1902.] SPIDERS OF THE GENUS LATRODECTUS. 257 



Latrodectus cuRAgAviENSis (MUller), 1776. 



Linn. Yollst. Nat.-Syst. Supp., Reg. Band, p. 342. 1776 (sec. 

 Keyserling). Rah. CuraQoa. — E. Simon, Boll. Mus. Zool. Anat. 

 Comp. Univ. Torino, vol. xii. no. 270, Feb. 4, 1897. Hah. As- 

 cuncion, San Pedro and Rio Apa, Paraguay. — This species, of 

 which M. Simon has kindly sent me examples, is, so far as color- 

 ation goes, similar to varieties of geographicus Hasselt. The 

 present name has priority. 



Latrodectus curassavicum (Hering). Hcd>. Ozam. 

 (I am at present unable to indicate this reference.) 



Latrodectus distinctus Black wall, 1859. 



Ann. Mag. ISTat. Hist. (3) iv. p. 260. Hah. Madeira.— Belongs, 

 according to Thorell, to the genus Lithyphantes, possibly = L. 

 nohilis Thor. 



Latrodectus dotatus 0. Koch, 1841. 



Die Aiachniden, viii. p. 115, fig. 683. Hah. North America. — 

 Identical, according to Koch, with Tetragnatha zorilla Walck. 

 Both these forms are obviously males of L. niactans Fabr, 



Latrodectus elegans Thor., 1898. 



Ann. Mus. Genova, (2) xix. p. 293, $. Hah. Burmah. — 



Probably a variety of L. hasseltii ; resembling L, cinctus Blackw., 

 a form I have seen from Shoa. 



Latrodectus erebus Walck., 1837. 



Insectes Apteres, i. p. 646. Hah. Egypt, Spain. — Dark variety 

 of L. tredeciTYi-guttatus Rossi. 



Latrodectus" formidabilis Walck., 1837. 



Insectes Apteres, i. p. 647, § . Hah. Georgia. — Undoubtedly 

 L. mactans Fabr. 



Latrodectus geographicus Yan Hasselt, 1888. 



Tijd. voor Ent. xxxi. pt. 3, pp. 165-200, pis. v. & vi. (1888). 

 Hah. Surinam, — This is, so far as size and pattern of colouring, a 

 distinct species. I have taken the adult male and female on the 

 sandy campo, at the roots of grass and under overhanging ledges, 

 neai' Santarem on the Lower Amazons. It is, however, difficult 

 to justify the appai-ent specific distinction by any tangible 

 structural difiei'ence. The form may finally be relegated to the 

 position of a local race, and perhaps be regarded as a sub-species. 



Latrodectus geometricus 0. L. Koch, 1841. 



Die Arachniden, viii. pp. 115-117, fig. 684. 



This is pei'haps one of the most distinct and easily recognizable 

 of the species, the larger size of the auteiioi- cential eyes being 

 constant. The colour varies from pinky grey to nearly black. 



