THE TAXONOMIC POSITION OF MYSMENA BULBIFERA 



(GLENOGNATHA BULBIFERA) BANKS, WITH SOME 



OBSERVATIONS ON ITS HABITS. 



W. M. Barrows. 



During last summer, while making a study of the grassland 

 spiders in the vicinity of Columbus, Ohio, I had occasion to 

 observe the habits of Mysmena biilbifera Banks with some care. 

 The observations made at this time raised the question whether 

 this species could belong to the Family Therididce, and whether 

 or not it had been properly placed in the genus Mysmena. Sub- 

 sequent study of specimens and field observations have shown 

 that these spiders are clearly related to the Tetragnathidce 

 and that they should be placed in the genus Glenognatha of 

 Simon. Evidences other than those of an anatomical kind 

 will appear from the activities mentioned below. The reasons 

 for making this change based on structure may be briefly stated. 



In the original description of the genus Mysmena Simon, the 

 anterior eyes are described as being subequal, in a slightly 

 procurved line, the middle little separated from each other, 

 but contiguous with the lateral (medii inter se angusti separati 

 sed a lateralibus contigui). The legs are mentioned as being 

 short, tarsus and metatarsus about equally long (Pedes breves, 

 tarsis metatarsique circiter aequilongis) . Actually the middle 

 eyes are close together, but are widely separated from the 

 lateral, the legs are rather long, with the tarsus only five- 

 eighths as long as the metatarsus. On the other hand, my 

 specimens agree very well with Simon's description of Gleno- 

 gnatha. The venter of the male is clearly cut transversely by a 

 deep groove though it is probably not as deep as in the type 

 species Gehiognatha emertoni. The palpal organ (Fig. 1) 

 agrees well with the Figure of the type specimen given by 

 Banks (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., April, 1913, Plate XII, 

 Fig. 22). My specimens seem to be rather closely related to 

 Bank's Glenognatha minuta (Proc. Cal. Acad. Sci., Vol. I, No. 

 7, 1898, p. 248). 



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