34 PllOC. E I\' TOMOL. Soc. Bill'!'. C OI .l1 M RIA. V OL. 57 (1960 ), D EC. 1, 1960

THE CORIXIDAE (HEMIPTERA-HETEROPTERA) OF BRITISH COLUMBIA

I. LANSBURY'

Introduction Manitoba, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Prior to this list nineteen species Alaska. Apparently not very common were recorded from British Columbia; although widespread. twenty five are recorded here and Dasycorixa hybrida (Hungerford) three new species are described. Some Vernon (P.) (Hungerford, 1.c.) . of the records are from Hungerford Corisella decolor (Uhler) (1948) and Lansbury (1955) . The re­ Osoyoos (H.B.L.); Hope (L.D.A.). mainder are from material in the British Columbia forms the extreme collections of the Department of northern limit of this species; it Zoology at the University of British occurs abundantly in California, Utah, Columbia, Vancouver. Full descrip­ Nevada and Oregon. tions of the species listed, excluding Callicorixa audeni (Hungerford) the new ones, can be found in Hunger­ Kamloops (G.J.S.); Fraser Lake ford (1. c.). (G. J. S.); Chilcotin (G.J .S.); Nicola List o·f Captors (G.J.S.) ; Australian (N.S.W.) ; Midday A.B.A ...... A. B. Acton Valley, Merritt (K.F.A.) ; Oliver L.D.A ...... L. D. Anderson (W. D.) ; Williams La k e District KF.A ...... K F. Auden (G.G .E.S.) ; Alkali Lake South of Clin­ W.B ...... ____ .... W. Bennedict J.C.B . ...____ ...... J. C. Bradley ton (G.G.E.S.); Soda Creek, to light O.B ...... __ ...... Owen Bryant (G.J.S.) ; Nulki Lake near Vanderhoof E.R.B...... E. R. Buckell (J. A. M.); Downie Creek, Selkirk D.C.B. .... __ ...... D. C. Buckland B.C ...... Bueno Coll Mountains (J.C.B.) ; Prairie Hills G.C.C ...... G. C. Carl (J.C.B.); Paxton Valley (A.T.) ; Kere­ N.C...... __ . __ ...... __ .. __ ...... N. Carter meos (C.C.L.); Westbank (A.N.G.); W.D ...... W. Downes J.F ...... J . Fraser Jesmond (J. K. J.); Nr. Clinton A.N.G ...... A. N. Gartrell (A.B.A.); Fort st. John (A.B.A.) ; 45 J. H ...... __ ...... J. Hart miles N. of AWn (A.B.A.) ; Revelstoke. J .KJ...... J. K Jacob H.B.L...... H. B. Leech CaZZicorixa alaskensis (Hungerford) C.C.L ...... C. C. Loan Seymour Mountain 4,000 feet, Van­ V.Z.L...... V. Z. Lucas couver (H. B. L.); Masset, Q.C.I. J.A.M ...... J. A. Munro P ...... __ ...... Parshley (A.B.A.); 20 miles south of Port Cle­ J.H.P ...... J . H. P epper ments, Q.C.I. (A.B.A.); Tlell, Q.C.I. W.H.P ...... W. H. Preece (A.BA); Fort st. John (A.B.A.); At­ G.G.E.S ...... G. G. E. Scudder G.S.S ...... G. Stace Smith lin (A.B.A.). Hungerford (1.c.) also G.J.S ...... G. J. Spencer lists B.C. but no locality is given. This A.T...... A. Thrupp species is most common in Alaska. U.C ...... Uhler CoIl P.N.V ...... __ ...... P. N. Vroom CaZZicorixa vulnerata (Uhler) J.B.W ...... J . B. Wallis Saanich (W.D.); Milner (G.J.S.); J.W ...... J. Waterfield Pond, Univ. B.C. (G.J.S.); Mission N.S.W ...... N. S. Wright (W.D.) ; Point Grey (J.H.) ; Malahat Species Recorded (W.D.) ; Metchosin (W.D.); Bear Foot Cymatia americana (Hussey) Mts. (B.C.); Peachland (A.N.G.) ; Kamloops (G.J.S.); Brent Lake, Penticton (A.N.G.) ; Port Clements, Summerland (A.N.G.); Fort st. John Q.C.I. (A.B.A.); Tlell, Q.C.I. (A.B.A.); (A.B.A.) ; Nulki Lake near Vanderhoof Masset, Q.C.I. (A.B.A.) ; 20 miles south (J.A.M.). This species has also been of Port Clements, Q.C.I. (A.B.A.). Re­ collected in the North West Territory, corded from scattered localities in the • Hope Department of Entomology, University Museum, Oxford. Western United States. Pnoc. E:-iTtJ\lO I.. SIW. BlOT. CO I. L· , 'I\I.I . V I) I. . ;,7 (1960) . DEc. 1. 1960. 35

