Superfamily Argiopoidea 



Nearly all of our genera belong to the Attidas Unidentati; 

 and of those that belong to the other two sections according to 

 Simon there are several that do not clearly exhibit the distinctive 

 character of the section in which they are placed. 



The following North American genera are placed by Simon 

 in the Attidae Pluridentati: Lyssomanes, Thiodina, Ballus, and 

 Synemosyna. In our species of Lyssomanes (Fig. 740), the lower 

 margin of the chelicera is armed with three isolated teeth and a 

 large fissidentate tooth. In the examples of Thiodina that I 

 have studied the chelicera is armed with a single fissidentate 

 tooth (Fig. 741, and Fig. 742). Of this genus the Peckhams state: 

 'The teeth on the lower border of the falces are exceedingly 

 variable; in some the tooth is compound, in others single and in a 

 few there are several teeth. Even the two falces in the same 

 specimen are occasionally unlike." Of the genus Synemosyna, in 

 S. formica the chelicera? of both sexes are fissidentate (Fig. 743, 

 and Fig. 744). Of the genus Ballus 1 have not seen specimens; 

 but the Peckhams state that here the chelicera? are pluridentate. 



Among the Attidas Unidentate I found that Wala palmarum 

 is fissidentate; and the Peckhams state that this is also true of 

 Icius wickbamii. 



Under the section Attidas Fissidentati are included by Simon 

 the following North American genera: Mavia, Fuentes, Zygoballus, 

 and Peckhamia. These are all truly fissidentate except Fuentes 

 tceniola, which is unidentate, and which has been made the type 

 of the genus Metacyrba. Fuentes lineatus has been made the type 

 of the new genus Onondaga, and there is left no species of Fuentes 

 in our fauna. 



For the reasons above given, it has not seemed wise to attempt 

 to separate in the table of genera the three sections based on 

 the nature of the armature of the lower margin of the chelicerae, 

 but the sequence of genera adopted in the text following the table 

 follows closely that used by Simon. 



TABLE OF GENERA OF THE ATTID/E 



A. The posterior margin of the cephalothorax and the pedicel 

 covered by the abdomen; the second and third coxae of 

 each side contiguous. Not ant-like spiders. 

 B. Eyes in four rows. P. 669 Lyssomanes 



BB. Eyes in three rows. 



664 



