. 5, p. 38. Archer, 1946, Paper Alabama Mus. Nat. Hist., no. 22, 
p. 28. 
EXLINE AND LEVI : SPIDER GENUS ARGYRODES 181 
Note. Although this species had been widely known for nearly 
a hundred years as Argyrodcs cancellatus (Hentz), Chamberlin 
and Ivie (1944) suggested that the name is a synonym of Theri- 
dion partitum Walckenaer (1841, Histoire naturelle des Insectes 
Apteres, vol. 2, p. 323). However, Abbot's drawing in the British 
Museum, to which Walckenaer gave the name, is not diagnostic. 
Description. Male from Lawrence County, Alabama. Cara- 
pace brown. Legs light brown near body, with distal part of 
femora and other segments darker; posterior legs paler with 
joints dark brown. Abdomen dark gray speckled with white or 
dull silver spots. Carapace flat, gradually and only slightly 
raised to eye region. Head broad, bluntly rounded in front. 
Eyes small, anterior medians very little larger than others, sep- 
arated by about a diameter, farther from lateral eyes. Posterior 
eyes equidistant, nearly three diameters apart. Lateral eyes 
slightly but distinctly separated. Clypeus high, receding be- 
neath anterior median eyes to groove, then bulging to a blunt 
point in front of and below base of chelicerae (Figs. 323-331). 
Groove hidden by setae from above and below. Chelicerae heavy, 
short, about equal to height of clypeus. Abdomen elongate, ex- 
tending behind spinnerets with a pair of lateral humps and a 
median posterior projection with two pairs of points. Total 
length 3.8 mm. Carapace 1.7 mm long. First femur, 3.0 mm ; 
patella and tibia, 3.5 mm; metatarsus, 2.3 mm; tarsus, 1.1 mm. 
Female from same collection. Color and pattern as in male. 
Carapace as in male but shorter. Clypeus high with wide shallow 
groove under eyes, bulging below groove. Eyes as in male except 
medians nearer to laterals. Abdomen shorter, not extending so 
far behind spinnerets, rounder, higher, with similar humps (Fig. 
335). Total length 3.2 mm. Carapace 1.2 mm long. First femur, 
1.9 mm ; patella and tibia, 2.2 mm ; metatarsus, 1.3 mm ; tarsus, 
0.7 mm. 
Variation. Size and color are variable in all populations. Males 
measure from 2.5 to 4.5 mm ; females from 2.3 to 3.5 mm. Indi- 
viduals from New York, North and South Carolina, and Arkansas 
are larger than those from Florida, Mississippi and Louisiana. 
Pale and dark specimens are found in most populations. The 
carapace and legs are mostly yellow or pale gray; abdomen pale 
uray and silver, or sometimes nearly all silvery in pale specimens. 
In dark specimens, the carapace may be almost black, or deep 
brown, and abdomen dark gray to black with only a few gray 
and silver spots. Some specimens, especially from the Northeast, 
182 BULLETIN : MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY 
have a golden cast, with the carapace reddish brown and the 
abdomen speckled with red, gray and silver. The posterior me- 
dian eyes vary from two to three diameters apart ; lateral eyes 
may be nearly contiguous to over a radius apart. The male 
clypeus usually recedes in the middle at the groove, then bulges 
and protrudes below the base of the chelicerae, but the extent 
of the protrusion is variable (Figs. 323-331). The scape of the 
epigynum in some specimens projects ventrally ; in some it is 
more rounded. In some specimens the humps of the abdomen are 
poorly developed ; in a few they are exaggerated. The dorsal pair 
of posterior points are united in many specimens. 
Diagnosis. Argyrodes cancellatus is similar to A. caudatus, 
but is separated by having the anterior edge of the male clypeus 
bulging, the chelicerae much shorter (Figs. 323-331), and the 
anterior margin of head rounded. The male palpus is similar, but 
usually more rounded in outline. Females usually have the abdo- 
men shorter and rounder (Fig. 335) than that of A. caudatus. 
The epigynum is larger and bulges behind scape (Fig. 337). The 
seminal receptacles are very small, round, and close together. 
The tubes are longer, and loop anterior to receptacles; unlike 
those of A. caudatus, they are fused together into sclerotized 
masses posteriorly (Figs. 333-334). The separation of some fe- 
male specimens is difficult and the genitalia may have to be 
cleared. It has been collected with A. caudatus in southern 
Florida and Bahama Islands, and some specimens seem to be 
intermediate. A female from Jamaica and one from San Esteban, 
Venezuela, first thought to be A. caudatus, have sclerotized in- 
ternal genitalia like A. cancellatus. 
Natural History. Argyrodes cancellatus has been collected in 
New York in webs of Epeira strix [Araneus cornutus (Clerck) ] ; 
and under stones by J. H. Emerton ; in webs of Agelcnopsis by 
W. J. Gertsch ; in Agelenopsis webs in Mississippi by H. Exline; 
and in webs of Nephila clavipes (Linnaeus) in Louisiana by H. 
Exline. Archer (1946) reports it in Alabama in webs of "Alle- 
peira lemniscata, Argiope aurantia, Metepeira labyrinthea, Ne- 
phila clavipes, and Verrucosa arenata. It is also found in the 
webs of Frontinella pyramitela, and in cave entrances in the webs 
of Theridion tepidariorum and a species of Pholcus." Several 
individuals may live in one host web. The egg-case is small and 
round with a wide posterior lip, and hangs by strong threads. 
Several egg-cases are often found together. 
EXLINE AND LEVI : SPIDER GENUS ARGYRODES 183 
Distribution. Eastern North America ; Map 10. 
Records. Canada. Ontario. East Sister Isl., Lake Erie (J. A. 
Beatty). United States. New Hampshire. Hillsborough Co.: 
Mollis. Connecticut. Fairfield Co. : Norwalk (R. V. Chamberlin). 
New Haven Co.: New Haven (J. H. Emerton). New York. Suf- 
folk Co.: Cold Spring Harbor (sev. coll.). Pennsylvania. Berks 
Co.: Shillington (L. Hook). Ohio. Hocking Co.: Rockbridge. 
Ottawa Co.: South Bass Isl. (J. A. Beatty). District of Colum- 
bia. (Fox). Virginia. Brunswick Co.: Alberta. Fairfax Co.: 
Falls Church (N. Banks) ; Mt. Vernon. Kentucky. Breathitt 
Co.: Noble (L. Giovannoli). Edmonson Co.: Mammoth Cave. 
Tennessee. Bedford Co.: Shelbyville (A. F. Archer). Davidson 
Co.: Nashville (A. R. Laskey). Grundy Co.: Bersheeba. North 
Carolina. Carteret Co.: Lennox Pt. (R. D. Barnes). Durham 
Co. : Durham (J. H. Emerton) ; Duke Forest (H., L. Levi; R. D. 
Barnes). Orange Co.: Chapel Hill (J. H. Emerton). South 
Carolina. Charleston (J. H. Emerton). Florida. Collier Co.: 
Royal Palm Hammock (S. Rounds). De Soto Co. : W of Arcadia 
(W. J. Gertsch). Hillsborough Co.: Hillsborough Riv. State 
Park (W. J. Gertsch). Gadsden Co.: Quincy (W. J. Gertsch). 
Gulf Co.: Wewahitchka. Lake Co.: Leesburg (M. Statham). 
Liberty Co.: Torreya State Park (W. J. Gertsch). Monroe Co.: 
Tavernier (A. M. Nadler). Pinellas Co. : Dunedin (W. S. Blatch- 
ley). Seminole Co. : Longwood (W. J. Gertsch). Alabama. Bald- 
win Co.: Lagoon (A. F. Archer). De Kalb Co.: De Soto State 
Park (A. F. Archer). Mobile Co.: Mobile (A. F. Archer) ; Dau- 
phin Isl. (A. F. Arcber). Tuscaloosa Co.: Tuscaloosa (A. F. 
Archer). Winston Co.: Bankhead Natl. Forest (A. F. Archer). 
Mississippi. Clarke Co.: Shubota (H. E. Frizzell). Jackson Co.: 
Pascagoula (H. E. Frizzell). Warren Co.: Vicksburg (H. E. 
Frizzell). Wilkinson Co. : Centreville (A. F. Archer). Louisiana. 
Ascension Par.: Donaldsonville (H. E. Frizzell). Missouri. 
