THE GENUS OONOPS ( ARANEAE , OONOPIDAE ) IN PANAMA AND THE WEST INDIES . PART BY

This is the eighth paper in the series on the various genera in the Family Oonopidae as it is now known in Central America and the West Indies. It is the third and final paper on the genus Oonops and deals with this genus as it is now known in the West Indies trom the Virgin Islands, both _A_merican and British, westward to Trinidad, W. I. and Curacao, Netherlands Antilles. My own collections have been supplemented by the loan of specimens from the American Museum Natural History and the British Museum (Natural History) together with specimens deposited in the Museum of Comparative Zoology from earler collections. Dr. W. J. Gertsch, formerly Curator of Arachnida in the. American Museum of Natural History, New York City and Dr. J. A. L. Cooke, Associate Curator of Arachnida in the same institution have loaned me specimens of this genus trom the West Indies. Dr. J. G. Sheals and Mr. D. J. Clark, Dept. of Zoology, British Museum (Natural History) have very kindly made it possible to examine three species of the genus Oonops described by E. Simon from St. Vincent, B. W. I. in I89I. As I have repeatedly acknowledged in nay published papers, I am deeply grateful for help and encouragement extended to me by members of the staff of the Museum of Comparative Zoology over a period of many years. Grants GB-I80I and GB-5oI3 from. the National Science Foundation have given me financial aid for a period of nearly six years. Numerous difficulties encountered during the study of this genus in the West Indies, mentioned in Part 2 o.f this series, have continued in this division of the. study. This has been further complicated by increasing infirmities of advancing age. For these reasons this paper is somewhat less complete than originally planned. A small number of specimens have been laid aside because of uncertainty concerning their status and lack of sufficient time to clarify the problem. In view of what I have written above, the list of species from the region under consideration in this paper and at present recog-

rom the Virgin Islands studied by Dr. Petrunkevitch (I926). According to. my present view, Telchius placidus Bryant must be placed in the genus Oonops but for reasons given later a new name. must be assigned to it. This no,w seems to have been the only species recorded rom the Virgin Islands until the. present time. It now seems quite clear that the genus is airly abundant in the Bahama Islands and the Virgin Islands, both British and American and probably in neighboring islands as well. I have had a rather large co,llection ro.m this region with which to work. As often happens in the study of small and fragile specimens difficulties have often arisen to plague the investigator. For several months ater resuming the study of this genus from the regio.n under immediate consideration it seemed likely that the recognition .of approximately a do.zen species would be necessary. As the work progressed, however, I became convinced that several )f these should be combined into two species with a rather wide distribution and including some very puzzling variations. Oonops bermudensls Banks Oonops bermudensis Banks, 1902: 269, fig. 1. The emale holotype was rom the Bermuda Islands but efforts to locate it have been completely unsuccessful. Simon, 1903" 983;Petrunkeviteh, 1911" 127;Roewer, 1942" 278; Bonnet, 1958: 3189. Simon (903) was uncertain about the generic status o this species. Banks' Figure , showing the epigynal area, suggests that it belongs to. Heteroonops spinimanus (Simon).
Oonops castellus sp. nov. Eyes nearly equal in size but with PME slightly the smallest..ALE separated from one another by nearly seven-eighths of their diameter; sbcontigttous to PME and PLE. PME contiguous to one another i:or early one-fourth of their circumference; separated from PLE by nearly one-fourth of their diameter. Height of clypeus hardly tiscernible but probably about one-'half the radius of _ALE. Chelicerae, maxillae and lip apparently quite typical of males of the gets and without special modifications (observed on dissected paratype). Sternum: quite convex; scutiform as usual; slightly widest betwee second coxae but nearly as wide between first coxae; only sligltly longer than wide.; not extended between fourth coxae which are separated by about their width; surface smooth and shining; without grooves or lobes; with a sparse supply o, ,stiff bristles. Female paratype. Total length 1.87 mm. Carapace 0.77 mm long; 0.64 mm wide oppo.site second coxae; 0.35 mm tall; rises gently rom PA/IE to, beginning o posterior declivity opposite interval between second and third coxae and then descends to p)sterior border with a .slight concavity just below the middle (Fig. 18). Eyes essentially as in male. Chelicerae, maxillae, lip and sternum: all seem to be essentially as observed in male holotype except that the sternum appears to be slightly grooved and lobed opposite the coxae; third coxae nearly globose, others somewhat elongated; clusters of short bristles occur on weakly developed lobes. Legs: 4213 in order of length; irst tibiae with three pairs .of ventral spines; first metatarsi with two. pairs o ventral spines; second tibiae and metatarsi with two. pairs o ventral spines; third and ourth legs also with several spines on tibiae and metatarsi. Abdomen: in general essentially as in male; the epigynal area appears to be obscurely distinctive (Fig. 20); there is some chitinization in the region of epigastric scutum. Color in alcohol: essentially as in male except that the .carapace, legs, sternum and mouth parts are somewhat paler; the faint reticulation .shows about as in male.
