14 F. P. SMITH ON THE BRITISH SPIDERS OF THE GENUS LYCOSA. 



1881. Lycosa, Camb., Spiel. Dorset, p. 369. 

 1892. „ Kulcz., Ar. Hung., vol. i., p. 50. 



This genus is the largest and best known of the family 

 Lyeosiclae, and, generally speaking, is easily recognised. The 

 eyes are arranged strictly upon the typical Lycosid formula, 

 and the difference in size between the large and small ones is 

 very great. The first row is shorter than the second, and is 

 well separated from the fore-edge of the caput, usually by more 

 than twice the diameter of one of its central eyes. The caput 

 is narrow in front, very high and almost parallel-sided, and the 

 ocular group occupies nearly its entire width. These characters 

 will at once separate the present genus from Pirata and Trochosa, 

 and to some extent from Tarentula ; but this latter genus very 

 closely approximates Lycosa in some of its species. In Tarentula, 

 however, the first row of eyes is usually only a trifle, if at all, 

 shorter than the second, and is seldom separated from the front 

 edge of the caput by more than twice the diameter of one of 

 its central eyes. The sides of the caput are not so nearly ver- 

 tical as in Lycosa, and the ocular group occupies, proportionately, 

 a much smaller area. The species of Tarentula are usually 

 larger than Lycosa, and the legs are not nearly so strongly 

 attenuated towards their extremities as in that genus. The 

 cephalo-thorax in Lycosa is usually marked with a distinct 

 pattern, and this, although based upon a similar formula 

 throughout the genus, varies sufficiently in the different species 

 to be of great value as a specific character. If we consider 

 the darker portions to constitute the groundwork, there are 

 normally three longitudinal, more or less pale bands, one being 

 central and one near to each lateral margin. 



All the species of Lycosa run freely in the sunshine during 

 the spring and summer months. The females carry their egg- 

 sacs, which are lenticular in shape and of a grey or olive-grey 

 tint, attached to their spinners ; and the young, when hatched, 

 are carried for some time upon the back of the mother spider. 



Lycosa arenicola, Camb., 1875. 



(PI. 1, Figs. 1, a, b.) 



1875. Lycosa arenicola, Camb., Ann. Mag. N. H., ser. 4, vol. xvi., 

 p. 253, pi. viii., fig. 9. 



