Art. XXVI.—Description of a New Species of Argiope, from Fiji.

Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand, Volume 22, 1889, Page 234

Art. XXVI.—Description of a New Species of Argiope, from Fiji. By A. T. Urquhart. [Read before the Auckland Institute, 14th Octobrgrave, 1889.] Fam. Epeiridæ. Gen. Argiope, Sav. et Aud. Argiope leuco-picta, sp. nov. Female.—Ceph.-th., long, 8; broad, 7; facial index, 2.5. Abd., long, 14; broad, 9. Legs, 1, 2, 4, 3 = 36, 33, 30, 21 mm. Cephalothorax olive-brown, tinted with slate-colour, margined by an interrupted yellowish band; ocular area reddish-brown; fairly clothed with silky, white, adpressed hairs; length equals the tibial joint of a leg of 1st pair; pars cephalica somewhat aplanate, sides moderately rounded, lateral index 1.8mm.; eye-eminence projects forwards; pars thoracica depressedly convex, sides well rounded; fovea somewhat circular, large and moderately deep; radial and caput striæ well defined; profile-contour rises rather abruptly from thoracic junction, dips into median fovea, slopes forwards across the cephalic part with a slight curve; depth of clypeus equals diameter and a half of a fore-central eye. Eyes on small black rings; posterior row slightly recurved; median pair separated by an interval exceeding their diameter and one-half, about twice that distance from fore-centrals, perceptibly more than their space from lateral eyes of same row; anterior row strongly recurved, centrals perceptibly larger than hind pair, placed slightly nearer to one another; their space from lateral eyes, which are rather smaller than posterior centrals, posited obliquely on a common tubercle, three-fourths their breadth from one another. Legs yellowish olive-brown, femora clouded and irregularly annulated with a greenish dark chocolate-brown; patellæ suffused with a dark tinge; tibiæ and metatarsi have three broad, not well-defined, annuli of the normal colour; legs strong, each femur is equal in length to the patella and tibia, and the two latter articles equal the metatarsus and tarsus; superior tarsal claws—1st pair rather coarse, 6 teeth increasing in length and strength, 3 basal close; free end bent, enlarged near base; inferior claw stronger than superior, rather sharply bent, apex curved outwards; first tooth long. Palpi brownish-yellow, broken brown annuli; length 9.5; humeral joint in length is equal to the cubital and radial

together; two latter articles equal to digital joint; armature sparse fine hairs, numerous bristles, especially on penultimate and terminal joints; palpal claw 8 teeth, 2 basal small, 6 open teeth; free end bent forwards, base enlarged. Falces brownish-yellow, base suffused with olive-green, apex light-brown; vertical, somewhat conical, project at base in front; length 3mm., breadth exceeds one-half length. Maxillœ dark chocolate-brown, apices yellowish on inner side; spathulate, rather longer than broad, directed towards each other. Labium dark chocolate-brown, yellowish apex; rather broader than long, roundly pointed, moderately everted. Sternum dark chocolate-brown; central mark yellowish, undulating, acuminate; cordate; eminences opposite coxæ well developed. Abdomen oviform, about as deep as broad, slightly convex above, projects forwards and upwards over base of cephalothorax; displays a tubercular eminence in front; from the somewhat pointed prominence at posterior end the abdomen dips abruptly inwards to spinners; lateral margins corrugated; humeral processes moderately developed, rounded, directed upwards and outwards, placed rather close together and somewhat forward; the integument, with the exception of a large stone-coloured somewhat circular patch on fore-part, extending backwards to base of humeral processes, has a soft velvety appearance, is of a rich-brown colour, clouded with a deeper hue (appears nearly black to the unaided eye); the darker portions sparsely clothed with erect black hairs, and the stone-coloured pattern with silky, white, adpressed hairs; dorsal field elongate-oval, moderately constricted in centre, defined by a series of spots; basal half enclosed by six spots; anterior pair rather large, lunulate, partially encircle humeral processes on outer side; four hind spots much smaller, somewhat similar in form; posterior half bordered by more or less connected dots; on fore-half is a plier-shaped figure, formed by two short parallel lines extending from anterior pair of impressed spots to stone-coloured area, between them is a pale spot; diverging backwards from near the latter are two lines thickening and curving inwardly above the second pair of impressed spots; six dots occur between the latter spot and posterior end of the oval field, four form a quadrilateral figure at the constriction, two midway between them and posterior end of dorsal field; on lateral margins are two interrupted lines, following the contour of the median area—upper defined by a series of somewhat elongated dots, second row chiefly formed by three moderately-curved marks; few interrupted oblique lines converge towards spinners; sides and ventral surface olive-green tinge; shield bordered by a broken, undulating, stone-coloured

line; eight dots form a double row in centre. Corpus vulvœ reddish-brown, yellow spot at either end; more than twice as broad as long; centrally prolonged into a short, obtuse projection; lateral margins curve inwardly, terminate in somewhat oval shallow concavities; a moderately broad septum intersects two shallow pyriform foveæ. This handsome species, which is, as far as I am able to ascertain, new to science, was kindly communicated to me by P. Goyen, Esq., of Dunedin.