Art. XXXI.—On the Spiders of New Zealand.

Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand, Volume 5, 1872, Page 280

Art. XXXI.—On the Spiders of New Zealand. By Ll. Powell, M.D. Part I. Genus Salticus. (With Illustrations.) [Read before the Philosophical Institute of Canterbury, 1st May, 1872.] In the special department of Arachnology there is no modern systematic work; descriptions are scattered through the transactions of various societies, which are quite inaccessible to us at the antipodes; the differences between species are frequently so slight as to be described with great difficulty by a novice, and on the other hand some species vary in so remarkable a manner that there is great tendency to describe varieties as distinct species. I would ask students of the various branches of entomology in New Zealand not to be deterred by these obstacles, but to follow my example and do their best, feeling confident that with practice and experience difficulties will be gradually overcome. Let all species believed to be new be described with the utmost minuteness, leaving the genera doubtful where doubt exists, and avoiding the creation of new genera likely to create present confusion and subsequently to be swept away. This is the plan which I intend to pursue in recording descriptions of New Zealand spiders, and I have every confidence that arachnologists of greater experience in other parts of the world will deal tenderly with my shortcomings, assisting me with their advice, and indicating points which are more particularly deserving of attention. I would point out that there are many departments of natural history which are at present unnoticed, and it is greatly to be desired that members of this Society would take up single branches, collecting assiduously and describing carefully; in this way the study of natural history in New Zealand, will make rapid strides, and in this way alone.

Porina Mairi, Buller.

The spiders seem to be fairly represented in this country. My collecting has been performed in a very desultory manner on occasional holidays, and has been confined almost entirely to the neighbourhood of Christchurch. I have now in my possession specimens belonging to over sixty species of more than twenty genera. The number of genera is very large in proportion to the number of species, and affords an indication of the very wide field which lies open to the collector. Genus Salticus, Latreille. Pl. XIX. Eyes disposed in three rows, constituting three sides of a square, in front and on the sides of the cephalo-thorax; the two intermediate eyes of the anterior row are the largest, and the intermediate eye of each lateral row is much the smallest of the eight; maxillæ short, straight, enlarged at the base, where the palpi are inserted, and at the extremity which is rounded; lip oval, obtuse at the apex; legs robust, varying considerably in their relative length in different species. Of the genus Salticus, a very numerous genus in all parts of the world, I have eight species, which are, I believe, undescribed. Of seven of these I append minute descriptions, the eighth is a solitary immature specimen which I shall not at present describe. 1. Salticus Appressus, n.s. Fig. 1. Length .8 inch. Cephalo-thorax oblong; body remarkably flattened or depressed, nearly quadrilateral, about twice as long as broad; caput scarcely defined from the thorax, exceedingly flat; eyes of middle row rather nearer anterior laterals than posterior row; thorax about two and a half times as long as caput. Colour in some specimens uniform grey, produced by a coat of close short grey hair on a black ground. In adult males longitudinal black stripes on the grey ground, varying much in distinctness. Legs, order of length, 4, 1, 2, 3; fourth pair rather long and slender. First pair very broad, flattened out, especially the femoral joint; second pair robust and flattened, but far less so than first pair; third pair far the smallest and slenderest. Colour brownish grey, clothed with short grey hair. Palpi not very large or long; palpal organ tumid, with a slightly curved short filament at extremity; a strongish slightly crooked spine on outer aspect of radial joint; radial and digital joints clothed with long greyish hairs. Falces most remarkably small, corresponding in width to anterior middle pair of eyes, and no deeper than they are broad, inclined forwards. Maxillæ small, slightly inclined towards lip, dilated at extremity. Lip oval, rather longer than broad.

