The neotropical orb-weaving spiders of the genera Wixia, Ponzonia, and Ocrepeira (Araneae: Araneidae)

95 Pages·1993·49.2 MB·English

by  H W Levi

THE NEOTROPICAL ORB-WEAVING SPIDERS OF THE GENERA
WIXIA, POZONIA, AND OCREPEIRA (ARANEAE: ARANEIDAE)
HERBERT W. LEVI1
Abstract. The species previously placed in Wixia (Levi, 1988), Witica (Levi, 1986), Epei-
fall into three distinct genera: Wixia, Pozonia, and roides, Bertrana,andAmazonepeira (Levi,
Oadcurletpseicroal.lecWtiexdiareciesntklnyowanndftrhoemhoolnoltyypoenecoplaliercteodf 1989), Araneus, Dubiepeira, and Acule-
in the last century, and several immatures, all from peira, (Levi, 1991a), Larinia (Harrod et
the Amazon region. Three species of Pozonia, all al., 1991), Edricusand Wagneriana (Levi,
previously known, are distributed from Mexico and 1991b), and Parawixia (Levi, 1992).
the West Indies to Paraguay. Ocrepeira contains 67 My goal has always been to make it pos-
scAipreegsceianerste,inntaewwoan(ndo7r0Cth%hilooeff.tMhFeeorxstipyec-cosiieaxsn)odfwh6ti5hleefOr1co8rme(p3Me0ei%xr)iacwsoeprete-o bsiebluesteoddfeotrerremsieanrecha.niWmhalesnsoI stthaartttehdewyocrakn,
previously known. There are eight new synonyms of it wasalongstandingtradition that system-
the 18 previously known names. Two North Ameri- atists would determine animals for biolo-
cofanTthhseepecscapireecasipeoafsceoWfiaxtnihdeattahhrereeaetbrgdaeonnsmeferenra.redidffteorOicnretpheeisrhaa.pe gaibsstsuridntootmheer tfhiaeltdss.ysHtoemwaetviestrs,siptensteethmeeidr
The few webs that are known, made by species of time identifying specimens, rather than
Pozonia and Ocrepeira, are complete orbs placed working on revisions and making this
almost vertically. knowledge directly available to these spe-
cialists. Revisions allow the identification
INTRODUCTION
of specimens and also provide a context
The family of araneid orb weavers, Ar- for the naming of new species. Naming of
aneidae, is the third largest spider family. new species should not be attempted be-
The only larger ones are the jumping spi- fore the genus has been revised and com-
ders (Salticidae) and the mainly Holarctic mon species, named in the last century,
Linyphiidae. Comprehensive revisions and illustrated and their variation noted.
akveayislcaoblveerfionrgetihtehewrhooflethNeesoetrfoampiilcisesa.rePneor-t spiWdheresnpecIiasltiasrttseidnwNoorrkt,h tAhmeerreicwae.reWhfeenw
haps half of the Neotropical araneid orb Jocelyn Crane worked on the behavior of
weavers have now been revised. The first Venezuelan jumping spiders (1948), she
revisionsof Neotropical speciesweremade first had to do the taxonomic work herself.
together with the Nearctic species: Gea At the same time, Kaston published Spi-
and Argiope (Levi, 1968), Neoscona (Ber- ders of Connecticut (1948). This work
manand Levi, 1971),andEriophora (Levi, showed the value of a clear text and good
1971). These will eventually be updated. illustrations in taxonomic work. Spiderscan
The first revision of the Neotropical ara- readily be identified with short, well-il-
neids was that of Micrathena and Chae- lustrateddescriptionssuchasthese,but not
tacis (Levi, 1985), followed by Alpaida with lengthy, elaborate descriptions ac-
companied by poor illustrations (for ex-
ample, Petrunkevitch, 1925). Therefore,
1 Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard Uni- my descriptions of Neotropical orb weav-
versity, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138. ers are accompanied by drawings of sev-
Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., 153(2): 47-141, April, 1993 47
48 Bulletin Museum of Comparative Zoology, Vol. 153, No. 2
eral views of the spider. To answer ques- Naturales, Buenos Aires, Argen-
tions about my working and drawing tina; E. A. Maury
methods for these revisions, a description MCN Museu de Ciencias Naturais,
is provided below. Porto Alegre, RioGrandedoSul,
Brazil; E. H. Buckup
MCZ Museum of Comparative Zool-
MATERIALS AND ogy, Cambridge, Massachusetts,
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS United States
Sopecimens trrom tihe frolnlowing colnlec- MECN Museo Ecuatoriano de Ciencias
Naturales, Quito, Ecuador; L.