Cenoco7'ixa bifid a (Hungerford) H .B.L.) ; Chilliwack; C ran b roo k Kamloops (G.J.S.) ; Chi I cot in (J.H.P.); Sahacks La ke (U.C.); Vic­ (G.J.S. ) ; Nicola (G.J.S.); Malahat toria, Swan Lake (A.B.A.) . Apparent­ (W.D.); Vernon (E.R.B., W.D.); 6 ly an abundant species in the lower miles South of Clinton (G.G.E.S.); par t of the province. Found over most 149 mile lake, Cariboo (G.G.E.S.); of the United Sta t es, but not very Soda Creek, to light (G.J.S.); Miln er common a long the Eastern seaboard; (G.J.S.) ; Westwick Lake, Cariboo it h a s been r ecorded from Mexico. (G.G.E.S.); Risk e Creek, North Range H espel'ocorixa vulgaris (Hungerford) (G.G.E.S.); Boitano Lake, Cariboo Oliver (W.D.); Williams Lake dis­ (G.G.E.S.) ; Peachland (J.B.W.); Nul­ trict (G.G.E.S.); Cra nbrook (O.B.) ; ki La ke (J.A.M.) ; West bank (A.N.G.) ; Sooke (KF.A.) ; Clinton district, Bea­ Summerland , Fish La ke (A.N.G.) ; verda m Lake (H.B.L.). Seemingly on Oliver (A.N.G.); Hope Mt., 4,500 feet the ed ge of its distribution, this Cor­ (A.N.G.); J esmond (J.KJ.); Minnie ixid is found principa lly in Michigan Lake (N.C.); Nicola (P.N.V.) . This is and Minnesota and there a re records an extremely common species over the for mos t of the United States. Plateau region, most common in Mon­ H espel'ocol'ixa rnichiganensis tana in the United Sta tes. (Hunger ford) Cenocorixa utahensis (Hungerford) Saanich (W.D.); Chilcotin, Riske Creek (G.G.E.S.) . Found in scattered V ern 0 n (W. D.) ; Windermere (O.B.); Copper Ht. (G.J .S .) ; Brent localities across Can ada, but not Lake, Summerland (A.N.G. ); P entic­ along th e Eas tern seaboard. ton (A.N.G .). British Columbia seems H esp e1'Ocorix a atopodonta to be the northern limit of this (Hungerford) Corixid. Saanich (W.D.) ; Riske Creek, North R an ge (G.G.E.S.) . A n ew record for Cenocorixa andel'soni Hungerford British Columbia, this species is found Vic tori a (KF.A.); Golds trea m m ost common ly in Michigan, Min­ (KF.A.). Not hitherto r ecorded from nesota and Wisconsin. Canada; known only from Oregon A l'ctocorisa convexct (Fieber) and Washington where it is not very R evelstoke (Wa lley, 19 36). Known common. in B .C . only from this locality. Found Cenocorixa expZeta (Uhler) principa lly so far in La brador. Kamloops (G.J.S.) ; 6 miles South A rctocorisa sutilis (Uhler) of Clinton (G.G.E.S.) ; Risk e Creek , K a mloops (G.J.S.) ; 45 miles N. of North Range (G.G.E.S.). Not pre­ AWn (A.B.A .). Not previously record­ viously recorded from British Colum­ ed from British Columbia. This Al'cto­ bia; found most commonly in North cO ,"isa has a wide distribution extend­ Dakota and a lso known from Mani­ ing from Alask a to Colorado. toba and Saskatchewa n. Sigam ( Arctos-tgam) decoratella Hespel'ccorixa laevigata (Uhler) (Hungerford) Kamloops (G.J.S.) ; Vernon (W.D.) ; K a mloops (G.J.S.); La c la J eune Pond, Univ. B.C. (V.Z .L.); Osoyoos (A. C. T.); Smi the r s; Chilcotin (H.B.L.) ; Vancouver (H.B.L., G.J.S. ) ; (G.J.S. ); Oliver (P.N.V.) ; Shafer Lake Nicola (G.J.S.); Metchosin (W.D.) ; (J.A.M.) ; Nicola La k e (E.R.B.). Not a Midday Valley, Merritt (KF.A.) ; comm on species; the main centre of Mission (W.D.); Oliver (W.D.); Point dis tribution is Michigan a nd Min­ Grey (J.H.); Alkali Lake South of nesota. Clinton (G. G . E. S.) ; Riske Creek, Sigam (Al'ctosigam) IJenniensis North Range (G. G. E. S.) ; Cariboo (Hungerford) (G.G.E.S.) ; Peachland (J.B .W., A.N.G., Prince Rupert (N.C.) . 36 PIWC. EX"lU\LOI.. Soc. firaT. C OlX~.II:I.\. ' ·or.. :. 7 ( 1960) . DEc. 1. 1960