Sternum a long oval, rather sunk between the coxal joints of the legs. Abdomen flat, a long oval twice as long as cephalo-thorax, with two longitudinal creases or striæ; either uniform grey in colour, from having a thick coat of short grey hairs on a blackish surface, or denuded in places of hair so as to leave a black pattern consisting of a broad black band, extending half the length of the abdomen and terminating in three black lines, extending to the spinnerets. Towards the spinnerets on either side a couple of oblique black marks tending forwards towards the middle line; under surface black; vulval opening simple. The habits of this remarkable spider might be predicted from its form. It inhabits chinks and crevices, into which it sidles with great dexterity when alarmed. Its singular flattened form, as if it had been trodden underfoot, and its small inconspicuous falces, peculiarly adapt it to its favourite habitat. I have never seen it apart from palings or human habitations, never in the bush nor away from the neighbourhood of the town, although one would expect to find it like Delena, beneath the detached bark of trees. I have, however, never seen it in this situation. Found on palings in and around Christchurch. 2. Salticus Minax, n.s. Fig. 2. Length, .5 inch. Cephalo-thorax oval, truncated anteriorly, two-thirds as long again as broad, .2 in. long; lateral borders convex, a slight depression behind caput; normal grooves rather obscure. Colour rich blackish brown, becoming quite black at the lateral borders, an obscure mahogany-coloured stripe down the centre, surface polished. Eyes, three rows; middle pair of anterior row far the largest; middle pair decidedly nearer to anterior laterals than to posterior pair. Legs, 1, 4, 2, 3; anterior legs very robust and powerful, black, with strong spines on trochanteric libral and metatarsal joints, clothed with hairs; tarsus red brown; three posterior pairs comparatively slight and weak, dark honey colour; all the tarsi with a blackish scopula; length of anterior leg four-fifths of an inch in female, half an inch in male. Palpi not very large, rather long; palpal organ tumid, a short very slightly curved filament at extremity; a small simple spine on outer side of radial joint, also a few long curved hairs. Falces tumid, robust, black, with a strong brown black claw. In the male an abrupt projecting process about the middle of the fang. A few strong teeth on inner aspect of falx. Maxillæ long, divergent, inner border very convex; a rather acute angle at junction of anterior and outer borders. Lip long oval, truncated anteriorly. All dark mahogany brown.

Sternum oval, nearly black. Abdomen a long oval or cylindrical, tapering towards extremity, about three-fifths of an inch long. Colour dull olive green or greenish brown, with a striking pale greenish or greenish yellow stripe down the centre; normal pits generally well marked; under surface a dark stripe down the centre with pale borders. Vulva not very conspicuous. Favourite habitat—the dead leaves clothing the trunk of the cabbage-tree (Cordyline). Riccarton Bush, Governor Bay and North Island. 3. Salticus Atratus, n.s. Fig. 3. Length .3 inch, male the largest. Cephalo-thorax oblong, fully half as long again as broad, lateral borders convex; rather abruptly sloped posteriorly; a well marked transverse depression behind caput; thorax rather longer than caput. Colour brilliant black, with pinkish metallic reflections, especially on caput; a few blackish hairs sparsely distributed, especially at anterior border, a few white hairs bordering sides of caput. Eyes, middle row very nearly equidistant from anterior laterals, and posterior row very slightly nearer the former. Legs rather long and slender; order of length, 1, 3, 4, 2; first pair considerably longest and stoutest; not much difference between third and fourth. Colour of legs black, with a brownish tinge, tarsus reddish brown; legs clothed with fine black hairs, a few greyish hairs on two posterior pairs. Palpi not very long or large. Radial joint small and concealed on anterior aspect, a small curved, slightly crooked, spine on outer side; both cubital and radial joints provided with long coarse curved hairs. Palpal organ pear-shaped, a coarse blackish brown filament at distal extremity; taper extremity of the pear-shaped organ projects so as to hide the radial joint. Falces small, conical, dark red brown; fangs small and weak. Sternum a narrow oval. Maxillæ dilated and rounded at extremity; lightish brown. Under surface dull brown; coxæ light olive brown; legs and abdomen rather thickly clothed with greyish hairs. Abdomen slightly longer than cephalo-thorax, a rather broad oval pointed posteriorly. Ground colour black, bordered anteriorly with a band of white hairs; three not very well defined oblique bands of white hairs on either side, and some obscure markings of a similar nature above the spinners. Surface glossy, sparsely coated with black hairs, especially towards posterior extremity.

In the smaller adult male in my possession the white markings are scarcely distinguishable. The immature specimens are clothed throughout with short greyish hair, the markings being very obscure. Taken on rocks at Sumner. Two adult specimens; of males, several immature specimens. 4. Salticus V-Notatus, n.s. Fig. 4. Mature male. Length .25 inch nearly. Cephalo-thorax oblong, somewhat elongate, raised, slopes rather abruptly posteriorly, and projects well forward over the falces; brownish black, with a few light yellowish hairs along the lateral eyes; middle row of eyes about midway between anterior laterals and posterior pair. Legs, 1, 4, 2, 3; first and fourth not differing much in length; legs not very robust, but first and second more so than third and fourth; brownish black, sparsely clothed with longish hairs. Palpi—palpal organ pyriform, apex overhanging and concealing radial joint; at distal extremity a coarse blackish brown filament, curved like a ram's horn; radial joint has on outer aspect a crooked simple spine. Radial and digital joints clothed with longish white hairs. Falces cylindrical small. Maxillæ robust, rounded internally, forming an acute angle at junction of anterior and external borders; lightish brown; lip conical. Abdomen oval, pointed posteriorly; a broad black band down centre, dividing into three posteriorly, and inclosing a yellowish V shaped mark; sides irregularly marked with yellowish hairs; under surface yellowish grey, bordered with black. A single specimen taken on Oxford Terrace, Christchurch. 5. Salticus Fumosus, n.s. Fig. 6. Length .8 in. Cephalo-thorax semi-oval, abruptly truncated anteriorly; lateral borders very nearly straight for anterior two-thirds of their length; cephalo-thorax deep, flattened above and sloping away posteriorly; a slight transverse depression behind caput; colour dark brown; short red hairs fringe the anterior border above and around the eyes. Eyes, lateral eyes form a straight line; posterior eyes not quite midway from anterior border to posterior border of cephalo-thorax; middle row of eyes about midway from anterior laterals to posterior row. Legs, female 4, 1, 2, 3, male 1, 4, 2, 3, but scarcely any appreciable difference between fourth and first in female; first pair robust, dark blackish

