Januiiry 1S94. 



PSrCHE. 



11 



THE NEMASTOMATIDAE AND TROGULIDAE OF THE UNITED 



STATES.— I. 



BY NATHAN BANKS, SEA CI.IKK, N. Y 



These two tamilies are readily sep- 

 arated from the other family (Plialan- 

 gidac) of the Phalangida Plagiostetlii 

 bv the absence of a claw to the end of 

 the palpus. The last joint of the palpus 

 is shorter than the preceding one ; this 

 cliaracter is also found in the male of 

 one genus of Phalangidae (Protolophus) 

 but not to such a marked degree. The 

 Nemastomatidae are separated from the 

 Trogulidae by having the co.xae free, 

 while in the latter family the coxae are 

 united. The si/e of the palpus also 

 servxs to tlistinguisii them ; in the 

 Trogulidae the palpi are very short and 

 concealed bj- the projection of the eye- 

 tubercle, in the Nemastomatidae the 

 palpi are very lo4ig and prominent, 

 usually longer than the body. 



I consider the Trogulidae the highest 

 family of Phalangida. In the groups of 

 arachnids below the Phalangida it is 

 normal to have two claws to the tarsi. 

 With the Phalangida Mecostethi (Cos- 

 metidae, Gonglyptidae, etc.) the two 

 hind pairs of tarsi bear two claws, the 

 anterior pairs have but one ; the palpi 

 have a claw or curved spine at end. 

 In the Phalangida Plagiostethi all the 

 tarsi have but one claw, thus show-ing 

 an advance. The Phalangidae still 

 retain the palpal claw, but the Nemas- 

 tomatidae and Trogulidae have lost it. 

 The Trogulidae show their superiority 



to tlie Nemastomatidae in their more 

 compact form, and more complicated 

 structure. A few Nemastomatidae 

 liave been described from the United 

 States liy Packard and Simon.* 



TROGULIDAE. 



The Trogulidae ha\'e not previously 

 been recorded from the United States. 

 Two forms are known to me which 

 appear to belong to two genera, both 

 new. They have more tarsal joints 

 than is common in the European forms, 

 in this resembling more the genus 

 Dicranolasma ; the eye-tubercle is modi- 

 fied on a quite different plan from tiiat 

 of the European forms. The two 

 genera may be separated as follows : — 



Eye tubercle projecting in the form ot a 

 spoon, two spines at each oide on the anterior 

 margin. .... Ortholasma. 



Eye tubercle tree-shaped, a single chih at 

 each side on tlie anterior m.irgin. 



Deiidrolasmu. 



Ortholasma 



^ti\, no\*. 



Cephalotliorax with a pair of spines at 

 each side on the anterior margin, the eye 

 tubercle projecting in front in tlie form of an 



* Packard — On ;i new cave-fauna in Utah — Bull. 

 Hayden's U. S. Geol. and Geog. Survey, 1S77. 



Packard — Mew cave Arachnida. — Am. Nat. 1SS4. 



Packard — Cave memoir — Nat. Acad. Sci. 1S87C?). 



Simon — Descriptions d'Opiliones nouveaux — C. R. 

 Soc. Ent. Belg. 1879. 



