The South American Castianeirinae. I. The Genus Psellocoptus (Araneae: Clubionidae)

The Castianeirinae is a gro.up of ground running spiders many of whom mimic ants or mutillid wasps. The subfamily is world-wide and predominantly tropical with a great abundance of species in the Neotropical Region. The North and Central American representatives were recently studied (Reiskind, 969) and this paper represents the first portion of a revision of the South American tauna. The genus Psellocoptus was based on a single species, Psellocoptus yfavostriatus Simon, found in the Cordillera de la Costa. in northern Venezuela. This bizarre and distinct genus has been reported as a "beautiful and large, species from the ore:sts of Venezuela which (is) found running rapidly on the trunks on trees" (Simon, 1897). Collections rom Rancho Grande reveal two sympatric species, and comparison with the type specimens, from nearby Colonia Tovar indicate that there exist at least three species of Psellocoptus. The general form and characteristics of this genus make it quite distinct trom any other genus whereas the three species are very similar to one another. The genus probably originated as an isolate from the more dominant and widespread genera--Myrmecium and Castianeira--that has airly recently speciated in the topographically complex Cordillera de la Costa. No other genus of castianeirine spiders has been reported rom this region of Venezuela though it is likely that Mazax (found in Trinidad and Panama) and the smaller species of Castianeira will be found there. It is also probable that ;Idditional species of Psellocoptus will be discovered with further field work. I wish to, thank Dr. W. J. Gertsch and Dr. J. A. L. Cooke for making tle collections of the American Museum of Natural History available and Dr. M. Hubert and Dr. M. Vachon for the loan of the type material from the Mus,um national d’Histoire naturelle in Paris.

from the more dominant and widespread genera--Myrmecium and Castianeira--that has airly recently speciated in the topographically complex Cordillera de la Costa. No other genus of castianeirine spiders has been reported rom this region of Venezuela though it is likely that Mazax (found in Trinidad and Panama) and the smaller species of Castianeira will be found there. It is also probable that ;Idditional species of Psellocoptus will be discovered with further field work. I wish to, thank Dr. W. J. Gertsch and Dr. J. A Generic Characteristics: Moderately large castianeirine ground running spider (7.5 to. 1.5 ram. in length). Carapace dark with a wide, domed cephalic region ta.pering to. a flatter thoracic region having moderate depressions and lateral indentations between coxae II and III and coxae III and IV, ending in a short petiole. (Fig. 4). A small but distinct thoracic groove. Carapace with a distinct and complex pattern o.f white plumose hairs (Fig.s. 4 and 8) and some long thin .simple. setae o.n the cephalic region. Eyes. arranged in two rows, the posterior row about one and one-halt times as wide as the anterior row, the anterior row straight, the posterior r.o.w slightly re'curved; the posterior eyes equal, the anterior medians slightly larger than the posterior eyes, the. anterior laterals much smaller (Figs. and 3). Sternum shield-shaped with extensions between all coxae and extremely narrowed between the. fourth pair of coxae ( Fig. ).
Chelicerae with two. moderate retromargin teeth and three promargin teeth, the distal one much smaller, the median one slightly larger and the proximal .slightly smaller than the retromargin teeth.
Trochanter IV notch absent. Pedipalp in female thin and long. Legs thin and long with long spines and sparce, long thin setae. Tibia I ventral spines very long and moderately thin with spination formulae variable but usually 4 (prolateral)-4(retrolateral), 5-4 or 5-5.
External epigynum with two moderately large semicircular openings. directed laterally (Fig. I3). Internal structure with large anterior and posterior spermathecal bulbs (Fig. I). Male pedipaIp with no, tibial apophysis. Tarsus with a small globose genital bulb drawn out into an extremely long neck with a sclerotized embolus; a setae covered cymbium with a long medially directed spine, near its base.
Diagnosis" Psellocots can be distinguished trom the two. other South American genera in the Castianeirinae having indented cara-pacesMyrmecium and Sphecotypuby its rounded anterior end and the relatively "unsegmented" carapace. Sphecotylus has, a distinct cephalic region squared off in ront whereas the carapace oi: Myrmecium is highly modified with a rounded head region, narrow thoracic region and a long pedicel. Of these three genera only Mrmecium has the anterior portion of the abdomen narrowed to form a short, distinct petiole.
Range" Northern South America, apparently restricted to the Cordillera de la ICosta of northern Venezuela. External epigynum with two semicircular openings directed la,terally similar to Fig. 13. Area between openings smooth and shiny.
Internal structure with a large anterior and posterior spermathecal bulb on each side, similar to that in Fig. 12.

Psyche September
Records. All the specimens were collected by Simon at "Colonia Tovar" which is probably the city ot that name in Aragua State and located at o25'N and 677PW. Dorsum o abdomen brown-black, with a ,small dark red-brown dorsal sclerite extending 25-29% the length o the abdomen. A white plumose hair pattern c0rsisting o pairs o spots and horizontal bands complete and incomplete extending over the dorsum rom thick longitudinal lateral bands; similar to, the male. Scattered long, thin erect hairs on dorsum, but fewer than in the male. ,A_ trace of an inframammilliary sclerite.
Sternum deep reddish-brown, slightly granulated with sparce long thin simple hairs.
Chelicerae deep red-brown. The apices of the endites and chelicerae with heavy scopulae. Face of chelicerae shiny with some. simple hairs and patches of white plumose hairs near the clypeus.
External epigynum with two semicircular openings directed laterally (Fig. 3). Area between openings with a series of horizontal ridges. Internal structure with a large anterior and posterior spermathecal bulb on each ,side (Fig. I2).
Records. All twelve specimens from Rancho Grande, a research station in the Cordillera de la Costa near Maracay, Venezuela.
Holotpe. Male rom Rancho Grande, Venezuela, 6-XII-954 (A. M. Nadler) ;in the American Museum of Natural History. The specific name is rom the Greek meaning tooth in ront.