tions were used whose curators I thank for Aviles
making the material available. MFC M. E. Galiano, Buenos Aires, Ar-
\\1\K American Museum of Natural gentina
MHNM
History, New York, United Museo de Historia Natural de
States; N. Platnick, L. Sorkin Montevideo, Uruguay; R. M.
BMNH
Natural History Museum, Lon- Capocasale
don, Great Britain; P. Hillyard, MLJ Maria-Luisa Jimenez, La Paz,
F. Wanless Mexico
CAS California Academy of Sciences, MLP Museode Universidad Nacional,
San Francisco, California, Unit- La Plata, Argentina; R. F. Ar-
eUdbicStkates; W. J. Pulawski, D. MNHN rMouzspieduem National d'Histoire
cue
Cornell University Collection, Naturelle, Paris, France; C. Rol-
kept in the AMNH; N. Platnick lard, J. Heurtault, J. Kovoor
CV Carlos Valderrama A., Bogota, MNRJ Museu Nacional, Rio de Janeiro,
Colombia Brazil; A. Timotheo da Costa
DAD D. A. Dean, College Station, MNSD Museo Nacional de Historia
Texas, United States Natural, Santo Domingo, Do-
1)1 D. Ubick, San Francisco, Cali- minican Republic; F. Del Monte
fornia, United States MUSM Museo de Historia Natural,
FSCA Florida State Collection of Ar- Universidad Nacional Mayor de
thropods, Gainesville, Florida, San Marcos, Lima, Peru; D. Sil-
United States; G. B. Edwards vaD.
HECO Hope Entomology Collections, MZSP Museu de Zoologia da UJniver-
Oxford University, Oxford, sidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo,
Great Britain; D. Spencer-Smith, Brazil; P. Vanzolini, L. Neme, J.
I. Lansbury L. M. Leme
IESC Instituto de Ecologia, Academia MZUF Museo Zoologico de la Specola,
de Ciencias, Cuba; G. Alayon Universita di Firenze, Florence,
IBNP Inventario Biologico Nacional, Italy; S. Mascherini
NMB
San Lorenzo, Paraguay;J. A. Ko- Naturhistorisches Museum, Ba-
chalka sel, Switzerland; C. Stocker
INPA Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas NRMS Naturhistoriska Riksmuseet,
da Amazonia, Manaus, Brazil; J. Stockholm, Sweden; T. Krones-
A. Raphael tedt
IRSNB Institut Royal des Sciences Na- PAN Polska Akademia Nauk, War-
turelles de Belgique, Brussels, szawa, Poland; A. Riedel, W.
Belgium; L. Baert Starega, J. Proszynski, A. Slo-
[AK J. A. Kochalka jewska, E. Kierych
M|AMMCN J. M. Maes, Leon, Nicaragua RLCB Renner L. C. Baptista, Sao Pau-
Museo Argentino de Ciencias lo, Brazil
WlXIA, POZONIA, AND OCREPEIRA • Levi 49
SMF Forschungsinstitut Seneken- microscope: used rarely forsmallgenitalia.