Diagnosis. The species appears to be most closely related to median fovea or groove. Eyes: six as usual, in a moderately compact group; posterior row recurved and occupies a little more than two.thirds of width of carapace at that level (Fig. 21). Ratio of eyes ALE PME PLE nearly 8 7.5 6.25. ALE separated from one another by nearly seven-eighths of their diameter and separated from PME by nearly .one-fourth of their diameter and from PLE by slightly less than this distance. PME contiguous for nearly onethird of their circumference and separated from PLE by slightly more than one ourth of their diameter. Clypeus with several spiniform bristles; height nearly equal to. one-fourth the diameter o,f ALE.
Chelicerae: vertical; parallel; with numerous long, spiniform bristles projecting from medial halves; with no. special modifications. VIaxillae: convergent; narrowed distally and with a. terminal .cluster o bristles. Lip: wider at base than long; distal end bluntly pointed; without special modifications. Sternum: convex; not grooved or lobed; surface smooth and shining; with numerous bristles; sternal suture procurved; longer than wide in ratio o.f nearly 4 3; bluntly rounded posterior end extended between fourth coxae which are separated by-nearly four-fifths .o.f their width. Legs: 4123 in order of length; spines are almost absent on first and second legs; occasional spines have been observed on third and o,urth. Palp: only tarsus with distinctive eatures  other palpal segments typical o.f males in the genus. Abdomen: essentially typical o,f mdes of the genus; region of the epigastric scutum and genital area very lightly chitinized; genital region, so prominent in the female, is barely indicated here.. Co.lor in alcohol: carapace, sternum, legs and mouth parts yellowish wih variations; ocular region with a moderate amo,unt of pigment essentially as shown in Figure 21 abdomen nearly white but with scutal regions slightly yellowish.
Female paratype. Total length 2.2 ram, exclusive of the extended spinnerets. Carapace 0.88 mm long; 0.62 mm wide opposite posterior border of second coxae where it is widest; 0.33 mm tall; other-Psyche  Oonops endicus sp. nov. Fig. 21. Eyes of male holotype from above. Fig. 22. Left male palpal tarsus; prolateral view. Fig. 23. Tip of left embolus; slightly different view. Fig. 2 Genus Oonops 2 wise essentially as in male. Eyes: ratio of eyes ALE PME PLE 7 6 6; otherwise essentially as in male. Chelicerae, maxillae and lip without special modifications and typical of the genus. Sternum: slightly lobed opposite coxae; ,each slight lobe bears a cluster of stiff bristles; longer than wide in ratio of nearly 6 5; ]ourth coxae separated by nearly their width; otherwise essentially as in male. Legs: 423 in order of length as in male; only an ,occasional spine o,n first and second legs but third and ]ourth legs bear several fairly robust spines on tibiae, and metatarsi; trichobothria, also observed on tibiae and metatarsi. Abdomen: ovoid; scuta much clearer than in male; epigastric scutum with a pronounced swelling (Fig. 24) epigynal area essentially as shown in Figure, 25.
Color in alcohol" in general, essentially as in male; scutal regio,ns more clearly o,utlined because of stronger chitinization; pigment in ocular region black and reddish mixed; abdomen with a fairly clear reticulation in addition to the basically whitis'h or very pale yellowish coloration.