Phelps Co. : 10 mi. S of Rolla (II. E. Frizzell). Arkansas. Wash- 
ington Co.: Cove Creek Valley (M. Hite). Texas. Denton Co.: 
Clear Creek (S. Jones). Liberty Co.: Liberty (S. Mulaik). 
Robertson Co.: Easterly (H., D. Frizzell). San Augustine Co.: 
San Augustine (S. Mulaik). Tyler Co. : Woodville (L. I. Davis). 
Walker Co.: Huntsville (S. Mulaik). 
Bahama Isl. South Bimini, 9 (W. J. Gertsch, M. A. Cazier). 
184 BULLETIN : MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY 
Argyrodes darlingtoni new species 
Figures 337-341 ; Map 11 
Type. Female from rain forest near Valle Nuevo, 2000 m elev., 
Dominican Republic, Aug. 1938 (P. J. Darlington), in the Mu- 
seum of Comparative Zoology. The species is named in honor 
of the collector. 
Description. Male. Carapace, sternum, legs dusky yellow. 
Legs annulate, especially posterior legs. Sternum with median 
longitudinal gray stripe. Abdomen pale gray with dorsum out- 
lined in darker gray, with dark streaks, especially behind humps 
and at tip, sparsely covered with dull silvery spots. Cephalic 
region narrowed. Clypeus rather high, nearly straight with a 
seam (Fig. 337). Eyes approximately equal in size. Anterior 
median eyes over a diameter apart, nearer lateral eyes than in 
related species. Posterior median eyes a diameter and a half 
apart and nearer lateral eyes. Abdomen elongate, dorsum flat- 
tened with a pair of low lateral humps and a posterior projec- 
tion with three fleshy, pointed tips. Total length 3.3 mm. Cara- 
pace 1.2 mm long. First femur, 2.0 mm; patella and tibia, 2.3 
mm; metatarsus, 1.4 mm. 
Female. Carapace yellow-brown, becoming yellow on clypeus 
and chelicerae. Legs annulate yellow and brown. Sternum yel- 
low, brown posteriorly. Abdomen pale gray, streaked and some- 
what mottled with dark gray and dull silver. Clypeus rounded, 
nearly straight. Anterior median eyes a little larger than others, 
otherwise similar to eyes of male. Abdomen shorter, wider, 
higher than in male, somewhat flattened on dorsum, with a low 
pair of lateral humps, a pair of conspicuous humps above spin- 
nerets, and a short posterior tubercle, ending in three short blunt 
tips (Fig. 339). Total length 2.7 mm. Carapace 1.1 mm long. 
First femur, 1.7 mm: patella and tibia, 1.8 mm; metatarsus, 
0.8 mm ; tarsus, 0.6 mm. 
Diagnosis. Male palpus similar to that of A. caudatus with 
radix shorter, ending in a hook that is widened and truncate 
at its end (Fig. 338). Embolic spiral a little wider than in A. 
caudatus. Female epigynum with a broad scape, wide and blunt. 
Openings closer together than in related species, and tubes lead- 
ing from them visible far to the sides (Fig. 341 ) . Unlike A. quasi- 
ootusus, A. darlingtoni has the ducts enter the seminal receptacles 
on the anterior lateral side (Fig. 341) and the duct lumina inside 
the fused sclerotized bodies are distinct. The sexes have been 
matched on the basis of similar color pattern and abdominal 
humps. 
EXLINE AND LEVI : SPIDER GENUS ARGYRODES 185 
Distribution. Jamaica, Haiti; Map 11. 
Records. Jamaica. 1 km E of Reading, St. James Par., June 
23, 1954, $ . Haiti. 2 km E of Caves du Jacmel, Sept. 2, 1935, 
$ (W. G. Hassler) ; 40 km from Aux Cayes, 700-1000 m elev., 
Aug. 29, 1935, $ (W. G. Hassler). 
Argyrodes godmani new species 
Figures 342-346 ; Map 11 
Argyrodes maculosus, F.P. -Cambridge, 1902, Biologia Centrali-Americana, 
Araneidea, vol. 2, p. 405 (in part), pi. 38, figs. 12, 13, 13a (not fig. 13b 
= A. convolutus) . Not A. rnaculosus O.P.-Cambridge. 
Type. Male from Guatemala, 1896-1901 (F. Sargent), in the 
Godman collection in the British Museum (Natural History). 
The specific name is in honor of the former owner of the collec- 
tion. 
Description. Male. Carapace, sternum and legs yellow; pos- 
terior legs annulate. (Abdomen missing.) Carapace low, rounded 
in front. Clypeus high with deep groove, closed in center, with 
wide excavations at sides, and protruding ventrally as a blunt 
point over base of chelicerae (Fig. 342). Anterior median eyes 
very large, only their radius apart. Posterior eyes not so widely 
spaced as in related species; medians nearer laterals than each 
other. Carapace 1.2 mm long. First femur, 1.7 mm; patella and 
tibia, 2.2 mm ; metatarsus, 1.4 mm. 
Female. Carapace and legs colored as in male. Abdomen tan 
with large splashes and streaks of tiny silvery spots. Carapace 
as in male with anterior median eyes large but farther apart. 
Clypeus moderately high, straight. Abdomen high, rounded, 
with small lateral humps above spinnerets and a very small pos- 
terior tubercle with a tiny median dorsal spine, and a pair of 
tiny ventral spines (Fig. 344). Total length 2.7 mm. Carapace 
1.2 mm long. First femur, 1.8 mm; patella and tibia, 2.1 mm; 
metatarsus, 1.0 mm ; tarsus, 0.6 mm. 
Diagnosis. The male resembles A. dracus, but the clypeus is 
higher, has a deeper more dorsal groove, and the eyes are larger 
(Fig. 342). The palpus has a long radix, ending in a hook; the 
embolus forms a large spiral (Fig. 343). The epigynum has a 
long, rather slender scape, with sides extending in wide sclero- 
tized arches, leaving a narrow fossa with conspicuous openings 
(Fig. 346). The seminal receptacles are small. A wide heavily 
sclerotized tube forms a half spiral, from the end of which arises 
a narrow tube connecting it with the receptacles (Fig. 345). The 
shorter duct separates this species from A. dracus. 
Record. Guatemala. 2 9 paratypes collected with type. 
186 BULLETIN : MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY 
Argyrodes quasiobtusus new species 
Figures 347-351 ; Map 11 
Type. Male from St. John, Virgin Islands, July 10-12, 1958 
(A. F. Archer), in the American Museum of Natural History. 
The specific name is a compound Latin adjective, meaning almost 
blunt. 
Description. Male. Carapace dusky, yellow on head and cly- 
peus. Legs pale yellow with dusky and reddish brown annula- 
tions. Sternum mottled reddish brown and yellow. Abdomen 
with entire dorsum dark gray to black. Sides, posterior and 
venter grayish white with dull silvery spots. Carapace flat, nar- 
rowed and rounded in front. Clypeus moderately high, straight, 
with median seam, and slightly overhanging base of chelicerae 
(Fig. 347). Eyes about equal in size, all farther apart than in 
related species ; anterior median eyes very distant from laterals. 
Abdomen narrow, sides undulating ; a pair of humps above spin- 
nerets; projecting bluntly behind, bifurcate at posterior tip. 
Total length 3.6 mm. Carapace 1.5 mm long. First femur, 2.3 
mm ; patella and tibia, 2.6 mm ; metatarsus, 1.5 mm. 
Female. Carapace dark gray infused with yellow, yellow on 
clypeus and mouthparts. Legs pale yellow, ringed with reddish 
brown. Sternum yellow with reddish markings. Abdomen dor- 
sum dark gray to black, paler gray in center. Sides and venter 
whitish, mottled with dark gray, reddish brown, and dull silver. 
Carapace flat. (Typeus moderately high, somewhat rounded un- 
der groove. Eyes larger than those of male and closer to each 
other. The shape of the abdomen as in male (Fig. 349). Total 
length 2.5 mm. Carapace 1.0 mm long. First femur, 1.6 mm ; 
patella and tibia, 1.7 mm; metatarsus, 0.8 mm. 
Diagnosis. The shape of the abdomen and eyes of male are 
distinctive. The male palpus is similar to that of A. caudatus, 
with shorter radix, ending in widely recurved slender tip. The 
dorsal arm of the conductor is tooth-like, projecting ventrally 
(Fig. 348). The scape of the epigynum is long and bluntly 
pointed with openings large and lateral (Fig. 351). The seape 
is flat, without a bulge behind it, separating it from A. dracus. 