berg, Frankfurt am Main, Ger- Used sometimes with reflected light pro-
many; M. Grasshoff vided by a fiber light system (a method
USNM National Museum of Natural first suggested by J. Coddington). The op-
History, Smithsonian Institu- tics of a compound microscope are far su-
tion, Washington, D.C., United perior to those of any dissecting micro-
States; J. Coddington scope. The genitalia are in a depression
ZMB Zoologisches Museum der Hum- slide covered with alcohol.
boldt Universitat, Berlin, Ger- 4. Dolan-Jenner Fiber Light (Series 180)
many; M. Moritz with two arms, one lighting from the left,
ZMK Zoologisk Museum, Kobenhavn, the other from the right. Both lights are
Denmark; H. Enghoff used to see outlines; for shading and sculp-
turing illustrations, only the left is used.
1 want to thank numerous individuals Containers. 1. Syracuse watch glasses
for helping. L. Leibensperger helped with (withgrooved and beveled edgesforstack-
various tasks including rewording the ing) are used for preliminary examination
manuscript. L. R. Levi reworded sentenc- of specimens. I prefer them with ground
es. D. Sherry word processed and assem- rims so they can be stacked.
mm
bled the paper. F. Boisse-Kilgo edited me- mm2. Stender glass dishes (22 deep, 52
ticulously. M. A. SernaD. andE. H. Buckup insidediameter) withground glasslids
provided locality information. R. Baptista, are used for detailed examination and il-
W. Eberhard, J. Kochalka, and Y. Lubin lustration. OneStenderdish is filledtoone-
gave ecological and behavioral data. J. quarter depth with light-colored washed
Proszynski supplied information on the sand, another with black silicon carbide
Taczanowski collection. O. Kraus gave ad- (Carborundum, B. Opell, 1983), lapidary
vice on a nomenclature problem. Various grade, 80 grit size. A third dish is filled on
readersof previous manuscripts madesug- one side with white paraffin and on the
gestions to improve these papers and two other with black paraffin (made by black-
anonymous readers suggested improve- ening paraffin with lampblack). When
ments and corrections in this paper. NSF making the dish, a temporary cardboard
grant GB-36161 supported the start of the divider keeps the hot paraffin from mixing
revisions of Wixia and related genera. and is removed when it solidifies. While
Publication costs of this study were cov- the paraffin is soft, depressions of various
ered in part by the Wetmore Colles Fund. sizes are made, some in the black-white
Equiptiient. 1. American Optical dis- border.
secting microscope with Greenough optics Art Materials. 1. Papers. Tracing paper
(ca. 1950) with 0.7x, 4x, and 8x objec- (letter-size onion skin), coquille board no.
tives. The 12x ocular gives magnifications 3, two-ply Strathmore board, for line il-
of 8.4x , 48x , and 96x . The right reticule lustrations and Bainbridge board (38 by 51
has a 20 by 20 (400 square) grid. Other cm) for mounting illustrations. The sculp-
oculars available for higher magnification turedcoquilleboard, which used tobe used
are 18x and 30x. widely for illustrations of newspaper ad-
2. Leitz dissecting microscope also with vertisements,is increasinglydifficult tofind
Greenough optics, lx, 4x, and 10x ob- in art stores and in consistent quality,
jectives and 15x, 25x, and 32x oculars. whiteness, and evenness of texture.
In the reticule of the American Optical 2. Drawing Supplies. Rapidograph or
microscope, alternate rows of squares are other technical pen, sizes 000 (0.25 mm),
numbered, which makes this reticule eas- 00 (0.3 mm), 2, 3, and 4. Black India ink:
ier to use than the Leitz reticule with un- Rapidograph or Pelikan drawing ink A.
numbered squares. Opaque white water paint (Steig's Pro-
3. Leitz Smith interference compound White). Good quality no. 2 pencils. Wil-
50 Bulletin Museum of Comparative Zoology, Vol. 153, No. 2
liam Corn's lithographic crayons in pencil When the outline is completed, the back
shape no. 3, 4, and 5. Black Staedtler Om- of the tracing paper is blackened by rub-
nichrom pencilsthatcan besharpened (first bing with a graphite pencil. The paper is
suggested by R. Forster). Sandpaper for put blackened-side down on a pieceof Co-
sharpening crayons. Camel-hair brushes, quille board. Tracing the outline with a
sizes 1, 00, 000. Crow-quill pen tip and sharp graphite pencil transfers it to the
holder and a desk fluorescent light having board. Care must be taken not to dent the
a magnifying lens. texture of the board.
