Art. XXVII.—On Two Species of Aranea new to Science, from the Jenolan Caves, New South Wales.

Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand, Volume 22, 1889, Page 236

Art. XXVII.—On Two Species of Aranea new to Science, from the Jenolan Caves, New South Wales. By A. T. Urquhart. [Read before the Auckland Institute, 11th November, 1889.] Plate XVI. Fam. Theridiidæ. Gen. Linyphia, Latr. Linyphia weburdi, sp. nov. Plate XVI., fig. 2. Female.—Ceph.-th., long, 1. Abd., long, 1.2. Legs, 1, 4–2, 3. Cephalothorax fulvous, radii faint-black; few black bristle-like hairs; areolate; oval, lateral constriction at caput slight; pars cephalica convex, somewhat squarely truncated; pars thoracica convex, fovea large, oval; striæ faint; profile-contour slopes backwards, with a slight double arch, at a moderate angle, to thoracic junction; clypeus convex, directed forwards, depth exceeds one-half facial space. Eyes pearl-grey, posited on dark rings; of tolerable and nearly equal size, except the fore-centrals, which are much the smallest of the eight; posterior row procurved, median pair perceptibly the largest, separated from each other by an interval visibly exceeding an eye's diameter; more than that space from laterals of same row; anterior row slightly recurved; centrals placed about their diameter apart; separated from side-eyes by an interval scarcely equalling their space; laterals seated obliquely, about their radius from one another, on moderate tubercular eminences. Legs yellowish-amber colour; long, slender, of nearly equal length; first pair, 5mm.; hairs black, fine; bristles sparse; femoral joints of two first pairs armed with spines; patellæ have one long spine; strongish long spines on tibiæ; single spine on metatarsi.

Palpi colour and armature of legs; no claw. Falces light burnt-umber colour; length rather exceeds depth of facial space; project perceptibly forwards; second half somewhat attenuated and divergent; four rather close teeth on inner row; three strong teeth on outer. Maxillœ large, somewhat oval, apex roundly truncated, slightly inclined towards labium, which is short, breadth exceeds length, much everted; colour of organs yellow-brown. Sternum chocolate-brown; broad-cordate, eminences opposite coxæ. Abdomen oviform; pale-grey, posterior half clouded with slaty-black, patch of a similar colour on base. Corpus vulvœ represents a large, brownish, transversely-wrinkled cucullus, nearly as broad as long; sides prolonged into rather wide processes, concave on inner side, apices rounded, beaded; projecting from within, and rather beyond the lateral processes, is a yellowish broad scape, apex rounded, beading reddish. A single specimen of this small species was contained in a collection kindly sent me by Mr. Voss Weburd, who captured it in the Jenolan Caves. Fam. Lycosidæ. Gen. Cycloctenus, L. Koch. Cycloctenus abyssinus, sp. nov. Plate XVI., fig. 1. Female.—Ceph.-th., long, 3.5; broad, 3. Abd., long, 3; broad, 2. Legs, 4, 1–2–3 = 16, 15 mm. Cephalothorax light raw-sienna; marginal band narrow, brown; middle band sinuate fringe of dark hairs; sparsely furnished with rather coarse orange-red and black hairs; cephalothorax in length equals tibial joint of a leg of third pair; pars cephalica convex, somewhat quadrate, one-half breadth of thorax; pars thoracica circular, convex; border hem rather broad; indentation reddish, long, narrow, longitudinal; striæ shallow; profile-contour represents a double arch; clypeus directed moderately forwards, depth about equal to breadth of anterior row of eyes. Eyes on dark rings; anterior pair sensibly recurved, small, three-fourths their breadth from each other; their diameter and a quarter from median eyes of central row; second row slightly recurved, centrals large, about equal to posterior pair in size, separated by an interval nearly equalling three-fourths of an eye's breadth; scarcely that space from laterals, which are rather the smallest of the eight, have a pearl-grey lustre; eyes of third row posited on low tubercular eminences, divided from median pair of second line by an interval visibly exceeding their own diameter; form with latter pair a strongly recurved line.

Legs and cephalothorax concolorous, faint-blackish annuli; moderately slender, of nearly equal length and strength, furnished with fine yellowish and black hairs; femora armed with 5 or 6 long spines; patellæ 1; tibiæ of first and second pairs have 11 long spines on under-side, 2 strong bristles above; 10 spines on metatarsi; tibial joints of two hind pairs armed with 8 or 9 slighter spines; metatarsi 8; claws long, somewhat slender, moderately and evenly curved, project upwards, free end longest; superior tarsal claws of first pair have 11 comb-teeth increasing in length and strength; inferior claw sharply curved, 2 comb-teeth, basal rather the shortest; superior claws of fourth pair 4 teeth; inferior claw 2, shorter than those of first pair. Palpi colour and armature of legs; length 5mm.; palpal claw long, slender, slightly curved, 2 teeth at base, outer longest. Falces light mahogany-brown; armed with hairs and few bristles on basal half; conical, project at base in front inclined sensibly inwards. Maxillœ long, spathulate, slightly inclined towards labium, which is somewhat quadrate, apex concave; one-third length of maxillæ; organs mahogany-brown. Sternum and legs concolorous; sparse black hairs; broad-ovate. Abdomen oviform, posterior end widest, base slightly truncated, moderately convex; rather thickly clothed with coarse yellowish hairs; yellow-brown, two somewhat acute brown marks on base; four spots in centre of back; series of faint blackish flecks on lateral margins; few dark marks about spinners. Corpus vulvœ represents a large triangular area, apex directed forwards; centre somewhat depressed, reddish-chocolate colour; the margins—except the base, which displays a large, somewhat reniform, orange-red lobe—are beaded, broad, colour of lobe. Male.—Two immature males did not differ essentially in form or coloration from the female examples. Jenolan Caves, Voss Weburd, A. T. U. Explanation Of Plate XVI. Fig. 1. Cycloctenus abyssinus, sp. nov. Female, three times natural size: a, tarsus of fourth leg; b, claw of palpus; c, vulva; d, eyes. Fig. 2. Linyphia weburdi, sp. nov. Female, ten times natural size: a, vulva. The Jenolan Caves form a group of nine caverns in the series of caves that occurs in the coral limestone range that

Jenolan Cave Spiders

extends from Mudgee to Goulburn. Seven of them possess galleries and chambers of considerable extent, and are remarkable for the variety of form and beauty of their stalactites and stalagmites. An underground river, of some interest, flows through two of them. The other two caverns are merely grand arches rising to a height of about 300ft. These caves were formerly known as the Binda, or Fish River Caves, and were apparently known to Europeans as early as 1831. They are about 114 miles from Sydney, and of easy access. The Government recently proclaimed the district in which they are situated a public reserve, erected necessary buildings, and appointed a curator.