The seminal receptacles are of moderate size ; the coils of tubes 
are fused and sclerotized in a pair of bodies (Fig. 350) a little 
shorter than those of A. darlingtoni. The sexes have been matched 
on the basis of the similarity of pattern and shape of abdomen. 
Distribution. Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands ; Map 11. 
EXLINE AND LEVI: SPIDER GENUS ARGYRODES 187 
Records. Puerto Rico. El Yunque, Sierra Luquillo, Aug. 7, 
1957, 9 (A. F. Archer) ; Las Cruces, March 28, 1930, 9 (Leo- 
nard) ; Maricao Forest, June 2-3, 1938, & (P. J. Darlington). 
Argyrodes dracus Chamberlin and I vie 
Figures 3.52-358; Map 11 
Argyrodes maculosus, F. P. -Cambridge, 1902, Biologia Centrali-Americana, 
Araneidea, vol. 2, p. 405, pi. 38, figs. 12, 12a, 13b, not figs. 13, 13a. 
Not A. maculosus O. P. -Cambridge. 
Argyrodes dracus Chamberlin and Ivie, 1936, Bull. Univ. Utah, biol. ser., 
vol. 3, no. 5, p. 38, figs. 73-75, not figs. 88, 89, 9 . Male holotype from 
Barro Colorado Island, Panama Canal Zone, lost. 
Conopistha spinosa, Exline, 1945, Ann. Ent. Soe. America, vol. 38, p. 522, 
figs. 34-37. Not A. spinosus Keyserling. 
Comments. This species has erroneously been called A. macu- 
losus in North American collections. In collections from South 
America, A. dracus has been confused with A. convolutus and 
A. spinosus. 
Description. Male from Panama Canal Zone. Carapace, ster- 
num, mouthparts orange-yellow, infused with gray. Legs similar 
but posterior legs with reddish brown annulations. Abdomen 
gray sometimes with a reddish cast, and many silvery white spots. 
Cephalic part of carapace rounded in front. Clypeus straight, 
high, and extending ventrally over base of chelicerae, with short 
shallow groove below eyes (Figs. 352, 353). Anterior median 
eyes a little larger than others, separated by about a diameter, 
farther from anterior laterals ; median ocular area almost square, 
a little wider behind; posterior eyes equally spaced. Abdomen 
short, extending little behind spinnerets with a pair of lateral 
pointed humps, and two postero-dorsal pairs of pointed tips 
sometimes borne on a single protuberance. All tips inconspicuous 
in some specimens. Total length 2.6 mm. Carapace 1.3 mm long. 
First femur, 2.2 mm; patella and tibia, 2.5 mm; metatarsus, 1.3 
mm; tarsus, 0.8 mm. 
Female. Coloration as in male. Carapace broad, clypeus mod- 
erately high, almost vertical with a narrow groove below an- 
terior eyes, and slightly bulging below groove. Abdomen (Fig. 
355) similar to that of male, but usually wider and higher; pro- 
tuberances not so conspicuous and sometimes barely evident. Not 
much variability in shape of abdomen between young and gravid 
females. Total length 2.3 mm. Carapace 0.8 mm long. First 
femur, 1.5 mm; patella and tibia, 1.6 mm; metatarsus, 0.7 mm; 
tarsus, 0.6 mm. 
188 BULLETIN : MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY 
Variation. Males vary in length from 2.4 to 3.0 mm; females 
from 1.6 to 2.5 mm. The hook of the male radix, usually rounded, 
is sometimes straightened toward the tip, and there is some varia- 
tion in size. In some specimens the scape of the female epigynum 
is rebordered. The distal part of the connecting canals is en- 
larged and then abruptly narrowed before entering the recep- 
tacles in some Panamanian specimens and in females from Para- 
guay. In older females the posterior convolutions of the con- 
necting canals are surrounded by cuticle, the canals are grown 
together, and may be heavily sclerotized (Fig. 356). The abdom- 
inal protuberances are evident in some specimens, not in others. 
A male from San Luis Potosi has the carapace bright yellow, 
the legs lacking annulations, and the abdomen pale gray with 
silvery spots. A male from Chiapas also is pale, but has annu- 
late legs. A male from Paraguay is paler than most specimens 
from Panama, and has the posterior legs slightly annulate, the 
hook of the radix somewhat straightened, and the tip and the 
embolus not so heavily sclerotized. 
Diagnosis. Argyrodes dracus is very similar to A. godmani, 
A. chickeringi and A. sub dolus in size and general appearance, 
although the latter two lack the abdominal pointed tips of A. 
dracus. Males are separated from most related species in having 
the clypeus straight and slightly produced over the base of cheli- 
cerae (Figs. 352, 353). The width of the male palpus and small 
hook at tip of its radix (Fig. 354) separate it from A. chickeringi. 
It is separated from A. maculosus by the characters of the cly- 
peus, and from A. godmani by shape of clypeus, somewhat wider 
embolic tube and narrower hook on radix. Females are separated 
from the other species by the tapering, pointed scape, directed 
ventrally, and by the bulge posterior to it (Figs. 357, 358). 
Distribution. Southern United States to Paraguay; Map 11. 
Records. United States. Alabama. Houston Co. : Dothan, 1939, 
$ (A. F. Archer). Mexico. San Luis Potosi: Tamazunchale, 
(L.I.Davis). Oaxaca : Tolosa (B. Malkin). Chiapas: Las Ruinas 
de Palenque (C, M. Goodnight). Panama Canal Zone. Barro 
Colorado Isl. (many coll.) ; Fort Randolph; Fort Davis; Experi- 
mental Gardens ; France Field ; Boquete ; Madden Dam ; Summit ; 
Pedro Miguel ; Forest Reserve (all A. M. Chickering) . Venezuela. 
[probably northern Venezuela coll. by Simon] (MNHN). Ecua- 
dor. Guayas: Milagro (Exline, 1945). Brazil. Espirito Santo 
(Keyserling, 1891, in part). Paraguay. Alto-Parana: Teguarapa 
[? = Tacuara], 9 <$ . 
EXLINE AND LEVI : SPIDER GENUS ARGYRODES 189 
Argyrodes chickeringi new species 
Figures 359-364; Map 11 
Type. Male from Barro Colorado Island, Panama Canal Zone, 
July 30, 1936 (A. M. Chickering), in the Museum of Compara- 
tive Zoology. This species is named for Dr. Chickering. 
Description. Male with carapace, chelicerae and legs bright 
yellowish brown ; sternum darker. Abdomen dull black or gray 
with a pair of contiguous whitish spots on posterior part of dor- 
sum and a broad whitish baud separating dorsum from sides, the 
white parts having a few silvery flecks. A pair of round silvery 
spots above spinnerets. Venter brownish gray. Clypeus mod- 
erately high, greatly receding at groove and slightly overlapping 
base of chelicerae (Fig. 360) . Groove two-thirds height of clypeus 
from ventral edge, and thickly bordered with setae. Eyes small. 
Anterior median eyes largest and separated by a diameter, 
farther from posterior median and lateral eyes. Posterior eyes 
forming a very recurved line, equally and widely spaced. Abdo- 
men extended only a little behind and above spinnerets, without 
humps but somewhat angular at posterior lateral extremity and 
faintly protuberant at posterior extremity. Total length 3.3 mm. 
Carapace 1.5 mm long. First femur, 2.4 mm; patella and tibia, 
2.6 mm; metatarsus, 1.6 mm; tarsus, 1.0 mm. The three males 
are very similar. 
Female. Color and pattern as in male but slightly darker and 
without the dorsal pair of light spots. Carapace flatter than in 
male. Clypeus moderately high with a very narrow groove under 
eyes, rounded and nearly vertical. Anterior median eyes farther 
apart, but nearer lateral eyes. Abdomen almost like that of male 
but very blunt behind, partially wrinkled (Fig. 362). Total 
length 3.2 mm. Carapace 1.4 mm long. First femur, 2.6 mm 
(other segments missing). 
Diagnosis. Male similar to A. dracus with clypeus swollen 
below groove (Fig. 360). The palpus (Fig. 361) very similar to 
that of A. dracus but slightly narrower and hook of radix not 
bent. The embolus wide, forming a wide, exposed spiral (Fig. 
