THE SPIDER GENERA STEATODA AND 
ENOPLOGNATHA IN AMERICA* 
(ARANEAE, THERIDIIDAE) 
By Herbert W. Levi 
Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University 
The previous revisions (Levi, 1957a, 1957b) of the two genera 
Enoplognatha and Steatoda considered only the North American 
species. Since the revisions were published, large South American 
collections have become available and the types of South American 
species could be consulted. 
The majority of species of both genera are found in the north 
temperate zone and are fairly well known. The additional species 
described here from the neotropical area are sometimes intermediate 
between the two genera. Enoplognatha peruviana may lack the tooth 
on the posterior margin of the chelicerae as in Steatoda species. The 
males of several Steatoda (e.g. S. andina ) have the chelicerae enlarged 
as is characteristic of Enoplognatha . South American Enoplognatha 
species are found only in southern Peru and northern Chile ( Map 1 ) . 
The genus has no representatives in Central America or the West 
Indies. Steatoda species are found in all parts of South America, with 
several endemic species and several that are widespread (S. ancorata , 
S. grossa, S. moesta) . Unlike Anelosimus species (Levi, in press) 
Steatoda species cross the desert or mountain barrier into Chile 
(Map 2). 
The types of species could be examined through the hospitality and 
cooperation of Dr. G. Owen Evans and Mr. D. Clark of the British 
Museum (Natural History) ; Prof. G. C. Varley of the Hope Depart- 
ment of Entomology, Oxford; Dr. L. Brundin of the Natural History 
Museum, Stockholm; Prof. M. Biraben of the Museo de la Plata; 
Prof. M. Vachon of the Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle, 
Paris; Mr. J. Proszynski of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw; 
Dr. L. Forcart of the Naturhistorisches Museum, Basel and Dr. M. 
Beier of the Naturhistorisches Museum, Vienna. I would like to 
thank the following for the loan of specimens for study: Prof. M. 
Vachon, Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle (MNHN) ; Mr. 
J. Kekenbosch of the Institut Royal des Sciences Naturelles, Brussels 
(ISNB) ; Dr. W. J. Gertsch of the Ame rican Museum of Natural 
History (AMNH) ; Dr. O. Kraus of the Senckenberg Museum, 
* Manuscript received by the editor November 20, 1961. 
