l04 Transactioyis. — Zoology. 



Theridium tuberculum, sp. nov. 



Female.— Ce^h. th., long, 1. Abd., long, 2-8 ; broad, 2. 

 Legs, 1, 4, 2, 3 = 5-6, 4-2, 4, 2-9 mm. 



Cephalothorax glossy brown-black, few strong bristles on 

 caput ; oval, about as broad as long, compressed forwards, caput 

 convex, projects in front, lateral index equals twice diameter of 

 a side eye ; median fovea large transverse oval, radial striae 

 broad ; contour of profile rises rather abruptly from thoracic 

 junction, slopes across caput ; clypeus projects forwards, in 

 height about equal to depth of facial space. 



Eyes large, posterior row sensibly procurved, median pair 

 separated by nearly their diameter, their radius from hind- 

 laterals ; anterior row recurved, centrals black, seated obliquely — 

 rather more than their breadth apart — on eminences, rather 

 further from hind-centrals than they are from each other, close 

 to fore-laterals ; side eyes rather smaller than posterior centrals, 

 have their pearly lustre, are placed obliquely on strong lake- 

 coloured tubercles, nearly contiguous. 



Legs moderately slender, 2-4 nearly equal in length ; semi- 

 pellucid stone-colour, dark-brown annuli ; dark stiff hairs, few 

 erect strong bristles ; superior tarsal claws — 1st pair, 6 open 

 comb-teeth ; inferior claw fine, 1 point. 



Palpi resemble legs in colour and armature, base of palpal 

 claw straight, free end sharply curved, 6 open comb-teeth. 



Falces long, somewhat linear, convex, vertical, glossy 

 mahogany-brown. 



Maxilla; long, spathulate, inclined towards lip, which is 

 nearly as long as broad ; organs dark-brown, pale margins. 



Sternum cordate, areolate, chocolate-brown. 



Abdomen oval, yellowish olive-green, thickly mottled with 

 creamy- white lobate spots, suffused with reddish-chocolate ; on 

 fore-part there is a black median band, with three cross bars, 

 partially obliterated in centre where it throws off, round lateral 

 margins, obhque creamy-coloured, sinuated lines, which have 

 " black patches on anterior side ; on posterior curve of abdomen 

 is a remarkable large, low, pointed tubercle, apex pale-yellow, 

 nearly encircled by lemon-coloured, brown-lake, and black rings, 

 posteriorly the pale-yellow flows over the darker colours, and 

 apparently forms a series of creamy-coloured lobate flecks as far 

 as spinners, which are prominent, placed about centre of ventral 

 surface ; abdomen sparsely clothed with bristle-like dark hairs. 

 Epiggne glossy-black, conoid, orifice at apex, which is directed 

 towards base of abdomen, attached to integument along its 

 inner side. 



Single specimen. Te Karaka, Auckland, A.T.U. 



