84 ANNALS NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 



Theridiid^ 



The members of this large family spin irregular v.'ebs and certain of 

 them are very common about human habitations. 



Argyrodes is found throughout the tropics and subtropics. We took 

 vrhat Mr. Banks identified as A. Jarvatus Keyserling in a narrow steep 

 ravine near Bahos San Yincente. Cuba, and an unidentified species, prob- 

 ably the same, in a similar ravine near Merciditas, a few kilometers far- 

 ther north. This species is now considered to be a synomTii of canceUatus 

 (Hentz) and the range is Connecticut to f Alabama, Venezuela and St. 

 Vincent. A. nepliUce Taczanowski is known from southeastern United 

 States, Peru, Brazil, f Guiana, Haiti and Bermuda. "We found it on both 

 Mona and Desecheo. A. trifuhercuJatus Becker has been recorded from 

 f Mississippi and Haiti. 



Rhomphaea is found throughout most of the world's tropics and sub- 

 tropics. B. paradoxa (Taczanowski) was described from Guiana and 

 has been reported from St. Vincent, but not elsewhere in the Antilles. 

 Keyserling states that it is probably only a variety of fictilium (Hentz) 

 which is the only known species in the United States and extends from 

 ■Xew England to Florida. 



Spintharus contains but two species, one confined to Brazil and one, 

 flavidus Hentz. which was described from Alabama and is now laiown 

 from all the States to Peru and from St. Vincent. It is a yellow, red 

 and black creature usually found on the under side of the leaves of small 

 bushes and should be looked for in the Greater Antilles. 



Theridion is a large genus which is found throughout the world. 

 Curiously enough, with the exception of certain cosmopolitan species, 

 records from the Greater Antilles are almost lackino-. We took anfil- 

 (anum Simon, hitherto only knoT\n from St. Vincent, l)y beating branches 

 in a sea-grape thicket at Dorodo. near San Juan. Porto Eico, and also 

 in a narrow ravine in tlie mountains north of Vihales. Cuba. T. fron- 

 deum Hentz is found from Labrador (specimen in our collection) to 

 Lower California and on St. Vincent. It will probably be found in the 

 Greater Antilles. We took fuessh/i Simon, formerly known only from 

 St. Vincent, hy sweeping the tall grass and shrubs on the southwest coast, 

 of Desecheo. Among the wide ranging tropical and subtropical species 

 are rufipes Lucas, studiosnm. Hentz, tepidariorum C. Koch, and vUuper- 

 abiJe Petrunkevitch. We liave tlie first two from the Bahamas but the 

 only record for any of them from the Greater Antilles is that by Banks 

 of studiosuni Jlemz from Haiti. It was described from South Carolina 

 and Alabama and is known not only from "tropical and subtropical Xorth 