3. Cards approximately 13 by 20 cm. The outline is corrected with pencil
Each card is gridded into squares of a giv- while referring to the specimen. The out-
mm
en size: 5, 6, or 7 etc., up to 15, 18, line is then inked with a no. 00 Rapido-
21, and 25 mm. Grids are drawn with no. graph pen, with the help of a magnifying
00 Rapidograph pens. glass under a fluorescent light. The inked
4. Fixative: Krylon no. 1303 Crystal outline is placed next to the microscope
Clear Spray or Krylon no. 1306, Workable for completion. No. 3 and 4 Rapidograph
Fixative. pensare used toblacken totally thedarkest
5. 3M Scotch Positional Mounting Ad- areas. Cleaning brushes used for this pur-
hesive rolls for mounting illustrations on pose is time-consuming. The white of the
Bainbridge board. reflections,thelightestareas,issurrounded
Illustrations. In males, the left palpus is lightly with Omnichrome pencil. Dimmer
mm
amputated (and stored in a 2 by 6 vial areas are shaded in with no. 4 lithographic
stoppered with cotton). In females, the crayon and Omnichrome pencils, darker
epigynum is left attached, but pulled out areas with softer crayons. Fine white lines
slightly with a needle for examination of are made around sclerites with water color
posterior and lateral views. white. A camel-hair brush is used, drawn
The following conventions are used in to a point by lightly twisting the wet point
making illustrations. The illumination while touching paper. There may be prob-
comes from the upper left. The anterior lems differentiating transparent areas and
end of the animal is placed toward the top borders of sclerites; for example, palpal
of the page, the posterior end toward the structures close to the cymbium may be
bottom. In side view, the head is on the obscured by long cymbial setae. The pal-
left, the tail end on the right. The left side pus (or other structure) should be turned
and the structures are illustrated. In illus- slightly and compared with the drawing
trating epigyna and palpi, I modify the to make sure the shape of the sclerites is
convention to ease visualization of struc- correct. The palpus should be pulled apart
tures, e.g., in posterior view of the epigy- only if many specimens are available.
num, the venter is up, the dorsum is down The illustration is cleaned under the
as you would expect if you flipped it over. magnifying light. Areas covered by lith-
A grid card is selected so as to produce ographic pencil are difficult to correct:
a finished illustration of 6 to 9 cm in size, small whitedotscanbe madeto makedark
about 2 to 3 times the published size. The areas lighter, or some black can be lifted
card grid corresponds to the microscope up with 3M Scotch Magic Tape (a G. Hor-
reticule grid. A piece of tracing paper is miga invention). When completed, the il-
folded in half and placed over the grid lustration is sprayed with artist's fixative
card. The pencil outline is drawn on the and later mounted on Bainbridge board.
tracing paper. If the illustration is sym- After mounting, the illustrations are in-
metrical, only half of the structure need dividually numbered with a Rapidograph
be drawn; the drawing can be folded and letteringset. Illustratingtechniquesarede-
the other half traced. Great care is re- scribed in some detail in Zweifel (1988)
quired when folding to avoid distortion. and Hodges (1988).
