SCYTODES THORACICA. PI. XXIX, fig. 272.
Scytodes tlioracica, Walck., Hist. Nat. des Insect. Apt., t. i, p. 270.
v./ ■■’r-r; — Latr., Gen. Crust, et Insect., tom. i, p. 99.
— — Blackw., Annals and Mag. of Nat. Hist., second series, vol. x,
p. 253.
— tigrina, Koch, Die Arachn., Band v, p. 87, tab. 167, fig. 398.
Length of the female, |th of an inch; length of the cephalo-thorax, ith, breadth, ^th ;
breadth of the abdomen, §th; length of an anterior leg, ^ th s; length of a leg of the third
pair, Aths.
The legs are of a brownish-yellow colour, with black annuli; the first pair is the longest,
then the fourth, and the third pair is the shortest; each tarsus is terminated by a short supplementary
joint, into which two curved, pectinated claws are inserted. The short palpi
resemble the legs in colour, and their digital joint in slender and pointed. The cephalo-thorax
is large, oval, and remarkably convex,, particularly in the posterior region, which is without an
indentation in the medial line; it is of a brownish-yellow colour, having a very irregular black
line, extending from a prominence on each side of the frontal margin to the posterior gibbosity,
irregular black marks on the sides and lateral margins, and a small black spot on which the
anterior pair of eyes is seated. The falces are feeble, conical, prominent, armed with a very
minute fang at the extremity, and of a brownish-yellow hue, with a black spot in front. The
lip is short and rounded at the extremity; and the sternum is oval, with small prominences on
the sides, opposite to the legs. These parts, with the maxillae, have a yellowish tin t; several
small black spots occur on the lateral margins and one in the middle of the sternum, and
there is a spot of the same hue on the outside of the enlarged base of the maxillae,
where the palpi are inserted. The abdomen is subglobose, slightly hairy, and of a pale,
dull, yellow hue spotted with black; on the upper part the larger spots are arranged in
a longitudinal row on each side of the medial line, and those near the anterior extremity are
confluent, forming one or more transverse lines; the spots on the under part are small and
few in number; the colour of the branchial opercula is yellow, and that of the very minute
sexual organs red-brown.
The male of Scylodes tlioradca has not yet been discovered. The female inhabits the
interior of houses, is slow in its movements, and carries its cocoon under the sternum, in which
situation it is retained by the instrumentality of the falces and palpi.
Dr. Leach has stated in the supplement to the 4th, 5th, and 6th editions of the ‘ Encyclopaedia
Britannica,’ article “ Annulosa,” that two females of this species have been taken near
Dover.
I N D E X .
A g e l e n a
b r u n n e a
cel a n s .
eslegans .
g ra c ilip e s
H y n dm a n ii
la b y r in th ic a
m o n ta n a
n a v a >
p rom p ta
A g e le n idæ .
A r g y r o n e ta .
a q u a tic a
A ty p u s
S u lz e ri
Ciniflo
a tro x
fe ro x
h um ilis
m o rd ax
sim ilis
C in iflo n idæ
C lu b io n a
a c c e n tu a ta
am a r a n th a
b re v ip e s
c om ta
c o rtic a lis.
d om e stic a
ep im e la s
e r r a tic a .
fo rm o s a .
b o lo se ric e a
n u t r ix .
p a lle n s .
PAGE 1
152 C æ lo te s
159 s a x a tilis .
161 D o lom e d e s .
155 f im b ria tu s
162 m ira b ilis
154 o r n a tu s .
152 D r a s s u s
157 a t e r
158 c la v a to r .
156 c u p r e u s .
152 f e r ru g in e u s
136 lap id ic o le n s
137 lu c ifu g u s
14 m ic a n s .
14 n i t e n s .
139 p ro p in q u u s
140 p um ilu s .
142 p u s illu s .
145 r e tic u la tu s
. 144 se ric e u s .
. 141 s y lv e s tris
. 139 D ra s s idæ
. 121 D y s d e r a
. 131 e r y th r in a
. 123 H om b e rg ii
. 127 ru b ic u n d a
. 128 D y sd e r idæ .
. 126 E p ë ir a
. 132 a c a ly p h a
. 124 a d ia n ta .
. 135 a g a le n a .
. 125 a lb im a c u la
. 122 a n g u la ta
134 a n th r a c in a
. 130 a n tr ia d a
PAGE
169
169
37
40
37
39
104
106
109
114
117
116
105
118
119
120
108
107
. 112
111
. 113
. 104
. 369
. 370
. 371
. 371
. 369
, 323
. 341
. 348
. 334
. 355
. 360
357
. 351