361). Epigynum (Fig. 364) as in A. maculosus and A. dracus. 
but it differs from that of A. dracus in having the posterior area 
less swollen, and from that of A. maculosus by the longer scape 
and the internal genitalia. Seminal receptacles small, separated 
by a diameter; tubes of large diameter forming two tight coils 
posteriorly, and then narrowing and forming one large loop to 
enter heavily sclerotized receptacles (Fig. 363). The lack of 
190 BULLETIN : MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY 
banding of third and fourth logs and smooth posterior tip of the 
abdomen (Pig. 362) also separate this species from A. dracus. 
Record. Panama Canal Zone. Barro Colorado Isl., 1 9 , 2 $ 
paratypes collected with type. 
Argyrodes subdolus 0. P. -Cambridge 
Figures 365-369 ; Map 11 
Argyrodes linguata O. P. -Cambridge, 1898, Biologia Centrali-Americana, 
Araneidea, vol. 1, p. 259, pi. 38, fig. 1. Male holotype from Santa Ana, 
Guatemala, in the British Museum (Natural History), examined by 
Levi. 
Argyrodes subdola O.P. -Cambridge, 1898, op. ait., p. 260, pi. 38, fig. 2. 
Female holotype from San Antonio, near the city of Guatemala, [Guate- 
mala], in the British Museum (Natural History), examined by Levi. 
F.P. -Cambridge, 1902, Biologia Centrali-Americana, Araneidea, vol. 2, 
p. 405, pi. 38, fig. 11. 
Argyrodes obtusus, F.P. -Cambridge, 1902, op. cit., vol. 2, p. 403, pi. 38, fig. 3. 
Not A. obtusus O.P. -Cambridge. 
Notes. Specimens in collections have been misidentified as A. 
trituberculatus, A. obtusus, and A. maculosus. The name sub- 
dolus is selected rather than linguatus. Though linguatus has 
page priority, it has never been used. 
Description. Male from Texas. Carapace dusky yellow. Ster- 
num shiny, dusky. Mouthparts, clypeus and palpi dark orange. 
Abdomen gray, irregularly spotted with silver. Carapace narrow 
anteriorly and arched in front (Fig. 365). Clypeus high, not 
overlapping chelicerae, with a short shallow groove. Posterior 
tip of abdomen extending above, but not much posterior to spin- 
nerets, a small pair of humps present. Total length 2.8 mm. 
Carapace 1.4 mm long. First femur, 2.5 mm ; patella and tibia, 
2.8 mm; metatarsus, 1.7 mm; tarsus, 0.9 mm. 
Female. Carapace and legs dusky yellow to brown, sternum 
darker. Abdomen dark gray with irregular streaks and patches 
of white or silver. Carapace broader than in male. Clypeus 
moderately high, straight somewhat bulging below groove. Abdo- 
men heavier than that of male, with more conspicuous lateral 
humps. Posterior tip usually blunt but sometimes extending be- 
hind as a three-pointed projection (Fig. 367). Total length 2.6 
mm. Carapace 1.2 mm long. First femur, L7 mm; patella and 
tibia, 1.8 mm ; metatarsus, 1.2 mm ; tarsus, 0.7 mm. Females vary 
from 2.2 to 2.6 mm. 
EXEINE AND LEVI: SPIDER GENUS ARGYRODES 191 
Diagnosis. Males of A. subdolus can readily be separated from 
others of the A. cancellatus group by two teeth on the radix, visi- 
ble in ventral view (Fig. 366). The embolus forms a large coil 
and the conductor has a small ventral projection. The long nar- 
row scape of the epigynum (Fig. 369) is diagnostic. The coils of 
the connecting canals (Fig. 368) are sclerotized and fused as 
single structures. 
Distribution. Texas, Arizona, Mexico, south to Guatemala ; 
Map 11. 
. Records. United States. Texas. Bell Co.: Temple (L. I. 
Davis). Hidalgo Co.: Edinburg (S. Mulaik) ; Hidalgo (L. I. 
Davis). Leon Co. : Jewett (L. I. Davis). Sutton Co. : 28 mi. E of 
Sonora (W. J. Gertsch). Travis Co.: near Austin (H. E. Friz- 
zell). Arizona. Santa Cruz Co.: Madera Canyon (W. J. Gertsch, 
L. Hook). Mexico. Nuevo Leon: 24 km S of Monterrey (W. J. 
Gertsch) ; Linares (L. I. Davis) ; Horsetail Falls (W. J. Gertsch). 
Hidalgo: Jacala (L. I. Davis). Veracruz: Tecolutla (H. M. Wag- 
ner). Jalisco: Ajijic (A. F. Archer). Colima: Miramar, Man- 
zanillo (F. Bonet). Michoacan: Conjumatlan (L. I. Davis). 
Distrito Federal: Tenango (H. Wagner). Guerrero: Mexcala 
(L. I. Davis). Chiapas: San Cristobal de las Casas (C, M. Good- 
night) ; Cintalapa (H. Wagner); Las Cruces (H. Wagner). 
Guatemala. Chichicastenango (C, P. Vaurie). 
Argyrodes davisi new species 
Figures 370-374 ; Map 12 
Type . Male from Big Tree Vine Association, Cameron County, 
Texas, Sept. 1936 (L. I. Davis), in the American Museum of 
Natural History. The species is named after the collector. 
Description. Male. Carapace grayish brown, yellow anteriorly 
with a pair of brown longitudinal lines behind eyes and a pair of 
transverse markings connected to lines. Anterior legs yellowish 
proximally, becoming dark brown toward ends of femora, other 
segments dark. Posterior legs yellow with faint reddish brown 
annulations. Sternum yellow, brown posteriorly and in median 
line. Abdomen light gray, mostly covered with silvery spots. 
Carapace short, evenly raised to posterior eye region, where it 
is wider than in most species, terminating bluntly in front of 
posterior eyes. Clypeus high with groove under anterior median 
eyes; groove thickly covered with short, dorsally curved setae; 
clypeus bulging in front of and below base of chelicerae (Fig. 
370). Anterior median eyes on anterior face of head; only 
192 BULLETIN : MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY 
slightly larger than other eyes ; separated by less than a diameter, 
farther- from laterals and posterior medians. Eyes of posterior 
row slightly recurved ; posterior medians separated by nearly 
three diameters, not so far from laterals. Abdomen short and 
wide, with prominent lateral humps above spinnerets, and a me- 
dian blunt posterior hump ventral to laterals. Total length 2.8 
mm. Carapace 1.4 mm long. First femur, 2.2 mm; patella and 
tibia, 2.5 mm; metatarsus, 1.5 mm; tarsus, 0.7 mm. 
Female. Carapace and sternum uniform grayish brown ; an- 
terior legs a little paler than in male, terminal segments annulate. 
Abdomen darker than in male, dorsum mostly without silver 
spots. Carapace similar to that of male without modified clypeus 
or widened cephalic region ; anterior median eyes on anterior sur- 
face as in male. Clypeus high with wide shallow groove under 
eyes. Anterior median eyes farther apart than in male, no larger 
than posterior medians; other eyes all nearer each other than in 
male. Abdomen wider and higher than in male with humps exag- 
gerated and lateral humps pointed (Fig. 372). Total length 2.3 
mm. Carapace 0.8 mm long. First femur, 1.4 mm; patella and 
tibia, 1.4; metatarsus, 0.7 mm; tarsus, 0.5 mm. 
Variation. The female from Chiapas has the tube of the geni- 
talia unevenly coiled, and the coils are at an acute angle to the 
genital groove rather than in the longitudinal axis. 
Diagnosis. Argyroeles davisi is smaller than, but related to, 
A. leonensis and A. ululans. The shape of the male clypeus (Fig. 
370) separates them. The cymbium of the male palpus is short. 
The radix is long but unusually narrow, concave on anterior mar- 
gin, ending in a blunt recurved tip. The embolus forms a very 
narrow spiral under radix (Fig. 371). The epigynum is small 
with a moderately long pointed scape (Fig. 374). Outline of 
fossae visible only on anterior margin. Seminal receptacles very 
large, more widely separated than in A. leonensis, with narrow 
tubes forming several tight, even, horizontal spirals before enter- 
ing receptacles (Fig. 373). 
Distribution. Texas to Chiapas ; Map 12. 
