1962] 
Levi — Chrysso 
21 
1 957. The specimens given those names were correctly identified. 
The following species have recently been misplaced in Chrysso: 
Chrysso maronica Caporiacco, 1954 (Comm. Pontificia Acad. Sci. 16: 
74) is Achaearanea hirta (Taczanowski) . NEW SYNONYMY. C* 
pentagona Caporiacco, 1954, ibid., 16: 75 belongs to Achaearanea. 
While many species of Chrysso are strikingly colored, the coloration 
usually cannot be used for determination or as a key character. As in 
most theridiids, it is variable, e.g. Chrysso compressa (Keyserling) has 
a striking black sternum and abdomen with a black venter in Brazil, 
but the venter is yellow in Peruvian specimens. Uyemura (1957) has 
observed rapid color change in Chrysso venusta (Yaginuma) when 
disturbed. Probably other species of Chrysso can also change color. 
Species of Chrysso are absent from the United States and Canada 
except C. albomaculata and C. clementinae (Map) found in the south- 
eastern states and the two species previously placed in Arctachaea 
found from Wyoming to Alaska. None are known from Chile or 
southern Argentina. Most species are found in the hotter parts of 
America, where the spider fauna is least known, and our knowledge of 
the species and their distribution is fragmentary. 
Key to the American species of Chrysso 
1 a. Mesal tip of male cymbium with teeth (1957, figs. 11-13), fe- 
male chelicerae toothless; Wyoming to Alaska 2 
ib. Cymbium without teeth; female chelicerae usually with teeth; 
southeastern United States to South America 3 
2a. Mesal corner of cymbium projecting (1957, figs. 12, 13) ; female 
abdomen higher than long C. pelyx (Levi) 
2b. Mesal corner of cymbium rounded (1957, fig. 11); female 
abdomen longer than high .... C. nordica (Chamberlin and Ivie) 
3a. 
3b. 
4a. 
4b. 
5 a. 
5b. 
6a. 
Males 4 
Females 25 
Thread-shaped portion of embolus originating in center of bulb, 
looping towards outside and base before continuing straight 
towards distal end (1955, figs. 1-5) 5 
Embolus otherwise 1 1 
Width of area enclosed by embolus loop almost equals width of 
basal portion of embolus (1955, fig. 15) ; Huanuco, Peru 
C. niariae Levi 
Width of area enclosed by embolus loop at least twice width of 
basal portion of embolus thread (1955, figs. 7, 9, 13) 6 
Median apophysis with a large thorn ( 1955, fig. 13) ; Amazon, 
P eru C. sulcata (Keyserling) 
