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Psyche 6:425-428, 1891.
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Psyche, 1893, vol. 6.
Plate 12.
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Liobunum vittatum (Say), 9 .
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Liobunum politum and L. politum magnum.
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PSYCHE.
A PRELIMINARY SYNOPSIS OF THE HARVEST-SPIDERS (PHALANGIIDAE) OF MISSISSIPPI.
BY CLARENCE M. WEED, HANOVER, N. Ha
The present paper is based upon a
quite solid. The segments are only indicated collection of Phalangiidae kindly sent
by striae, which are often obsolete.
There
me at various times during the last
are five ventral abdominal segments ; a single anal piece, and two distinct lateral pores on three years by my
Howard
upper margin of cephalothorax.
The maxil-
Evarts Weed, of the
Agri-
lary lobe of the palpus has two tubercles. cultural College. Nearly all of the The two eyes are placed upon a blunt tubercle specimens were taken in the vicinity of
(the eye-eminence,) on the median line of the the college, is located in oktib-
cephalothorax not far from its front margin. beha County, a little north of the center of the State, so that the northern and
The three
forms all belong
southern extremities of Mississippi are to the single genlls Liobunum, the prin- not represented. hi^ probably ac-
cipal characters of which are the fol-
counts, in part at least, for the fact that lowing :-
in the large number of specimens "'-
Anterior and lateral bordem of the cephalo- lected only three species are found.
thorax smooth. Eye eminence relatively
The most remarkable thing connected
small ; smooth, or rarely provided with small, with these phalangiids is the large size of their bodies and the length of their
legs. Each form is the southern repre-
sentative of a northern species in which the body is smaller and the legs are
larger. I presume this variation in size is due to the longer period of growth
and feeding at the south, but the discus- sion of variations is not the purpose of the present paper.
slightly distinct tubercles ; widely separated from the cephalic border. Lateral pores
small, oval, and marginal. Anal piece large, transverse-oval or semi-circular, much wider than long. Mandibles short, similar in the two sexes; first joint furnished at the base below with an acute tooth. Palpi simple; femur, patella and tibia without any process and without projecting angles; maxillary lobe provided at the base with two strong, conical teeth. Maxillary lobe of the second pair of legs very long, nearly straight from the base, not attenuated, directed mesad Family PHALANGIIDAE.
nearly horizontally, and united on the ventro- meson to the lobe from the opposite side Subfamily PHALANGIINAE.
without forming a sensible angle; the two Arachnids having the body composed of a together lightly arched on the cephalic single piece, and long, slender legs. The border, and forming an even curve. Sternal teguments are not coriaceous, though often piece large, slightly contracted between the
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426 PS2THfT. [April 1893.
fourth pair of coxae, gradually enlarging and obtusely truncate cephalad. Feet very long and slender; tibia of the second pair with a few false articulations. Palpal claw den ticulate.
The three forms described below may
be distinguished as follows :-
Body and legs cinnamon-brown.
L. ventricosum hyemale.
Eye eminence with a regular row of tubercles over each eye; dorsum with n0 black
marking in males, and indistinct one in
females. . . L.'politztin magnum.
Eye eminence with very few tubercles; a
distinct black, longitudinal marking on
doi-sum. . . . L.vittatum.
LIOBUNUM VITTATUM (Say).
The Striped Harvest-spider.
Plates I I, 12.
Phalangium vittatm. Say, Journ. Phila.
Acad., 11, p. 65, 1821; Wood, Comm. Essex Inst., VI, pp. 20-21.
Liobunum vittatum. Weed, Amer. Nat.
XXI, P. 935; XXVL P. 999.
MALE. - Body 7 mm. long; 4 mm. wide.
Palpi 7 mm. long. Legs: first, 44 mm. ;
second, 89 mm. ; third, 45 mm. ; fourth, 64 mm.
Dorsum reddish-brown, with a dark central marking, commencing at eye eminence and
extending backward to the ultimate or penul- timate abdominal segment. Contracting
slightly near the anterior margin of abdomen, then gradually expanding until about the beginning of the posterior third of the ab- domen, where it again slightly contracts. Ventrum slightly paler than dorsum, both finely granulate.
Eye eminence a little wider
than high, black above, canaliculate, with small black tubercles over the eyes. Man- dibles light yellowish-brown, tips of claws black; second joint with short sparse hairs. Palpi long, reddish-brown ; tarsal joints paler. Femur and patella arched, with two rows of rather blunt dark tubercles, on the outer ventro-lateral surface ; femur also having a few small subobsolete ones on its dorsal surface. Tibia with a similar row on its outer ventro-lateral surface, a short row on the distal portion of its inner ventro-lateral surface, and a short row on the proximal portion of its ventral surface. Tarsus pubes- cent, with a row of short, blunt, black tuber- cles on its inner ventro-lateral surface, extending from the base to near the apex. Legs varying from light brown to black, but patella is generally black and tarsi brown, the other joints varying. Coxae reddish- brown, minutely tuberculate. Trochanters generally dark brown with minute scattered tubercles. Femora and patellae with rows of small spines. Tibiae with very short
hairs. Shaft of genital organ slender, sub- cylindrical, not broadened distally, but bent at an obtuse angle and terminating in a very acute point.