Sigara (Vermicorixa) bicoloripennis Sigara (Vermicorixa) mulletensis (Walley) (Hungerford) Chilcotin (G.J.S.); Cariboo, West­ Chief Lake (J.A.M.) . Found prin­ wick Lake (G.G.E.S.); Brent Lake, . cipally in Michigan and Minnesota. Summerland (A.N.G.). Found mainly Cenocorixa hungertordi n. sp. Fig. 1 in Manitoba, Michigan and Minnesota. Size : length 7.7 mm. to 8 mm.; Sigara (Vermicorixa) washington- width of head across eyes 2 mm. to ensis Hungerford 2.1 mm. Windermere (O .B.); Adams Lake Colour: general facies light; pro­ (K.F.A.); Vernon (L.D.A., W.D.); Oli­ notum crossed by 8 to 10 dark lines ver (L.D.A.); Quesnel Lake (W.B.) ; narrower than the pale interlinea­ Needles (H.B.L.); Mill Creek, Kel­ tions, the median dark lines being owna (A.N.G.) . A fairly common broken in the centre of pronotum; species in British Columbia, although claval pattern broken, vermiculate this province appears to be the north­ dark splotches with colour etched ern limit. away from inner angle; coria1 pattern Sigara (Vermicorixa) grosslineata vermiculated dark splotches arranged Hungerford in three indistinct longitudinal series; Quesnel (G. J. S.); Burns Lake membrane and corium distinctly sep­ (G.J.S.). Not previously recorded from arated by pale smoky line; embolium, British Columbia. Recorded princip­ head and limbs pale, venter pale to ally from Manitoba in Canada and black. over the greater part of the United Structural characteristics: Head States, but with few records for the half as long as pronotal disk, inter­ seaboard areas. ocular distance greater than the width of an eye (about 25%); vertex of Si gara (Vermicorixa) solensis male as seen from above produced (Hungerford) slightly medianly beyond margins of Quesnel (G.J.S.) ; Shuswap (G.J.S.) ; eyes; facial hairs few, male fovea Nulki Lake (J.A.M.); 16 Mile Lake broad attaining margins of eyes; (J.A.M.) ; Seymour Lake (J.A.M.) . Not fovea well defined but not deep, over­ very common; has a discontinuous hung medianly by projection of ver­ distribution over Canacla and the tex; pronotal disk with median carina United States. visible on anterior fifth, moderately Sigm"a (Vermicorixa) omani rastrate; hemelytra rugulose with few (Hungerford) pale hairs; pruinose area of embolar Metchosin (W.D.) ; Malahat (W.D.); groove posterior of nodal furrow sub­ Stanley Park (G.J.S.); Prince Rupert equal in length to that of claval su­ (N.C.); Saanich (W.D.); Chilliwack; ture; lateral lobe of pro thorax elon­ Port Clements, Q.C.I. (A.B.A.). A com­ gate, slightly pointed distally; meso­ mon species. Distribution in the Unit­ epimeron narrow, osteole near tip; ed States is confined to the western metaxyphus slightly longer than seaboard of Washington, California broad, pOinted apically. and Oregon. Front leg of female of typical shape, Sigara (Phaeosigara) dolabra with about 19 hairs on lower palmar Hungerford & Sailer row. Lagoon (G.C.C.) . A new record for Front leg of male: Pala slightly British Columbia. This is an exceed­ longer than broad at widest point; ingly rare species. The distribution peg' row broken, 12 pegs in basal elsewhere is Minnesota, Michigan, portion, 3 large pegs separated from Rhode Island and Newfoundland. each other and those of the basal and PROf". E " TO'LOL. S u(". BnlT. CO L I1 ~IHIA , VOL. iii ( 1960) . DE, . 1. 1960 37

