238 FHOLCID.E. 



270. Lathrodectus geometricus, C. Each, Hie Arachn. viii, p. 117, 

 fig. 684, 1841. 



Colour : cephalothorax and legs ochraceous, latter with patella 

 and tip of tibia brown ; abdomen paler, varied with symmetrically 

 disposed darker spots and brown lines arranged in loops and 

 circles. Eyes of anterior line subequally spaced, the median a 

 little larger than the laterals. Length 10 mm. 



Loc. Karachi (Toivnsend). Tropics of both hemispheres. 



Family PHOLCID^. 



Carapace flat, subcircular, w 7 ith deep fovea and cephalic grooves ; 

 head small, sharply defined ; anterior median eyes small, the rest 

 large and forming a group on each side ; clypeus very high. 

 Mouth-parts suctorial. Legs exceedingly long and slender, furnished 

 with 3 claws. Spinners short, subequal, forming a compact cluster; 

 colulus present. 



Distribution. Cosmopolitan. 



Habits. Sedentary Spiders, spinning in hollow trees, beneath 

 overhanging rocks or in the corners of houses, a tangled network 

 of threads, amongst which the occupant hangs head downwards. 

 The female carries her cocoon in her mandibles. 



The best known Indian species of the family are referable to 

 the following three genera : — 



a. Sternum posteriorly acuminate ; mandible 



armed with 2 teeth on the fang-groove . . Artema, p. 238. 



b. Sternum broadly truncate posteriorly, man- 



dible with 1 tooth on fang-groove. 

 a 1 . Abdomen short, oval,prominent posteriorly 



above the spinners Crossopriza, p. 240. 



6 1 . Abdomen long, cyclindrical, not strongly 



prominent above spinners Smeringopus, p. 239. 



Genus ARTEMA, Walck. 



Artema, Walck. Ins. Apt. i, p. 650, 1837 ; Simon, Hist. Nat, Araign. 

 i, p. 465, 1893. 



Eyes subsimilar, anterior medians not much smaller than the rest, 

 those of anterior line very lightly, of posterior line more strongly 

 recurved ; area of medians not longer than wide. Mandibles 

 armed below on fang-groove with two teeth. Sternum posteriorly 

 acuminate, projecting between the posterior coxa?. Abdomen very 

 high, globular, higher than wide. 



Type, A. atlanta, Walck. 



Distribution. Tropical and subtropical countries of the world. 



271. Artema atlanta, Walck. Ins. Apt. i, p. 656, 1837 : convexa, 

 Blackw. A.M.N. II. (3) ii, p. 332, 1858 : sisyphoides, IMeschall, 

 Nat. Tijdschr. Nederl. Indie, xiii, p. 408, 1857 (Pholcus). 