FEMALE. -Body 8-9 mm. long; 5-6 mm.
wide. Palpi 5 mm. long. Legs : first, 42 mm. ; second, go mm. ; third, 43 mm. ; fourth, 61 mm.
Besides its rounder body and much more
robust appearance, it differs from the male as follows : Dorsum of a much darker shade of brown with less of the reddish tint, and the ventrum paler. Second joint of mandibles with fewer hairs. Palpi shorter, more
slender, with the rows of tubercles on the tibia subobsolete, and that on the tarsus en- tirely wanting. Legs generally light brown with black annulations at the articulations. Ovipositor whitish with no dark color in apical rings.
This species in Central Mississippi
evidently passes the winter in the egg
state, the young hatching in March,
April and probably the early part of
May, becoming fully developed in July
and living until October or November.
Specimens taken during October are .
very deeply colored. The collections
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April i&.] p5'TTLLZ?. 427
before me show very young to half-
grown forms taken 30th May, 1891 ;
some approaching maturity collected
during June ; and some fully developed
but not fully colored taken in July.
There appears to be but one brood a
year so that the species has a very long feeding period.
In a recent paper in the American
Naturalist (December, 1892) I have
discussed at some length the geograph-
ical variations of this Striped Harvest- spider.
LIOBUNUM VENTRICOSUM HYEMALE, Weed.
Plates 13, 14.
Phala@tm ventricosm Wood, Comm.
Essex inst., VI, 32.
Liobunum ventricosum (Wood). Weed,
Amer. nat., xxiv, 918; Trans. Am. ent. soc., XIX, 188.
Liobunum ventricosnm Ayemale Weed,
Amer. nat., March, 1893.
MALE. - Body 9 mm. long ; 6 mm. wide ;
palpi 8 mm. long. Legs: first. 52 mm.;
second, 101 mm. ; third, 50 mm. ; fourth, 73 mm. Body elongate, abdomen subconical.
Dorsum, legs including trochanters cinna- mon-brown, ventrum of a slightly lighter brown, sometimes grayish brown. Dorsum
closely granulate with an indistinct darker marking, and numerous small grayish spots arranged in irregular transverse series. Eye eminence black, except at base; rounded, not canaliculate, smooth, or with a few small, acute tubercles. Pal pi rather slender, with none of the angles prolonged; femur with a very few small spinous tubercles and hairs ; patella strongly, and femur and tibia slightly, arched ; coxae minutely tuberculate, tipped with white ; trochanters and legs cinnamon rufous; tarsi dusky. Legs long and mod-
erately robust. Genital organ of male "flat, nearly straight, slender at the basal portion, gradually widening and distally rather
quickly expanded into a broad alate portion, and then abruptly contracted into a mod- erately robust, slightly curved point, which is placed at an angle to the rest of the shaft; at the base of the point a marked notch in the end of the shaft."
FEMALE.-BO~~ n mm. long; 6.2 mm.
wide. Palpi 7 mm. long. Legs: first, 48
mm.; second, 93 mm.; third, 46 mm.;
fourth, 68 mm. Differs from the male in
having a larger body, with the abdomen
often greatly swollen.
This species passes the winter in a
half-grown condition. The eggs are
apparently laid during summer and
hatch early in autumn. The length of
the second pair of legs of young speci-
mens, taken at the Agricnltural College
during October, 1892, varied from 15
millimetres to 33 millimetres. The
size of early spring specimens is repre- sented in plate 14, fig. I ; and the struct- ural details in fig. a of the same plate. Such forms are described as follows : -
Length 7 mm. ; width 4 mm. Legs : first, 32 mm. ; second, 60 mm.; third, 31 mm. ; fourth, 45 mm. Body soft. Dorsum smooth; mottled brown. A distinct dark central
marking' begins at eye eminence, and runs two-thirds of the way to the posterior ex- tremity; it contracts near the anterior border of the abdomen, then expands in an even
curve, and again contracts in a similar way- There is a deep oblique sinus just back of each lateral pore of cephalothorax. On the abdomen are scattered dark spots, arrange. in irregular transverse series. Eye eminence perfectly smooth; black about eyes with a light brown longitudinal central marking; slightly longer than high; not at all canali- culate. Mandibles light gray, with tips
blackish : sparsely provided with short black hairs. Palpi slender; mottled grayish-brown ; all the joints provided with short, black, stiff
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428 PSTcHE. [April 1893-
spinous hairs. Patella arched ; its inner lateral distal angle produced into a pro- nounced conical tubercle. Tarsal claw dis- tinctly pectinate. Ventral surface light gray. Legs long, rather stout; coxae light gray, remaining joints mottled cinnamon-brown. The mature condition is reached early
in summer. The Mississippi forms are
somewhat larger than plate 13, fig. I,
which represents a specimen from a
more northern locality; but the struct-
ural details are similar to those illus- trated in fig. 2 of the same plate.
An account of the variations and syn-
onymy of this species will be found in
one of the earlier issues of the Amer-
ican Naturalist for 1893.