Diagnosis. This, appears to be another species more, or less closely related to, Oonops anoxus ]rom the Panama Canal Zone. The eatures of the male pa,lp and the distinctive epigynal area, of the female quite definitely establish it as a new species.
Records. The described female paratype was, apparently, collected with the male holotype. Numerou,s paratypes o] both sexes are in the collection rom the region in which the holotype was taken and all were .collected by Dr. W. J. Gertsch and will be deposited in that institution. Description. Total length .47 ram. Carapace nearly 0.7 mm long; 0.52 mm wide opposite interval between second and third coxae where it is widest; nearly 0.27 mm tall; gently raised just behind PME and then nearly level to beginning of moderately steep posterior declivity opposite interval between third and fourth coxae (the holotype is very fragile with boundaries of parts often indi.stinct). Eyes: six as usual in a moderately compact group; posterior row only a little wider than anterior row and occupies a little more than seventenths of width of carapace at that level (Fig. 26); outlines some-Psyche September what Indistinct. Ratio of eyes ALE PME PLE nearly 6 5 5. ALE separated from one another by nearly five-sevenths of their diameter; contiguous to PLE at one point and separated from PME by a broad line. PME contiguous to one another for fully one-third of their circumference and separated from PLE by a broad line. Clypeus very narrow and with ventral border very indistinct; several slender spines on clypeus and adjoining regions. Chelicerae, maxillae and lip apparently all typical of males of the genus ,and without observed special modifications. Sternum: recorded from a paratype because o.f curled, fragile legs of holotype; moderately convex; longer than wide in ratio of nearly 4 3; with faintly indicated marginal grooves and lobes; extended between fourth coxae which are separated by a little more than their width. Legs-4123 in order of length; spines are fairly numerous on third and fourth legs (Fig. 27); trichobothria observed but number and placement not determined. Palp: tarsus quite distinctive (Figs. 28-3o); other segments typical of males of the genus and witho,ut special modifications. Abdomen: slender ovoid; nearly typical of males of the genus in general; ventral scuta indiscernible. Color in alcohol: cephalothorax, legs and mouth parts very light yellowish with little variation; only a moderate amount of black pigment in ocular area.; a few paratypes sho,w almost no pigment in ocular area and eyes. are nearly indiscernible; abdo.men nearly pure white.
Diagnosis. This species appears to be mo: shortly behind PLE; with pro.file essentially as shown in Figure 31. Eyes.: six in two, rows. as usual in the genus (Fig. 32) row distinctly recurved and occupies about eight-elevenths of width of carapace a.t that level. Very little difference in size of eyes but with ALE slightly the largest. ALE separated trom one another by nearly three-fifths o.f their long diameter; barely separated trom PLE and separated from PME by a broad line. PME contiguous to. one another or nearly one-third .o,f their circumference and separated from PLE by a broad line. Height o.f clypeus appears to be somewhat less than the radius of ALE. Chelicerae, maxillae and lip: apparently quite typical of males of the genus with no special modificatio.ns o,bserved. Sternum: moderately convex; surtace smooth and with few hairs.; longer than wide in ratio of nearly 4 3; extended between bases of fourth coxae which are separated by nearly their width; posterior end with a small cluster of erect, stiff hairs. Only fourth legs retained; these are moderately long and slender; apparently with a few slender, transparent spines. Palp: quite distinctive; essential features shown in Figures 33-34; the cymbium is unusually short. Abdomen: somewhat taller than cephalothorax; no ventral o.r epigastric ,scutum observed; entire abdomen soft and with little chitinization. Color in alcohol: with a moderate amo.unt o black pigment in ocular region; all other parts of cephalothorax, legs and mouth parts light yellovish with little variatio,n; abdomen almost white throughout.
Diagnosis. The general features of the carapace and eyes seem to ally this species with such already recognized species as O onops persitus sp. nov. Crom the Panama Canal Zone. The distinctive eatures of the male palp, especially the tarsus, definitely establish it as a new species.