Records. United States. Texas. Cameron Co.: 19 paratype, 
1 juv. collected with holotype. Mexico. Chiapas: Finca Santa 
Marta, near Huehuetan, July 31, 1950, 9 (C, M. Goodnight). 
EXLINE AND LEVI : SPIDER GENUS ARGYRODES 193 
Argyrodes amates new species 
Figures 375-379 ; Map 12 
Type. Female from Los Amates, Guatemala, 1908 (Keller- 
man), in the Museum of Comparative Zoology. The specific 
name is a noun in apposition after the type locality. 
Description. Male. Carapace, sternum, legs brownish yellow. 
Abdomen gray, darker posteriorly, covered with rather large, 
bright silvery plates. Carapace very low, rounded in front, broad 
at lateral eyes. Clypeus low with deep, open groove under eyes, 
bulging under groove anterior to eyes and chelicerae (Fig. 375). 
Anterior median eyes a little larger than others. Posterior eyes 
widely and equally spaced. Abdomen extended beyond spin- 
nerets, widened above just behind spinnerets, but with no real 
humps, then narrowed to form a blunt posterior tip. Total length 
3.2 mm. Carapace 1.5 mm long. First femur, 2.7 mm; patella 
and tibia, 3.2 mm; metatarsus, 2.0 mm. 
Female. Carapace and legs similar to those of male but more 
yellowish. Abdomen yellow with smaller silvery spots, a large 
gray basal area on dorsum, and only ventral half of posterior side 
dark gray, with a pair of silver spots above spinnerets. Carapace 
not as low as in male. Clypeus low, nearly straight. Abdomen 
high with a pair of low lateral humps and a very blunt posterior 
tubercle (Fig. 377). Total length 2.3 mm. Carapace 0.9 mm long. 
First legs missing. 
Diagnosis. The bulge of the male clypeus (Fig. 375) distin- 
guishes A. amates from related species. The palpus has a short 
radix with straight tip. The conductor as in A. caudatus, but 
with dorsal arm extended ventrally as a large fleshy tooth (Fig. 
376). The epigynum of female with short, pointed scape (Fig. 
379). The seminal receptacles are large. The ducts distinguish 
this species from A. caudatus and other related species. There 
are three spirals, the one closest to the seminal receptacles being 
the largest. The proximal portion of duct is wavy and is enclosed 
by the spiralled portion ( Fig. 378 ) . 
It is not certain that the male and female belong together. 
Both have a dark patch on the abdomen posterior to the spin- 
nerets, enclosing two light spots, side by side. 
Distribution. Chiapas, Guatemala; Map 12. 
Records. Mexico. Chiapas: Tenejapa, July 22, 1950, $ (C. 
Goodnight). 
194 BULLETIN : MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY 
Argyrodes peruensis new species 
Figures 380-384 ; Map 12 
Type. Male from Santa Teresa on the Rio Huallaga, 600 m 
elev., Huamico, Peru, Aug. 1954 (F. Woytkowski), in the Amer- 
ican Museum of Natural History. The specific name is an adjec- 
tival form of Peru. 
Description. Male. Carapace dusky yellow with gray infusions 
and a median longitudinal black line. Femora pale near body, 
becoming dusky orange distally ; distal leg segments dusky orange. 
Sternum black anteriorly, yellow posteriorly. Abdomen yellow- 
ish white with some irregular dark gray lines, all dark gray 
behind and at sides of spinnerets, and gray at posterior dorsal 
tip. Large silvery spots are scattered on dorsum, a pair above 
spinnerets, and several under tip. Carapace unusually low and 
wide. Clypeus very high, nearly straight, with wide shallow 
groove in middle (Fig. 380). Anterior median eyes larger than 
others, separated by less than a diameter, nearer posterior me- 
dian eyes, which are separated by nearly two diameters. Abdo- 
men rounded, ending in small bluntly pointed, almost ventral, 
tubercle. Total length 2.2 mm (abdomen damaged). Carapace 
1.1 mm long. First femur, 2.0 mm; patella and tibia, 2.2 mm; 
metatarsus, 2.0 mm; tarsus, 1.0 mm. 
Female. Carapace dusky yellow, gray on margin, in midline, 
and along cephalic grooves. Legs as in male except not so pale 
near body. Sternum black and yellow. Abdomen similar to 
male, but with dorsum dark gray at base ; and silver on posterior 
under tubercle. Carapace similar to that of male. Clypeus mod- 
erately high with wide groove under eyes, nearly straight with 
anterior median eyes projecting over clypeus. Eyes similar to 
those of male but anterior medians a little farther apart. Abdo- 
men nearly spherical with small posterior tubercle about midway 
between spinnerets and highest point of abdomen (Fig. 382). 
Total length 2.2 mm. Carapace 0.8 mm long. First femur, 1.3 
mm; patella and tibia, 1.3 mm; metatarsus, 0.9 mm; tarsus, 
0.6 mm. 
Variation. A second male is 2.5 mm in total length and is 
darker. 
Diagnosis. The spherical abdomen with small posterior tuber- 
cle, and dark gray-silver coloration distinguish A. peruensis from 
related species. The radix of the male palpus is wide, reaching 
almost to eetal side of cymbium, and has a small hook on anterior 
face (Fig. 381). The embolus forms a much wider spiral than 
EXLINE AND LEVI : SPIDER GENUS ARGYRODES 195 
that of A. caudatus. The epigynum is small with a moderately 
wide, short fossa, bordered anteriorly with heavily sclerotized 
rims that fuse in center as a blunt, somewhat protruding scape 
(Fig. 384). The openings are small, at lateral ends of the fossae. 
The tubes spiral twice tightly to midline, then the spiral reverses, 
with two more loops. There are several large loops on the side 
of the seminal receptacles, before tubes enter them (Fig. 383). 
The receptacles are large, heavily sclerotized, spherical, separated 
by less than a diameter. 
. Records. Peru. Huunuco: Rio Huallaga, 9 $ paratypes col- 
lected with type. 
Argyrodes si:bflavus new species 
Figures 385, 386 ; Map 12 
Type. Male from Divisoria, Huanuco, Peru, 1700 m elev., Oct. 
1946 (F. Woytkowski), in the American Museum of Natural 
History. The specific name is a Latin adjective meaning yellowish. 
Description. Male. Carapace golden yellow, infused with gray 
in posterior part. Clypeus, palpi, mouthparts and femora of legs 
golden yellow. Distal segments of legs infused with gray. Ster- 
num gray. Abdomen cream with a gray patch on posterior part 
of dorsum and a narrow gray streak, bordered with silvery 
flecks, extending down each side to spinnerets. A narrow curved 
band of silvery flecks on each side in anterior third and a short 
band on each side of dorsum above spinnerets. Venter grayish 
with a central silvery spot. Carapace low, narrow, evenly and 
slightly inclined from posterior to anterior edge. Clypeus mod- 
erately high with very large, wide, open groove covered by setae 
(Fig. 385). Beneath groove, clypeus bulges, narrows and pro- 
trudes in front above chelicerae. Anterior median eyes much 
larger than others, and as in A. argyrodes well in front of other 
eyes, a little over a radius apart, well over a diameter from pos- 
terior median eyes. Posterior row of eyes strongly recurved. 
Median ocular area square. Abdomen rather slender, extending 
behind spinnerets. The posterior tip is rounded. Total length 
3.0 mm. Carapace 1.4 mm long. Legs missing. 
Diagnosis. The coloring, shape of clypeus (Fig. 385), size and 
position of eyes are diagnostic. The palpal structure is similar 
to that of A. striatus, but differs in that the radix reaches almost 
to the ectal side of palpus, and has a median anterior tooth ( Fig. 
386). The broad embolus lies in a wide spiral seen only through 
196 BULLETIN: MUSEUM OP COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY 
the radix. The conductor is large, curved around the inner termi- 
nal part of the cymbium, and lias a stout terminal tooth that 
protects the tip of the embolus. The female is unknown. 
Records. Peru. H udnuco : Divisoria, S paratype collected with 
type. 
Argyrodes convolutus new species 
Figures 387-389 ; Map 12 
Argyrodes spinosus, Keyserling, 1891, Die Spinnen Amerikas, Brasilianische 
Spinnen, p. 214, in part; specimens from Espirito Santo, Brazil, col- 
lected by Goldi. Not A. spinosus Keyserling, 1884. 