brown; strong spines on trochanteric libral and metatarsal joints; three posterior pairs yellowish brown; second pair most robust and darkest of the three, and provided with strongest spines. Feet provided with a blackish scopula. Palpi rather long; palpal organ tumid, simple in structure, no filament perceptible. Radial joint provided with a strong curved spine on outer side and long coarse curved hairs; digital joint clothed with coarse hair. All dark brown. Falces small and short, not occupying much more breadth than the anterior pair of eyes; red brown. Maxillæ slightly divergent, rounded at exterior angle; lip abruptly truncated. Sternum a long oval, yellowish brown. Abdomen ovoid, pointed posteriorly; upper surface dull sooty brown or bistre colour; a broad pale band runs down the dorsum with a double darker line in the centre, interrupted at about a fourth of the distance by two minute oval pale spots, the whole obscurely striated by oblique lines. These markings are all very obscure. Under surface rather pale, and marked longitudinally by three dark lines originating near the generative pore and converging posteriorly. Vulva reddish brown, not conspicuous. Favourite habitat—dead leaves clothing the trunk of the cabbage-tree (Cordyline), Riccarton Bush. Abundant. 6. Salticus Mustilinus, n.s. Fig. 7. Length, .25 inch. Cephalo-thorax oval, truncated anteriorly, deep, sloped abruptly posteriorly, overhanging the falces, no perceptible grooves. Colour, between the eyes mahogany brown, with a lighter patch on the inner side of each posterior eye, a similar pale band down the centre of the thorax, anterior border of caput fringed with coarse yellowish white hairs, thorax sooty brown, with a palish band down the centre, and sometimes a bordering line of whitish hairs. Legs, 1, 4, 3, 2; first pair far the most robust, dark reddish brown, except the femoral joint, which is paler; other legs honey colour; second and third not differing much in length. Palpi rather long; palpal organ oval, proximal end concealing radial joint, at distal extremity a short slightly curved dark brown filament; on outer side of radial joint a short dark slightly curved spine. Falces long and powerful, conical, dark brown; claw strong and curved, with two slight projections on outer aspect, one small tooth on inner aspect. Maxillæ straight, rounded internally, forming a rather acute angle at

junction of anterior and outer borders; lip truncated, rather longer than broad, dark red brown. Sternum oval, pale and brown. Abdomen a long oval, pointed posteriorly, down the centre runs a reddish toothed band containing a sooty longitudinal mark vandyked or formed by confluent lozenges, on either side of the reddish band a sooty stripe bordered by pale yellowish white hairs. Under surface pale yellowish, with three longitudinal dark lines. Riccarton bush; on shrubs. 7. Salticus Albobarbatus, n.s. Fig. 8. Length of mature male, .25 inch. Cephalo-thorax oblong, sloping forwards anteriorly, sloping away abruptly posteriorly; sides very slightly convex, glossy black, slightly iridescent, and sparsely clothed with coarsish black hairs. Eyes, three rows; anterior middle pair far the largest, eyes of second row very small midway between anterior and posterior rows. Beneath the anterior row of eyes is a remarkable beard-like growth of pure white hair, converging from the sides towards the middle line, and contrasting strongly with the glossy black which is the prevailing colour of the spider; this beard nearly conceals the falces. Abdomen ovoid, rather pointed posteriorly. Colour glossy black. Legs, 4, 3, 1, 2; not very robust; black, becoming brownish towards distal segments. A black scopula terminates the tarsi; all the legs are sparsely clothed with black and whitish hairs. Having only dried male specimens I am unable to give further particulars with accuracy. Habitat, shingle slides. Castle Hill; collected by J. D. Enys, Esq.