208 ERESID^E. 



Family ERESID^E. 



Small or medium-sized robust Spiders, with the cephalic region 

 of the carapace wide and usually high ; the clypeiis low ; the four 

 median eyes forming a small quadrangle narrower in front than 

 behind, the anterior lateral eye on the side of the head, the posterior 

 lateral far removed from the rest of the eyes and situated high 

 up on the posterior portion of the head ; the mandibles flattish 

 in front, with fang-groove scarcely toothed; maxillae inclined 

 obliquely inwards ; legs strong, weakly spined, with three claws ; 

 abdomen oval ; spinners with large cribellum. 



Distribution. Central and Southern Europe ; Western Asia, 

 China; Africa; India, Ceylon, and Burma. 



One Indian genus. 



Genus STEGODYPHUS, Simon. 



Stegodyphus, Simon, Ann. Soc. Ent. Fr. (5) iii. p. 336, 1873; id. 

 Hist. Nat. Araign. i, p. 253, 1892. 



Characters and distribution as above. 



Type, S. lineatus, Latr. 



The species of this genus live on bushes, where they spin either 

 a large sheet-like web accompanied by a tubular retreat, or a large 

 saccular nest in which many individuals live together. 



Synopsis of Indian Species. 



Males. 



a. Anterior legs thick, their tibiae nearly as high 



as long S. tibialis, p. 209. 



b. Anterior legs not thick, their tibiae more than 



twice as long as high. 

 a 1 . 2nd, 3rd, and 4th legs entirely red ; 1st 



black in its basal, red in its distal half. . S. mirandus, p. 209. 

 ft 1 . All the legs alike, handed. 



a 2 . Total length about 12 mm S. pacificus, p. 209. 



ft 2 . Total length about 6 mm S. sarasinorum, p. 209. 



females. 



a. Upper side of abdomen a uniform golden 



yellow S. socialis, p. 209. 



b. Upper side of abdomen clouded or banded 



with black. 

 a 1 . Carapace clothed with olive-black hairs ; 



abdomen not banded S. mirandus, p. 209. 



6 1 . Carapace clothed with greyish- white 



hairs ; abdomen banded. 

 a 2 . About 20 mm. in length ; mandibles 



whitish S. pacificus, p. 209. 



6 2 . About 10 mm. in length ; mandibles 



darker 8. sarasinorum , p. 209. 