Wixia, Pozonia, and Ocrepeira • Levi 51
Line illustrations are made on smooth Lectotypes here are only designated
Strathmore board, 2 to 3 times larger than when a mixture of species is suspected
the coquille illustrations, and are reduced among the syntypes. Neotypes are desig-
to the desired size by photocopying. The nated only where essential to avoid later
photocopiesare mounted with thecoquille confusion. In previous revisions all adult
illustrations. specimens examined for the revision were
When illustrating and measuring, one is designated as paratypes. In this paper only
faced with a dilemma between pulling the specimensfrom thetype locality or nearby
specimen apart in order to be highly ac- are designated as such.
curate or measuring less accurately and Descriptions. Descriptions are made
leaving the specimen intact for the next following a standard format. An outline to
study. It is usually preferable to avoid be filled in later is in the computer. No-
damaging thespecimen. Genitaliaor other tation of colors: white on the carapace and
parts are never left on microscope slides. sternum in these araneid genera is usually
If a structure such as the female genitalia aresultof pigment granulesunder theexo-
must be cleared with Hover's Medium skeleton. Fine black pigment spots are re-
(Krantz, 1970) and mounted between two ferred to as dusky. Eye measurements are
large coverslips, they are taken off after- expressed as ratios of the diameter (with
ward and the structure is stored in a small cornea in profile) to that of the anterior
vial with the rest of the specimen. median eyes (Figs. 27, 28). Distances be-
Type specimens. The original speci- tween eyes of the anterior row are ex-
mens, the types of early describers, are pressed as diameters of the anterior me-
often not labeled as such. The concept of dian eyes (in profile); distances between
a holotype to which the species name is eyes of the posterior row are given as di-
attached was not applied until early this ameters of the posterior median eyes. The
century. The type method is quite recent, heightoftheclypeus,thedistancebetween
appearing after 1850. The original Code anterior median eyes and the edge of the
of Nomenclatureof 1901 had nodirections carapace, is given in diameters of an an-
for types (Mayr, 1969; Mayr and Ashcroft, terior median eyeand measured below the
1991). Often it is not known if the speci- eye (Fig. 28f). These measurements are
mens examined and labeled as types are approximateasaraneideyesarequitevari-
really the original specimens. The labeling able and difficult to measure; often one
of specimens as types of the Emerton col- side is slightly different from the other.
lection in the MCZ was done by E. B. Grasshoff (1968) discusses some of the dif-
Bryant, not by Emerton. The American ficulties in measuring araneid spiders and
specimens of Taczanowski at the Polish their eyes.
Academy of Sciencehad only numbersthat Othermeasurementsaremadeusingthe
were matched to notebooks in the 1930's ocular reticulewith 400squaresand, while
by Zolzislaw Raabe,wholaterbecamepro- accurate to about one-tenth of a milli-
fessorat the university in Warszawa; Raabe meter, the measurements must be regard-
could not locate all specimens and some ed as approximate for several reasons. The
file cards indicate missing specimens (J. total length of the specimen depends on
Proszynski, personal communication). Eu- the angle of the abdomen to the carapace.
gene Simon, and perhaps also N. Banks, In Wixia, Pozonia, and Ocrepeira the ab-
placedadditional spiders intothe vialsthat domen is at an angle to the cephalothorax
contained the original specimens, some- (Fig. 40). A slight dorsal pressure makes
times of similar but different species. In the animal longer. [Often, as in Ocrepeira
the British Museum, many neat, inked la- (Fig. 44), when illustrating the abdomen
belsofO. P.-and F. O. P.-Cambridgewere the carapace is pushed slightly down to
made by E. Browning and others. make the abdomen more level to better
52 Bulletin Museum of Comparative Zoology, Vol. 153, No. 2
show the pattern.] Measuring carapace Thedotsaretransferdots; labelingof maps
length cannot be done accurately without is done with a Kroy machine. The most
removing the abdomen, which usually valuable references for finding old Neo-
covers the posterior of the thoracic region. tropical localities are Selander and Vaurie
To avoid amputation, the measurement of (1962) for Mexico and Central America,
carapacelength (Fig. 27) isbest madewith and the collection of gazetteers of Neo-
the specimen on sand and viewed at an tropical bird collecting localities by R.