LIOBUNUM POLITUM MAGNUM, new sub-
species.
MALE. -Body 5 mm. long ; 4 mm. wide ;
palpi 3.8 mm. long. Legs : first, 40 mm.; second, So mm. ; third, 40 mm. ; fourth, 58 mm. Dorsum granulate ; varying from light cinnamon-brown to reddish brown, with no markings except occasionally a faint indica- tion of the usual central marking. Eye emi- nence prominent, slightly constricted at base, more or less black above, canaliculate, with a regular curved series of small, acute, blackish spines over each eye. Mandibles brownish white; tips of claws black. Palpi slender, light brown, with femur and patella sometimes dusky; finely pubescent, with a subobsolete row of minute dark tubercles on the inner ventro-lateral surface of femur, and another row on the inner ventro-lateral sur- face of tarsus; joints slightly arched.
Ventrum with coxae, including the mem-
branous distal lateral tips, and generally the tro~hante~s, varying from light brown to ver- milion red. Legs with proximal portions
light brown ; distally dark brown or blackish. Shaft of genital organ nearly straight,
slender, Battened, canaliculate; distal portion very slightly expanded, then slightly con- tracted, and again expanded into a half
spoon-shaped portion, and terminating in a small acute point.
FEMALE. - Body 6.5 mm. long; 4.5 mm-
wide; palpi, 3-6 mm. long. Legs: first, 39 mm.; second, 81 mm.; third, 39 mm. ; fourth, 57 mm. Differs from the male in having a larger, rounder body ; and in the color of the dorsurn, which is brown, or reddish-brown, with a rather distinct, darker central mark- ing and numerous whitish spots arranged
more or less transversely. In some speci- mens the central marking and spots are ob- solete. Apical rings of ovipositor white. A few specimens of this form have
been taken during June and July at the
Agricultural College. A single female
has also been collected at the same place in October. This is much more deeply
colored than the others of this sex ex-
amined, being clear reddish brown, and
having the central marking and white
spots on dorsum obsolete. It is illus-
trated at plate 15, fig. I, and the struct- ural of the northern L. @//turn are
shown in fig. 2 of the same plate.
EXPLANATION OF PLATES.
PLATE 11.
Fig. I .-Liobunum vittatum. Male. Natural size.
2.-Parts of same. Magnified.
~(7.-Body.
2b.-Eye eminence. Side view.
2c.-Eye eminence. Front view.
2d.-Palpus. Side view.
2e.-Claw of palpus. Side view.
3.-Liobunum vittatum dorsatum. Male
from Dakota. Natural size.
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April 1893.1
PLATE 12.
PSYCHE.
PLATE 14.
Fig. I .-Liobumim viftatum. Female. Nat- ural size.
2.-Parts of same. Magnified.
2a.-Body.
2b.-Eye eminence. Side view.
2c.-Eye eminence. Front view.
2d.-Palpus. Side view.
2e.-Claw of palpus. Side view.
Fig'. I.-Liobumim ventricosum (Wood),
male. Natural size.
2.-Parts of same. Magnified.
2a.-Body.
26.-Eye eminence. Side view.
2c.-Eye eminence. Front view.
id.-Palpus. Side view.
2e.-Claw of palpus. Side view.
if.-Maxillary lobe of second pair of legs. Fig. I .-Liob11n71m ventricosum Ayemale. Immature. Natural size.
2.-Parts of same. Magnified.
2a .-Body.
26.-Eye eminence. Side view.
2c.-Eye eminence. Front view.
2d. -Palpus. Side view.
2,e.-Claw of palpus. Side view.
Fig. I,-Liobumim $olittim magnum. Fe-
male. Natural size.
2.-Liobttå´u11 -politurn. Parts of male. Magnified.
la.-Body.
26.-Eye eminence. Side view.
2c.-Eye eminence. Front view.
2d.-Palpus. Side view.
2e.-Claw of palpus. Side view.
DESCRIPTION OF A NEW AND INTERESTING PHASIID-LIKE GENUS OF TACHINIDAE S. STR.
BY C. H. TYLER TOWNSEND, LAS CRUCES, N. MEX. During the last year, I have received,
among several lots of flies from New
Hampshire, a number of specimens of
a tachinid s. str., which I at first mis- took for a phasiid of the genus Hya-
lomyia. Upon examination, recently,
the distinctness of the form was at once realized, but the great resemblance in
almost every detail save one was very
surprising. This one detail will, how-
ever, always be sufficient to distinguish it, and that is the presence of macro-
chaetae on the abdomen, a character
possessed by no phasiid.
From its extreme resemblance to
Hyalomyia, I propose to call the new
genus Hyalomyorles. The species may
be known as H. weedg in honor of
Dr. Weed, in whose sendings my atten-
tion was first called to this interesting form.
HYALOMYODES nov. gen.
Head much like Hyalomyia; front very
narrow, slightly widened at vertex, much more widened toward insertion of antennae, at narrowest about one ninth width of head in both sexes. Face widening from front at same angle as latter, so that the two opposite boundaries of the face and front diverge uni- formly from each other from the narrowest part of the front to a point very near the oral
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