Laseola crythropus Sim., with a Key to British Laseolae. 57 
Epigynal Area, fig. 10, convex with a narrow, red-rimmed, 
somewhat angular, transverse orifice, more than twice as 
wide as long, constricted in the middle and situated some 
distance above the epigastric fold. 
Spinners, six, the lowest pair much stronger and larger than 
the others. In front of them is a conspicuous, curved, 
transverse vent, the external opening of a breathing; 
apparatus. 
In general characteristics and coloration, the females 
resemble the males, but there are one or two secondary 
sexual differences. The ocular prominence is less strong, 
being longer in proportion to its width (fig. 9). The 
posterior lateral eyes are not quite so distant from the 
centrals, while the eyes of the anterior row are not so 
greatly disproportionate in size. The legs are not so 
deeply nor so brightly coloured as those of the male, 
but it is possible that the females had not yet reached 
their full development in this respect. The epigyne is, 
however, most characteristic and cannot possibly be 
mistaken for that of any other spider. 
The Laseolae are included in the extensive family of the 
Theridiidae, which in common with numerous spiders belong- 
ing to several other families, are characterised by having 
eight eyes in two rows forming a group much wider than long, 
three claws to each foot, and short spinners arranged in a 
compact group. From all these, however, the Theridiids may 
readily be recognised by their legs, spineless except for a double 
row of short curved spines on the tarsi of the fourth pair of 
legs, their strongly inclined maxillae passing almost com- 
pletely round the free labium, and their falces almost trans- 
versely truncate at the extremity, with the fang groove usually 
without teeth. 
In his Histoire Naturelle des Araignees, M. Simon merges 
the genus Laseola, which he himself created, in that of Dipoena 
Thor., but as D. melanogaster is practically non-existent in 
Britain, only two examples having been so far met with 
(a female, Lyndhurst, New Forest, 1858, and a male, Blox- 
worth Heath, Dorset, 1881), and intermediate forms also being 
absent, the Laseolae in this country constitute a well marked 
group, the members of which may be known by their small 
size (between 2 and 4 mm.), the formation of the prominent 
ocular area, the arrangement of the eyes, and the very high 
usually sloping clypeus, and more particularly distinguished 
from their nearest allies by the upper claws of their feet being; 
provided with numerous teeth reaching almost to their ex- 
tremity, and by the absence of a stridulating apparatus or 
the fore part of the abdomen. 
There are at present six British species of Laseola ; three 
D 
1911 Feb. 1. 
