LINYPHIA. 261 
LINYPHIA, Latreille. 
Linyphia leta, sp. n. 
Adult female, length to spinners 23 to 3 lines ; length to extremity of caudal prolongation 3 to 35 lines. 
Cephalothorax of normal form ; colour reddish-orange. 
Eyes rather closely grouped together and on small black spots, small, subequal, those of the posterior row 
almost in a straight transverse line; the interval between the hind-central pair is equal to a diameter, 
and each is distinctly, though not greatly, further from the hind-lateral on its side ; the four central eyes 
form a trapezoid whose anterior is shorter than its posterior side, the other three sides being equal ; the 
fore-centrals are nearly contiguous to each other, and those of each lateral pair are contiguous to each 
other and placed obliquely on a small tubercle. The height of the clypeus is half that of the facial space. 
Legs slender, tolerably long, 1, 4, 2, 3, or 1, 2, 4, 8, furnished with a few slender spines on the tibie and 
metatarsi, mostly on the tibie. Colour yellow, tinged with greenish-brown. 
Falces rather long, tolerably strong, vertical, slightly divergent, similar to the cephalothorax in colour, with 
red-brown extremities. 
Mazille similar also to the cephalothorax in colour. 
Labium and sternum reddish-yellow-brown. 
Abdomen large, its hinder extremity drawn out into a short, obtuse, caudiform shape. The sides and upper- 
side are white, the latter with two longitudinal, uneven or irregularly dentated purplish-brown or blackish 
stripes, enclosing an elongate-oval space to the extremity of the caudal prominence; this oval space is 
bisected longitudinally by a brownish irregular, tapering central streak. The underside and the space 
from the caudal prolongation to the spinners are black or black-brown ; the sides are marked by some 
very distinct black stripes and bars extending upwards from the underside, the foremost stripe bending 
sharply and running along the upper lateral margin to the fore extremity. There is some little variation 
in these markings, which can only be correctly understood from the figures given. The genital aperture 
is of a nearly circular or short transverse-oval form. In some examples the upperside is of a more 
or less uniform deep purplish-brown hue. 
Adult male, length 1? to 23 lines. 
The colours and markings of the abdomen of the female are more or less traceable in the male, but they are 
not so clear and sharply defined, and the abdomen is also almost cylindrical, though preserving the general 
form of that of the female. The colours of the cephalothorax, legs, and other parts are similar. In the 
male there is, a little way in front of the spinners, a transverse, curved, strong, and well-marked narrow 
opening or slit, spanning almost the whole width of the abdomen. I could not trace this in the female. 
The falces are long, strong, the outer edge, when looked at from in front, sinuous, so that the extremities 
appear to be a little divergent. They are armed with teeth at the extremities, both on the anterior and 
posterior margin of the groove in which the fang lies when at rest. There is also a single tooth at the 
extremity near the inner side in front of each falx. Along the outer edge of the falces are some minute 
tubercles, each surmounted by a bristle. The fang is strong, somewhat constricted near the base and 
enlarging again near the middle. 
Palpi moderately long, similar in colour to the legs; the cubital joint is short, but produced in front, and has 
at its upper termination a black, short, sharply-bent, corneous, spiny process, whose extremity is sharp- 
pointed and directed inwards. The radial joint is short, directed inwards, and with a very slight 
prominent point at the middle of the upper extremity ; digital joint of moderate size and elongate-oval 
form; palpal organs well developed and rather complex, with various strong corneous processes and 
spines, of which enlarged drawings alone can give any clear idea. 
Hab. Mexico, Amula and Omilteme in Guerrero (H. H. Smith); Guatema.a (Sarg). 
Evidently an abundant species. 
