1975] 
Brady — Oxyopes 
237 
Light Male. Face and chelicerae cream to pale yellow with ver- 
tical black stripes as indicated in Figure 73. Cymbia of palpi dark 
brown to black. Eyes with black nacelles overlaid with iridescent 
scale-like hairs. 
Carapace pale yellow to light yellow-orange. A few faint dusky 
markings contributed by spatulate-shaped hairs as in Figure 74- 
Dorsum of abdomen cream to pale yellow, dusky laterally and 
along sides of abdomen. Scale like hairs providing a metallic green 
or pink sheen. Cardiac area outlined as in Figure 74. Venter with 
broad median brown stripe from epigastric furrow to base of spin- 
nerets. The stripe outlined in white, with dusky color laterally. 
Legs cream to pale yellow without stripes or dusky markings in 
most specimens. Mid-ventral black stripe on femora I and II of 
some. 
Labium cream to pale yellow. Endites cream to pale yellow, outer 
margins darker brownish. Sternum yellow. 
Dark Male. Face black between AME to clypeus and chelicerae 
with black markings as shown in Figure 75. Cymbia of palpi black. 
Carapace pale yellow to light yellow-orange, with four longi- 
tudinal dusky stripes. 
Dorsum of abdomen iridescent, mostly dark gray-brown to black. 
Venter dark gray-brown to black with white lines outlining median 
stripe conspicuously seen in lighter forms. 
Legs cream to pale yellow. Patellae-tibiae and femora of palpi 
with black markings dominating lighter color. 
Labium and endites black with distal ends pale cream. Sternum 
yellow with black periphery. 
Diagnosis. Oxyopes salticus resembles members of the acleistus 
group with mid-ventral black stripes on the femora and vertical 
black lines on the face. It can be immediately distinguished by the 
peculiar shape of the epigynum (Figs. 23, 24) and the characteristic 
palpus of the male (Figs. 98, 99). The male palpus has a stout 
conical projection on the cymbium and a stout brush of short, stif- 
fened bristles (not figured) on the ventral surface of the palpal 
tibia. Oxyopes salticus should be placed in a separate species group 
to reflect its relationship to other Mexican and Central American 
species. 
Natural History. Oxyopes salticus is one of the most common 
spider inhabitants of tall grass and herbaceous vegetation and is 
found throughout Mexico and Central America wherever this type 
of vegetation occurs. The local abundance of these spiders gives 
evidence of their role as one of the important predators of insects 
