26 F, P. SMITH ON THE BRITISH SPIDERS OF THE GENUS LYCOSA. 



This is an extremely abundant spider in all parts of the 

 country, but it never seems to occur out of or far away from 

 woods or plantations. The male is a very striking little 

 creature, with his blackish cephalo-thorax and white hairy stripe, 

 as he rushes with wonderful rapidity over the dead leaves, jumping 

 with agility from place to place when pursued. On the Continent, 

 L. lugubris, (Walck.), extends from Scandinavia and Russia to 

 Corsica. Adult in spring and summer, and one of the earliest of 

 the genus, being sometimes seen on warm, sunny days in April. 



Lycosa annulata, Thor., 1872. 



(PI. 3, Figs. 13, a, b, and PI. 4, Pig. f.) 

 1837. Lycosa saccata, Walck., Ins. Apt., i., p. 326 (nom. praeoc). 

 1872. ,, annulata, Thor., Rem. on Syn., p. 299. 

 1876. Pardosa hortensis, Sim., Ar. de France, vol. iii., p. 343. 

 1881. Lycosa annulata, Camb., Spid. Dorset, 372. 

 1892. ,, ,, Kulcz., Ar. Hung., vol. i., p. 57, tab. ii., 



fig. 25. 



Length : male, 4 - 5 mm. ; female, 5*5 mm. 



Thoracic bands reddish yellow : central band broad behind the 

 eyes (sometimes, especially in the male, the expanded portion is 

 obscure, making it appear at first sight that the band commenced 

 as a point), then strongly constricted, then again enlarging to 

 form a large pear-shaped patch, which tapers to the posterior 

 edge of the thorax ; lateral bands rather narrow, usually much 

 broken up, but nevertheless, in the female, continued round the 

 front of the head. Sternum reddish brown, occasionally with an 

 elongate, ill-defined, central, pale patch. Legs strongly annulated 

 in the female ; obscurely annulated in the male. Tarsus and 

 tibia of male palpus very dark, patella very pale. 



This spicier, as far as my records go, is a southern form, but is 

 by no means uncommon. It seems fairly common in Western 

 Europe. Adult in spring and summer. 



Lycosa proxima, (C. L. Koch), 1848. 



(PI. 3, Fig. 14.) 

 1848. Pardosa proxima, C. L. Koch, Die Arach., vol. xv., p. 53, 



tab. Dxvii., 1453, 1454. 

 1876. „ ,, Sim., Ar. de France, vol. iii., p. 330 



(excluding syn. L. annulata, Thor.), 

 and vol. iv., pi. xiii., fig. 20. 