Type. Female from 69 km east of Tingo Maria, Dept. Huanuco, 
Peru, Oct. 5, 1954 (E. I. Schlinger, E. S. Ross), in the California 
Academy of Sciences. The specfic name is a Latin adjective, de- 
scribing the loops in the female genitalia. 
Description. Female. Carapace yellowish brown, legs paler and 
annulate. Abdomen gray, with darker gray patches and streaks 
and finely dotted with silvery flecks. Carapace wide, narrowed 
and rounded in front ; clypeus almost straight, moderately high 
with anterior median eyes projecting over shallow groove. Abdo- 
men high, not extending behind spinnerets, with a pair of blunt, 
postero-lateral humps, and a median postero-dorsal protuberance 
bearing two pairs of shiny points (Fig. 387). Total length 2.4 
mm. Carapace 0.9 mm long. First femur, 1.5 mm; patella and 
tibia, 1.5 mm; metatarsus, 0.7 mm; tarsus, 0.6 mm. 
Diagnosis. Female with large epigynum similar to that of A. 
dracus, but scape blunter, more posteriorly directed, rebordered, 
and tip spoon-shaped (Fig. 389). Posterior part only slightly 
projecting ventrally. The seminal receptacles are large, connect- 
ing canals of same diameter throughout and tightly spiralled with 
from five to eight loops (not always the same on the two sides 
of the same specimen) surrounding a series of smaller loops of 
the duct leading to the openings (Fig. 388). The presence of the 
scape separates females from those of A. affinis, and the internal 
genitalia from A. dracus. The male is not known. This species 
may be the female of A. spinosus. 
Distribution. Central America to southeastern Brazil, appar- 
ently absent in Panama ; Map 12. 
Records. Guatemala. (F. D. Godman, BMNH). British 
Guiana. Upper Essequebo Riv., Onora Region, Dec. 20, 1937 
(W. G. Hassler). Peru. Huanuco: Divisoria, 1700 m elev., Sept. 
1946 (F. Woytkowski). Brazil. Espirito Santo: (E. Goldi, 
BMNH). 
EXLINE AND LEVI: SPIDER GENUS ARGYRODES 197 
Argykodes leonensis new species 
Figures 390-394 ; Map 12 
Type. Male from Horsetail Falls, Nuevo Leon, Mexico, June 
11, 1936 (A. M., L. I. Davis), in the American Museum of Natural 
History. The species is named for the type locality. 
Description. Male. Carapace, palpi and sternum chestnut 
brown, legs yellow. Abdomen dark gray with a longitudinal silver 
stripe on each side. Carapace low, wide in front, Eyes small, 
anterior medians slightly larger than others, posterior eyes sep- 
arated by slightly more than two diameters, in a slightly recurved 
row if viewed from above. Clypeus high, slanting forward under 
anterior median eyes, forming a triangular lip (as viewed from 
above) over deep cleft. Clypeus bulging below cleft but scarcely 
overhanging chelicerae, partially divided by a median furrow 
(Fig. 390). Cleft somewhat obscured by setae. Abdomen elon- 
gate, extending far behind spinnerets, with low lateral humps 
midway between spinnerets and tip ; tip blunt with wrinkled 
cuticle. Total length 4.6 mm. Carapace 1.7 mm long. First 
femur, 3.7 mm ; patella and tibia, 4.1 mm ; metatarsus, 2.6 mm. 
Female with carapace and sternum chestnut brown, legs and 
abdomen reddish brown with a large silvery spot on each side 
posteriorly. Abdomen shorter and higher than that of male, 
sometimes rather pointed behind (Fig. 392). Total length 3.5 
mm. Carapace 1.3 mm long. First femur, 1.8 mm; patella and 
tibia, 1.8 mm; metatarsus, 1.1 mm; tarsus, 0.7 mm. 
Diagnosis. The shape of the male clypeus (Fig. 390) separates 
A. leonensis from A. davisi and A. peruensis. The palpus with 
the long, narrow radix, ending in a short, blunt, recurved point 
(Fig. 391) separates the males from A. ululans. The embolus is 
slender, forming a very wide spiral. The conductor is large, more 
heavily sclerotized than in related species. The tegulum shows 
only a small portion of seminal duct (Fig. 391). The epigynum 
is fairly large, somewhat raised, dark, with broad, pointed, re- 
bordered scape almost dividing the fossae (Fig. 394), and sep- 
arating females from near relatives except A. davisi. The lateral 
openings are in deep fossae, leading into poorly sclerotized con- 
necting canals tightly and evenly coiled around the straight 
sclerotized distal portion that leads to the seminal receptacles 
(Fig. 393). 
Distribution. Mexico ; Map 12. 
Records. Mexico. Nuevo Leon: Horsetail Falls, June 11, 1936, 
6,29 paratypes (A. M., L. I. Davis) ; Nov. 27, 1937, 9 (L. I. 
198 BULLETIN : MUSEUM OP COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY 
Davis, Brown). Chiapas: Tonala, Aug. 1909, $ S (A. Petrun- 
kevitch ) . 
Argyrodes alticeps Keyserling 
Figures 395-399 ; Map 12 
Argyrodes alticeps Keyserling, 1891, Die Spinnen Amerikas, Brasilianische 
Spinnen, p. 210, pi. 8, fig. 151. Male hole-type from Espirito Santo, 
Brazil, in the British Museum (Natural History), examined by Levi. 
Simon, 1894, Histoire Naturelle des Araignees, p. 499. 
Description. Male. Carapace, sternum, legs yellow. Abdomen 
grayish white with a few gray streaks and small silvery flecks. 
Cephalic region bearing anterior median and posterior median 
eyes, elongate, elevated and narrowed with parallel sides (Fig. 
395). All median eyes anterior to lateral eyes. Median eyes 
forming a square. Abdomen extending a little behind and above 
spinnerets, widest just behind spinnerets with a pair of low 
lateral humps. Posterior tip of abdomen blunt. Total length 
2.6 mm. Carapace 1.2 mm long. First femur, 2.3 mm; patella 
and tibia, 2.5 mm; metatarsus, 1.7 mm. 
Female. Carapace orange-yellow with gray infusions, sternum 
a little darker. Legs pale yellow with first patella and tibia 
darker. Abdomen almost white with dark gray or tan on basal 
part of dorsum, a pair of oblique streaks near tip, lower sides 
and most of venter. Abdomen covered with fairly large silver 
spots. Clypeus as in other species, with a shallow groove under 
anterior median eyes. Median eyes forming a square as in male. 
Abdomen only moderately high and extended behind spinnerets 
with a pair of low lateral humps. Tip of abdomen bluntly tapered 
behind spinnerets (Fig. 397). Total length 2.3 mm. Carapace 
1.0 mm long. First femur, 1.6 mm; patella and tibia, 1.6 mm; 
metatarsus, 1.0 mm; tarsus, 0.5 mm. 
Figures 395, 396 were prepared from the type specimen. 
Diagnosis. The projection of the eye region of the male (Fig. 
395) is diagnostic. The radix is long with the tip recurved, 
bluntly pointed. The embolus forms a wide, heavj^ spiral (Fig. 
396). The female has a large bulging epigynum with a blunt 
median anterior swelling. A long, slender sclerotized scape pro- 
jects ventrally from the shallow fossa. The openings are lateral 
in fossae ( Fig. 399 ) . The seminal receptacles are large. Narrow 
tubes winding from the openings posterior to receptacles, then 
forming a lateral loop before entering the receptacles on the ven- 
tral side near their posterior lateral margin ( Fig. 398). The 
EXLINE AND LEVI : SPIDER GENUS ARGYRODES 199 
genitalia separate the species from A. acuminatus. Males and 
females were not collected together and it is not absolutely cer- 
tain that they belong together. 
Records. Paraguay. Alto-Parana: Taguararapa, 2 $ ; Apa, 2 9 . 
Argyrodes affinis 0. P. -Cambridge 
Figures 400-405 ; Map 12 
Argyrodes affinis 0. P. -Cambridge, 1880, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, p. 337, 
pi. 30, fig. 16. Male and female syntypes from Parana, Brazil, in the 
• Hope Department of Entomology, Oxford University, examined by Levi. 
