188 THEBAPHOSID.J:. 



Genus PffiCILOTHERIA, Simon. 



Poecilotheria, Simon, Bull Soc. Zool. France, x, p. 38. 1885 ; Pocock, 



A. M. N. H. (6) xv, p. 170, 1895. 

 Scurria, C. Koch, Uebersicht Arachn. v, p. 74, 1850 (nom. praeocc.). 



Very large, variegated Spiders with the carapace flattish ; fovea 

 small, straight ; ocular tubercle low ; ocular area more than twice 

 as loug as wide ; eyes of anterior line nearly equidistant, pro- 

 curved, centres of the laterals slightly in front of the anterior 

 edge of the medians. Mandible furnished externally in its lower 

 half with many short spines. Maxilla with its bacilliforin spines 

 few in number, arranged in a single row, and accompanied by one 

 or more black tooth-like tubercles ; between the row of bacilli and 

 the suture there is a thick fringe of hairs. Legs without spines ; 

 scopulae of the anterior pairs very thick. Palpal organ of tf piri- 

 forin, the spine thick, short, and strongly and spirally crested. 



Type, P. fasciata, Latr. 



Distribution. India and Ceylon. 



Habits. Live in trees or in the thatch of houses. 



Synopsis of Species. 



a. Femora of legs black below, or marked with 



a single basal or apical pale patch. 

 a 1 . Femora of 1st and 2nd legs with a large 



yellow patch at base P. rufilata, p. 189. 



ft 1 . No pale patch at base of femora. 



a 2 . Appendages not conspicuously banded 

 above, dark below, with yellow basal 



patch on tibiae P. metallica, p. 189 r 



6 3 . Appendages strongly banded above, 

 femora and tibiae pale at apex above 

 and tibiae pale at base below. 

 a 3 . Palp black below : patellae of legs 



white above and below P. miranda, p. 190. 



b 3 . Palp with yellow patch at apex of 

 femur, base of patella, and base and 

 apex of tibia beneath ; patellae of 

 legs black in basal half P. subfusca, p. 190. 



b. Femora of legs whitish or sulphur-yellow 



below and inside, those of 1st and 2nd legs 

 with black stripe in distal half. 

 a 4 . Lower side of abdomen with large trans- 

 verse reddish band behind epigastric fold. P. regalis, p. 190. 

 a 4 . No pale band on lower side of abdomen. 

 a 5 . Tibia of palp blackish beneath ; 1st 

 leg less than twice as long as cara- 

 pace, which equals its patella and tibia. P. formosa, p. 191. 

 b\ Tibia of palp pale beneath; 1st leg 

 more than three times as long as 

 carapace, which is less than its patella 

 and tibia. 



a 6 . Ground-colour of anterior legs 

 whitish, femora of 3rd and 4th 

 uniformly greyish brown, not 

 banded P. vittata, p. 192, 