angle, but the legs may obscure the view. Paynter (1975-1991). [Several collectorsof
The width of the carapace is measured at South American spidersspecialized in birds
the widest part (Fig. 27), and the mea- as well as spiders: K. Jelski and J. Sztolc-
surement is more accurate in specimens man (who collected for L. Taczanowski),
having a sclerotized carapace. If the car- E. Goeldi (who collected for E. Simon),
apace is soft it may be warped. In the and Graf Keyserling, E. Simon himself,
group of genera studied here, the width and more recently, H. Sick (Levi, 1964).]
of the cephalic region is measured directly Other localities cited in the Paynter gaz-
behind the posterior lateral eyes (Fig. 27). etteers were collecting localities frequent-
However, if the longest setae of the car- ed by collectors of various animals in the
apace are behind the lateral eyes, they in- 19th century. Modern automobile maps of
terfere with very accurate measurement. individual countries, especially those with
The leg articles are measured along their gazetteers, are useful and available from
dorsal length; as they are not amputated mapstores. Automobile mapsareavailable
and placed on a horizontal slide, there may for individual Mexican states and for sep-
be small errors due to parallax. arate regions of Argentina.
Illustrations, descriptions, and measure- Literaturecitationsof collection records
ments were made from one specimen, and are ignored since too many specimens in
photocopies of all illustrations are kept. A collections are misidentified.
more sclerotized or a softer specimen may Systematics of Neotropical orb weav-
show features not visible in other speci- ers. It is not possible to estimate the num-
mens. If there is considerable variation, ber of araneid orb-weaver species based
additional illustrations are made. Notes on on our current knowledge. (While I antic-
variation in color, pattern, or morphology ipated about twenty species in the genus
are recorded on a second sheet for records Wixia, the collections had close to 70 spe-
and collections. Also noted on this sheet ciesand actually fellclearly intothreegen-
are the total lengths of about 10 females era.) The phylogenetic relationshipsamong
and 10 males from different localities. To- the orb weavers are currently unknown
tal length is helpful for determining spi- but certain features could turn out to be
ders, although less consistent than the conclusive. Theparamedianapophysismay
length of the leg articles (see also Levi, be absent, present as a separate sclerite, or
1985). fused to the conductor. In Wixia, Pozonia,
When only a few specimens are avail- and Ocrepeira, the presence of a para-
able, it is difficult to decide whether some median apophysis attached to the conduc-
small variation actually means that the tor in the male palpus (Figs. 23, 32, 46,
specimen belongs to a different species. I 47) may indicate that they are related.
expect a separatespeciestoexhibit not only Other genera of the Neotropics whose
consistent differences in genitalia, but also males have a paramedian apophysis at-
in color or morphology, and show similar tached to the conductor are: Acacesia, Al-
differences in the opposite sex. Neverthe- paida, Cyclosa, Edricas, Molinaranea,
less, even with care, lumping or splitting Parawixia, Scoloderus, Verrucosa, Wag-
mistakes are unavoidable. neriana, and Xylethrus. Others probably
Mapping. Our own outline maps are have not been examined or their males are
used and photocopied to reduce their size. not known. In Eriophora, Gasteracantha
WlXIA, POZONIA, AND OCREPEIRA • Levi 53
cancriformis, and Acanthepeira the para- ilies. In Araneus it has a pocket at its tip
median apophysis is a separate sclerite. (Levi, 1991a, fig. 1). In Larinia this pocket
Some Micrathena species have a para- may be behind a thick lip (Harrod et ah,
median apophysis attached to the conduc- 1991, fig. 1). In Aculepeira (allied to Ara-
tor, others a free sclerite, others lack this neus) the tip is pointed (Levi, 1991a, fig.
structure (M. funebris, M. sagittata, M. 543). It rarely, if ever, has a pocket in
gracilis, Levi, 1985): apparently it is sec- Eriophora,Parawixia,andOcrepeira (Figs.