Description. Male from Santa Catarina, Brazil, (compared 
with type by Levi) . Carapace, tarsi of palpi, sternum and mouth- 
parts light brown, infused with gray. Legs and proximal seg- 
ments of palpi yellow. Abdomen brown, almost covered on dor- 
sum except over heart with silver, and silvery spots scattered 
elsewhere. Carapace short, cephalic part wide, bearing lateral 
eyes on low prominence. Clypeus high below shallow groove, 
bulging considerably beyond, but not over base of chelicerae. 
Thick covering of setae over groove (Fig. 400). Anterior median 
eyes a little larger than others, separated by nearly a diameter, 
farther from posterior medians and anterior laterals. Posterior 
median eyes separated by nearly three diameters. Abdomen 
highest and widest at spinnerets, greatly extended behind and a 
little above spinnerets, ending in blunt point (Fig. 402). Total 
length about 5.0 mm. Carapace 1.4 mm long. Anterior legs 
missing. 
Female from Sao Paulo, Brazil. Carapace and sternum light 
brown infused with gray, carapace becoming yellow on anterior 
sides and clypeus. Legs yellow, grayish near joints: last two 
segments of palpi brown. Dorsum of abdomen yellow with sil- 
very spots, a longitudinal dark gray line, and four brown and 
gray cross bars. Lower sides, venter, and posterior yellowish gray 
with scattered dull silvery flecks. Carapace narrow. Clypeus 
nearly straight, a little rounded ventral to deep groove under 
eyes, fairly high. Anterior median eyes a little smaller and 
more widely separated than in male and much closer to anterior 
lateral eyes. Abdomen extended behind spinnerets, widest behind 
spinnerets, with a pair of low lateral humps and a low posterior 
extension (Fig. 403) (abdomen damaged). Total length 2.2 mm. 
Carapace 0.9 mm Jong. Anterior legs missing. 
Figures were prepared from the type specimens. 
200 BULLETIN : MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY 
Variation. A second male from Santa Catarina has abdomen 
shorter. A third male, only 4.0 mm long, from same area, has a 
broad dark gray band on dorsum, and posterior side dark gray 
with a pair of silvery spots above spinnerets. The blunt tip 
shows indication of bifurcation. 
Diagnosis. Argyrodes affinis is a large species. The male has 
a high, bulging clypeus and a broad eye region (Fig. 400). The 
palpus, similar to that of A. striatus, has the radix shorter and 
with a very concave anterior margin, ending in a much shorter, 
ventrally curved tooth (Fig. 401). The embolus is slender, form- 
ing a narrow spiral, visible only through radix. The conductor 
is lying entirely within the cymbium, large, terminating in a 
median, blunt, leaf-like part and an outer part with heavily 
sclerotized margin. The epigynum separates this species from 
others ; it has a large, wide fossa with a transverse anterior mar- 
gin, the median part of which projects as a ventral lip. A large 
lateral opening and three spirals are visible through the fossa wall 
on each side (Fig. 405). The seminal receptacles are rather small, 
joined to the openings by tubes forming four spirals on each 
side, without lateral or anterior loops (Fig. 404). 
Distribution. Southern Brazil; Map 12. 
Records. Brazil. Sao Paulo: Sao Paulo, 700-800 m elev., Dec. 
1945, 5 (H. Sick). Parana: 9 $ (O.P.-Cambridge, 1880). Santa 
Catarina: Nova Teutonia, lat 27°11'S, long 52°23'W, 3$ (F. 
Plauniann, SMF). 
Akgyrodes rigidus new species 
Figures 410-412 ; Map 12 
Type. Female from Teresopolis, Est. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 
900-1100 m elev., Nov. 7-9, 1945 (H. Sick), in the American 
Museum of Natural History. The specific name is a Latin adjec- 
tive meaning "hard" or "stiff" referring to the cuticle of the 
female fossa. 
Description. Carapace, mouthparts, and sternum pale reddish 
brown with some gray. Legs pale yellow, heavily banded with 
red and brown. Abdomen tan speckled with brown, red, and 
dull silvery spots, and with long black streaks on the sides and 
near tip ; venter and posterior with a reddish cast. Another fe- 
male is darker with abdomen mostly dull black streaked with 
reddish and silvery spots. Clypeus only moderately high, rounded 
to ventral edge under groove. Anterior median eyes largest, well 
separated; median eyes forming a square; lateral eyes almost 
EXLINE AND LEVI : SPIDER GENUS ARGYRODES 201 
contiguous. Sternum very wide. Abdomen with low anterior 
dorsal humps, a pair of posterior lateral humps, and a low pos- 
terior median hump (Pig. 410). Total length 2.4 mm. Carapace 
0.9 mm long. Anterior legs missing. 
Diagnosis. Argyrodcs rigidus is similar to A. acnminatus Key- 
serling, with the epigynum less swollen, and the fossa far wider 
(Fig. 412). The seminal receptacles are spherical, heavily sclero- 
tized with tubes on each side forming five or six uneven posterior 
and lateral spirals between openings and receptacles (Fig. 411). 
However, their exact course is difficult to follow. 
' The male is unknown. This may be the female of .4. striatus. 
Records. Brazil. Rio de Janeiro: Teresopolis, 900-1100 m elev., 
March 1946, 9 paratype (H. Sick). 
Argyrodes striatus Keyserling 
Figures 408, 409 ; Map 12 
Argyrodes striatus Keyserling, 1891, Die Spinnen Amerikas, Brasilianische 
Spinnen, p. 213, pi. 8, fig. 154. Male type from Espirito Santo, Brazil, 
in the British Museum (Natural History), examined by Levi. Goldi, 
1892, Mitt. Osterlande, neue Folge, vol. 5, pp. 224, 228. 
Description. Male from Minas Gerais, Brazil. Carapace dusky 
yellow, clearer anteriorly. Legs pale yellow with light brown 
annulations. Sternum dusky yellow anteriorly, gray posteriorly. 
Abdomen grayish white with irregular dark gray markings and 
nearly covered on sides and dorsum with large silvery flecks. 
Posterior tip pale. Carpace low, wide, with cephalic part gradu- 
ally elevated and wide. Eyes small, nearly equal, widely sep- 
arated except contiguous lateral eyes. Anterior median eyes 
more than a diameter apart. Posterior median eyes nearly three 
diameters apart and nearly as far from anterior medians and 
posterior laterals. Clypeus rather low, straight beneath anterior 
median eyes to a shallow cleft, then jutting forward, rounded and 
narrowed in front of chelicerae (Fig. 408). Abdomen somewhat 
elongate with a pair of lateral tubercles on dorsum posterior to 
spinnerets, and a long median posterior tubercle ending in a 
pair of blunt tips. Total length 3.0 mm. Carapace 1.2 mm long. 
First femur, 1.7 mm; patella and tibia, 2.0 mm: metatarsus, 1.0 
mm ; tarsus, 0.6 mm. 
Variation. A second male from Est. Santa Catarina, Brazil, 
is much darker, having carapace brown. The type has the cym- 
bium of the palpus truncate (Fig. 409) and there is a slight 
possibility that two species are confused. The female is unknown ; 
it may be A. rigidus. 
202 BULLETIN : MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY 
Diagnosis. The shape of the clypeus (Fig. 408) is somewhat 
similar to A. affinis. The palpus is broad. The radix is wide, 
rounded posteriorly, completely covering the embolus ; with a 
long anterior spur curved ventrally at tip (Fig. 409). The large, 
conspicuous conductor has two parts, one rounded at its tip, the 
other bearing two irregular points. The embolic spiral is moder- 
ately wide, formed by a very slender whip-like duct. The female 
is unknown. 
Natural History. Goldi, 1892, reports finding the species in 
virgin forest within several days travel of Sao Eduardo [Santo 
Eduardo] on the Itabapana, border river between the provinces 
Rio de Janeiro and Espirito Santo. This probably should be the 
type locality. 
Distribution. Southern Brazil; Map 12. 
Records. Brazil. Minas Gerais: Caraga, $ (E. Gounelle. 
MNHN). Sao Paulo: Mata do Governo, Inst. Botanica, Sao 
Paulo, March 4, 1959, $ (L. Lane). Santa Catarina: Nova Teu- 
tonia, lat 27°11\ long 52°23', 1930-1940, <$ (F. Paumann, SMF). 
REFERENCES 
Archer, A. F. 
1946. The Tlieridiidae or comb-footed spiders of Alabama. Paper 
Alabama Mus. Nat. Hist., no. 22, pp. 1-67. 
