THE SPIDER GENUS SOSIPPUS IN NORTH AMERICA, 
MEXICO, AND CENTRAL AMERICA 
(ARANEAE, LYCOSIDAE ) 1 
By A. R. Brady 
Harvard University 
Introduction. The genus Sosippus contains the only spiders in the 
Nearctic Region of the subfamily Hippasinae, members of which are 
unique among the Lycosidae in producing a large funnel-web resem- 
bling that of the Agelenidae. The posterior spinnerets are more elong- 
ate than in other Lycosidae, concomitant with their web building 
habits. Although similar to the Agelenidae in these respects, they 
represent typical Lycosidae in other characters. In Sosippus the eyes 
are arranged in three rows: four small eyes on a vertical front form 
the anterior row; two large posterior median eyes form the second 
row, and two somewhat smaller posterior lateral eyes form a third 
row. The trochanters are notched and the egg case is carried attached 
to the spinnerets. These features are characteristic of all Lycosidae, 
but are not found in the Agelenidae. The tarsi and metatarsi of leg I 
and leg II are more densely scopulate in Sosippus than in most other 
lycosids. Sosippus is found in tropical and subtropical America from 
Costa Rica to the southern United States. 
Porrima , found in South America, appears to be the closest relative 
of Sosippus. Females of P. diversa (O. P. -Cambridge) and the male 
holotype of P. harknessi Chamberlin resemble Sosippus in coloration 
and especially in external genitalia (Figs. 12, 33), but are readily 
separated by differences in the eye arrangement (Fig. 11). The Hip- 
pasinae of the Neotropical Region, in addition to eight described species 
of Porrima , are represented by two species of Birabenia and the mono- 
typic genus Hippasella. C. F. Roewer (1959) splits Porrima into 
three genera on the basis of the number of posterior cheliceral teeth and 
slight differences in the eye arrangement. On the basis of great varia- 
tion of these characters in Sosippus, it seems best to maintain the eight 
species in question in the single genus Porrima until further study. 
In the Ethiopian, Oriental, and Australian Regions the Hippasinae 
are represented by 12 genera containing numerous species according to 
C. F. Roewer (1959)- These Lycosidae have in common one feature 
’Published with the aid of a National Science Foundation Grant of the 
Department of Biology, Harvard University. 
Manuscript received by the editor March 19, 1962. 
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