ondarily lost. But is absence of the para- 7, 29); if flat and rounded, it may have a
median apophysis in other genera due to plain, ventral depression at the tip.
secondary lossordid theyneverevolve this At present, it is still too early to assess
structure? Of the genera that have a para- whether further evidence will agree or
median apophysis, Molinaranea and X(/- conflict with these characters.
tethrus have not been revised. A. A. Lise
is currently revising Verrucosa. Most of Wixia 0. P.-Cambridge
these genera are American. Parawixia may
also be found in Australia, and only Cy- Wixia O. P.-Cambridge, 1882: 437. Type species by
closa speciesare found worldwide (see Ta- mTohneogteynpeyricWinxaimaeaibsdfoemmiinnailnies. O. P.-Cambridge.
ble 1).
Other characters that support this Diagnosis. Wixia differs from most ar-
grouping are: the positions of the conduc- aneid genera by having the pedicel at-
tor in the palpus, the attachment of the tached to the posterior third of the abdo-
median apophysis, the number of patellar men (Fig. 4b). It differs from Pozonia and
setae, the structure of the epigynum, and Ocrepeira by having the carapacehigh and
the frequent median, posterior (row of) the clypeus about 2 to 4 diameters of the
tubercles on the abdomen in the Alpaida anterior median eyes, and from Pozonia
group of genera (but not in Ocrepeira). by thecephalic region beingalmostaswide
The conductor is on the edge of the te- as the thoracic region (Figs. 4 a-c, 6). It
gulum in Araneus (Levi, 1991a, fig. 3) and differs from Scoloderus by having the tho-
in Larinia (Harrod et ah, 1991, fig. 15), racic region only slightly higher than the
while in the Ocrepeira and Alpaida group cephalic region (Fig. 4b).
of genera it is attached to the center of the Relationship. Theshapeofthecarapace
bulb, away from the edge, closer to the isanapomorphy,theswollen posteriorme-
cymbium (Figs. 23, 32). The median dian eye area and the palpal structure are
apophysis, whose attachment is offset be- synapomorphies shared with Ocrepeira
hind the sclerite in Araneus (Levi, 1991a, and Pozonia, and the shape of the abdo-
fig. 3) and Larinia (Harrod et ah, 1991, men is a synapomorphy with Pozonia.
figs. 14, 15), is on the side of the sclerite Description. The posterior median eyes
in the Ocrepeira, Alpaida group of genera face almost to the sides, being on a joint
(Figs. 23, 32). While most average-sized swelling (Figs. 4, 6). The first patella and
speciesoftheAraneus,Lariniagrouphave tibia are as long as the carapace (Figs. 5,
2 palpal patellar setae, there is only one in 6). The abdomen is anteriorly drawn out
the Ocrepeira, Alpaida group. [However, in both sexes, the female with two tuber-
dwarf males of Kaira lack these setae, and cles on its anterior tip (Figs. 4, 6). The
giant males of Eriophora (allied to Alpai- epigynum appears to be as in Ocrepeira
da) havetwo. ThesmallestEriophora male, or Pozonia (Figs. 1-3).
E. nephiloides O. P.-Cambridge, and the The male is smaller than the female and
largest of the Parawixia species, P. bistria- similar in appearance (Fig. 6). Its endite
ta Rengger, have one large macroseta and has a tooth, the first coxa has a hook (Fig.
one small.] 6), the palpal patella one macroseta (Fig.
The scape of the epigynum has evolved 6). The palpus (Figs. 5a,b) is Ocrepeira-
numerous times in various araneoid fam- like with a large median apophysis (M), a
54 Bulletin Museum of Comparative Zoology, Vol. 153, No. 2
V3
Wixia, Pozonia, and Ocrepeira • Levi 55
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56 Bulletin Museum of Comparative Zoology, Vol. 153, No. 2
tatarendensis (Tullgren, 1905: 34) belongs to a new-
genus, close to Wixia.