Bonnet, P. 
1955. Bibliographia Araneorum, Toulouse, vol. 2, pt. 1, pp. 1-918. 
Exline, Harriet 
1945. Spiders of the genus Conopistha (Theridiidae, Conopisthinae) 
from northwestern Peru and Ecuador. Ann. Ent. Soc. America, 
vol. 38, pp. 505-528. 
Hentz, N. 
1875. The spiders of the United States. Boston, 171 pp. 
Lahore, D. H. 
1958. The jumping spider Phidippits audax Hentz and the spider 
Conopistha trigona Hentz as predators of the basilica spider 
Allepeira lemniscata Walckenaer in Maryland. Proc. Ent. Soc 
Washington, vol. 60, p. 286. 
Roewer, C. Fr. 
1942. Katalog der Araneae. Bremen, vol. 1, 1040 pp.; 1955, op. cit., 
Brussels, vol. 2b, pp. 927-1751. 
Simon, E. 
1893. Histoire Naturelle des Araignees. Paris, 1084 pp. 
Index to Scientific Names 
Valid names are printed in italics. Page numbers refer to 
main references. 
acuminata, Conopistha, 91 
acuminatus, Argyrodes, 157 
affi-nis, Argyrodes, 199 
alticeps, Argyrodes, 198 
altissima, Bhomphaea, 92 
altus, Argyrodes, 153 
amates, Argyrodes, 193 
americanus, Argyrodes, 161 
amplifrons, Argyrodes, 155 
anomala, Rhomphaea, 91 
approximata, Ariamnes, 131 
argentata, Argyrodes, 139 
argentata, Argyrodes, 139 
argentatus, Argyrodes, 140 
argenteola, Argyrodes, 161 
argent eomaculata, Argyrodes, 164 
argentinus, Argyrodes, 135 
argyrodes, Argyrodes, 134 
argyrodes, Argyrodes, 122 
arthuri, Argyrodes, 151 
atopus, Argyrodes, 149 
attenuatus, Argyrodes, 130 
attenuatus, Ariamnes, 130 
aurea, Argyrodes, 161 
baboquivari, Argyrodes, 119 
banksi, Argyrodes, 140 
barrosi, Conopistha, 91 
bielavis, Argyrodes, 135 
bicornis, Argyrodes, 125 
bifissa, Rhomphaea, 116 
brasiliensis, Rhomphaea, 92 
bruneoviridis, Faiditus, 91 
bryantae, Argyrodes, 172 
eaneellata, Bellinda, 180 
eancellata, Conopistha, 180 
cancellatus, Argyrodes, 180 
cambridgei, Argyrodes, 139 
eambridgei, Conopistha, 140 
caudata, Conopistha, 176 
caudatus, Argyrodes, 176 
chicleeringi, Argyrodes, 189 
eingulatus, Argyrodes, 135 
cochleaforma, Argyrodes, 147 
cochleaforma, Conopistha, 147 
eoneinnus, Argyrodes, 135 
concisus, Argyrodes, 120 
convolutus, Argyrodes, 196 
cordillera, Argyrodes, 144 
cordillera, Conopistha, 144 
cubensis, Argyrodes, 167 
cylindrica, Argyrodes, 176 
darlingtoni, Argyrodes, 184 
davisi, Argyrodes, 191 
decorus, Argyrodes, 135 
dracus, Argyrodes, 187 
ecaudatus, Argyrodes, 151 
ecaudatus, Faiditus, 151 
elegans, Argyrodes, 90 
elevatus, Argyrodes, 134 
elongata, Conopistha, 135 
exiguus, Argyrodes, 157 
falcatus, Argyrodes, 135 
feioi, Ariamnes, 91 
felix, Argyrodes, 176 
fictilium, Argyrodes, 103 
fictilium, Rhomphaea, 103 
floridana, Argyrodes, 90 
friburgensis, Conopistha, 91 
frontatus, Argyrodes, 116 
fulvus, Argyrodes, 146 
furcata, Argyrodes, 116 
furcata, Ariamnes, 116 
furcata, Rhomphaea, 116 
furcatus, Argyrodes, 116 
gapensis, Argyrodes, 174 
gertsclii, Argyrodes, 152 
gibbosus, Argyrodes, 134 
globosus, Argyrodes, 164 
godmani, Argyrodes, 185 
gracillima, Ariamnes, 130 
haitensis, Argyrodes, 129 
honestus, Argyrodes, 110 
indignus, Argyrodes, 161 
infelix, Argyrodes, 91 
intentum, Theridion, 91 
jamaicensis, Argyrodes, 166 
jucunda, Argyrodes, 135 
jucunda, Conopistha, 136 
lacerta, Rhomphaea, 103 
larvatus, Argyrodes, 180 
leonensis, Argyrodes, 197 
linguata, Argyrodes, 190 
longicaudatus, Argyrodes, 91 
longissimus, Argyrodes, 127 
longissimus, Ariajnnes, 127, 131 
lucmae, Argyrodes, 91 
lugens, Argyrodes, 135 
maculosa, Argyrodes, 168 
rnaculosiis, Argyrodes, 168 
maculosus, Argyrodes, 172, 185, 187 
manta, Conopistha, 176 
martinae, Rhomphaea, 106 
metaltissima, Rhomphaea, 111 
metaltissimus, Argyrodes, 111 
mexicanus, Argyrodes, 129 
monoceros, Argyrodina, 91 
monoceros, Conopistha, 91 
montanus, Argyrodes, 115 
nephilae, Argyrodes, 139 
nephilae, Argyrodes, 135 
nephilae, Conopistha, 135, 136, 140 
obsourus, Argyrodes, 115 
obtusa, Argyrodes, 155 
obtusa, Conopistha, 176 
obtusus, Argyrodes, 157, 190 
ocula, Conopistha, 143 
pachysomus, Argyrodes, 149 
paradoxa, Argyrodes, 113 
paradoxus, Argyrodes, 113 
partita, Conopistha, 180 
parvior, Argyrodes, 161, 176 
parvus, Argyrodes, 121 
parvus, Neospintharus, 121 
peruensis, Argyrodes, 194 
petrunkevitehi, Rhomphaea, 113 
pickeli, Conopistha, 92 
piraticum, Argyrodes, 135 
pizai, Conopistha, 155 
plaumanni, Argyrodes, 159 
pluto, Argyrodes, 143 
pozonae, Conopistha, 153 
proboscifer, Argyrodes, 150 
proboscifera, Conopistha, 150 
proeera, Ariamnes, 108 
proeera, Rhomphaea, 108 
procerus, Argyrodes, 108 
projiciens, Argyrodes, 106 
projiciens, Rhomphaea, 106 
pule her, Ariamnes, 131 
pulcherrima, Argyrodes, 135 
quasiobtusus, Argyrodes, 186 
remota, Rhomphaea, 103 
rigidus, Argyrodes, 200 
rioensis, Argyrodes, 125 
rorerae, Conopistha, 164 
rossi, Argyrodes, 145 
rostratus, Argyrodes, 139 
rotundus, Argyrodes, 135 
rufa, Conopistha, 116, 122 
schlingeri, Argyrodes, 133 
sextuberculata, Argyrodes, 176 
sicM, Argyrodes, 174 
simoni, Rhomphaea, 109 
simplex, Rhomphaea, 136 
sinuates, Ariamnes, 131 
soeius, Argyrodes, 171 
spinicaudatus, Ariamnes, 113 
spinosa, Conopistha, 187 
spinosa, Rhomphaea, 106 
spinosus, Argyrodes, 196 
spinosus, Argyrodes, 173 
striatus, Argyrodes, 201 
subdola, Argyrodes, 190 
subdolus, Argyrodes, 190 
subflavus, Argyrodes, 195 
sullaina, Argyrodes, 148 
sullana, Conopistha. 148 
taster, Argyrodes, 170 
triangularis, Argyrodes, 126 
trigona, Conopistha, 122 
trigonum, Argyrodes, 122 
trigonum, Conopistha, 116 
trigonus, Argyrodes, 116 
tiituberculatus, Argyrodes, 161 
ululabilis, Argyrodes, 161 
ululans, Argyrodes, 170 
vexus, Argyrodes, 176 
vittatula, Argyrodina, 91 
vittatus, Argyrodes, 91 
weyrauehi, Argyrodes, 142 
woyflnirskii, Argyrodes, 159