THE GENUS SCAPHIELLA (ARANEAE, OONOPIDAE) 
IN CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE WEST INDIES* 
By Arthur M. Chickering 
Museum of Comparative Zoology 
This is the third paper in the series planned for publication on 
the various genera in the family Oonopidae from Central America 
and the West Indies. 
As I have frequently stated in my published papers, I am deeply 
indebted to members of the staff of the Museum of Comparative 
Zoology, Harvard University, for aid and encouragement for many 
years in the pursuit of my studies. Grants GB-1801 and GB-5013 
from the National Science Foundation have made it possible for me 
to carry on extensive collecting activities in Panama, Costa Rica 
and the West Indies during the past four years, and to continue 
my work in the Museum of Comparative Zoology. My thanks are 
extended to the following for the loan of types and other specimens 
to aid me in more completely understanding the genus under con- 
sideration: Dr. J. G. Sheals and Mr. D. J. Clark of the Department 
of Zoology, British Museum (Natural History) ; Dr. Willis J. 
Gerstsch, American Museum of Natural History, New York City; 
Dr. E. Kritscher, Naturhistorisches Museum, Wien. 
The types of all new species described in this paper together with 
my entire collection of this genus will be deposited in the Museum 
of Comparative Zoology. 
Genus Scaphiella Simon, 1891 
The type species is Scaphiella cymbalaria Simon, based upon a 
male and a female from St. Vincent, B. W. I. Since the recognition 
of the genus in 1891 a number of species have been described from 
South America, Central America, Mexico and the southwestern part 
of the United States. Scaphiella ula Suman has recently been de- 
scribed from Oahu Hawaii but I think this species belongs in a 
different genus. More than thirty years ago I first became interested 
in this genus and since that time I have accumulated a rther large 
number of specimens from Central America and the West Indies 
now apparently separable into twelve distinct species. I failed to 
collect S. cymbalaria Simon during my brief visit to St. Vincent, 
B. W. I. in October, 1966 but I have had this species for study 
from the British Museum (Natural History). Males of the genus 
* Manuscript received by the editor January 15, 1968 
135 