Unrecognizable Species.
proximoMello-Leitao, 1940:207,typespecimenslost.
Wixia abdominalis O. P.-Cambridge
Figures 1-6; Map 1
Wixia abdominalis O. P.-Cambridge, 1882: 438, pi.
31, fig. 13, 9. Femaleholotypefrom "theAmazon,"
in HECO, examined. Roewer, 1942: 881. Bonnet,
1959: 4828.
Description. Female holotype. Cara-
pace orange-brown with short setae. Che-
licerae, labium, endites, sternum, legs or-
ange-brown. Dorsum of abdomen white
with some dusky marks (Fig. 4a); venter
dusky. Posterior median eyes 1.2 diame-
ters of anterior medians, laterals 0.7 di-
ameter. Anterior median eyes their di-
abdominalis ameter apart. Posterior median eyes two
diameters apart. Ocular quadrangle wider
behind than in front. Height of clypeus
Map 1. Distributionof Wixiaabdominalis. equal to 3.5 diameters of anterior median
eyes. There is a tooth on the anterior mar-
light-colored conductor (C) with a prong- gin of the chelicera, on each side of which
like paramedian apophysis (PM) with its is a smaller one. Abdomen drawn out an-
tip tucked under the radix (R). teriorly witmhmt.wo points (Figs.m4ma,b). Total
Misplaced North American Species. length 5.4 Carapace3.1 long,2.3
OcrWeipxeiiaraeectcitjyppaa ((WWaallcckkeennaaeerr),. 1841) = twhiodrea,ci1c.9rewgiiodne. bAebhdinodmeenyes8,.81.m6mhiglhongi.n
Wixiageorgia (Levi, 1976) = Ocrepeira First femur 2.7 mm, patella and tibia 3.1
georgia (Levi). NEW COMBINATION. mm, metatarsus 2.0 mm, tarsus 0.9 mm.
Misplaced species. The following spe- Second patella and tibia 3.1 mm, third 1.8
cies have been misplaced in Wixia, other mm, fourth 2.5 mm.
than those placed here in Pozonia and Male. Coloration darker than female
Ocrepeira: with yellow-orange and dark patches pos-
teriorly on each sideofcarapace. Legs with
aalcbrioaotnsaaoemnaoiciardtoeassoMm(eoMlieldloel-soL,-eLiseteiaetoa,Loe,1v9i14,923:199:490113b0,:9)i,s40Ai4ls.pWaaigdnaerru-- dblaarckk.riPnogsst,eraibordommeedniasnpoetyteesd0.w8itdhiavmeentteerr
bellula (Keyserling, 1892), see Levi, 1988: 395. of anterior medians, laterals 0.6 diameter.
destricta (O. P.-Cambridge, 1889: 39) isaParawixia Anterior median eyes 0.7 diameter apart.
not Wixia as thought in Levi, 1991a: 179. Posterior median eyes 1.4 diameters apart.
fiscsoirfansuctiaata(TMaeclzlaon-oLwesiktia)o,,s1e9e45L:evi2,44,198is8:Al3p8a7.ida bi- The abdomen has a bulge anteriorly on
gavensis Camargo, 1950: 231, is Wagneriana gav- the underside (Fig. 6). The fourth coxa has
ensis (Camargo), see Levi, 1991b. a macroseta on a tubercle, the fourth tro-
infelix Soares and Camargo, 1948: 378, fig. 35, S, is chanter has a macroseta. There is a large,
a Mecynogea. long macroseta on a tubercle at the prox-
nigrruboeplulnucltaat(KaeyMseelrlloi-nLg,eit1a8o92,),19s4e1e:Le2v1i4,, 1i9s88A:lp3a9i5d.a imal end of the second femur and several
rubellula (Keyserling, 1892: 81), isAlpaida rubellula macrosetae at the proximal end of the
(Keyserling, 1892). fourth femur (Fig. 6). The second tibia is