Fig. l.--Cenocorixa hungerfordi. A Dorsal view of male abdomen. B Front leg of male. C Right clasper of male. 38 Prwc. E:"Tt)~ro l. . Soc. 13BI"I . C()I ( · .\11<1 .\. V Ol.. 57 (1960). DEC. 1, 1960 distal portion by 11/2 to 2 times their legs suffused with reddish brown, own width; 12 pegs in distal portion. limbs a li ttle paler; venter pale at There a re also 4 long hairs on upper margins, dark to smoky over re­ part of m edian area of pal a reaching mainder. lower palmar fringe of hairs. Pala Structural characteristics: Head without basal carina; tibia h alf as a bout half as long as pronotum; in­ long as pala, with pronounced dorsal terocular space slightly wider than carina and no pad; femur fairly wid th of an eye; vertex of male pro­ slender, widest just beyond m edian duced a little beyond margins of eye line distally, inner m argin slightly as seen from above; facial hairs few; curved with about 15 rows of stridu­ male fovea shallow almost attaining latory pegs on inner surface near eyes laterally; pronotal disk with base ; middle and hind legs slender; median carina visible on anterior middle femur spinose; hind femur third; pronotum and hemelytra ras­ with four teeth distally on inner mar­ trate, the latter with numerous pale gin of femur. Comparative m easure­ hairs ; pruinose area of the embolar m ents of segments, middle leg ­ groove posterior of the nodal furrow femur, tibia, tarsus, claw: 100,56, 37.5, plainly longer than the claval suture; 46 .6; hind leg-femur, tibia, tarsus I , latera l lobes of prothorax about as tarsus II: 100,105,126.1,63. long as basal width; mesoepimeron Male asymmetry dextra l, strigil narrow with osteole n ear tip; metaxy­ large of about 13 irregular combs. phus longer than broad with apex Right clasper of ma le genital capsule pOinted . bifurca te at tip, curved, distal tip with Front leg of female : long and slen­ small pOinted notch. der wi t.h 20 hairs on lower palmar This species is very similar to C. row of pala. bifida, from which it differs by the Front leg of male : moderately right genital clasper and strigil. broad, very similar to C . andersoni Described from four males and with a bout 29/ 30 pegs in a single eight females; holotype, allotype and curved row; pala wi thou t basal car­ para types in the collection of the Uni­ ina; ~ j bia with prononnced dorsal versity of British Columbia. Dedicated carina a nd a bou t half as long as pala; to Prof. H. B. Hunger fo rd the eminent femur with a patch of 12 rows of Hemipterist. stridulatory pegs on the inner sur­ face; middle and hind legs slender. Type series as follow : 4 ;t;;t; 8 'i? 'i? Kamloops, 29 July 1945, G . J. Spencer. Compa rative measurements of seg­ m ents: middle leg-femur, tibia, tar­ Cenocorixa columbiensis n. sp . Fig. 2 sus, claw: 100, 58.3, 38.9 , 46.3; hind Size: length 6.9 mm. to 7.1 mm.; leg- femur, tibia, tarsus I , tarsus II: width of h ead across eyes 2 mm. 100, 11 6.6, 118.1, 60.6. Colour: general facies dark ; pro­ Male asymmetry dextral, strigillarge notum crossed by 9 to 11 dark bands, of 12 r egular combs; rear margin of rarely 8, a bout the same width as the th e seventh abdominal segment of pale interlineations, dark bands brok­ the male with three lobes; right clas­ en medianly; claval pa ttern, apical per of male not bifurcate at tip; portion more or less regularly trans­ seventh ventral abdominal segment verse, basal portion more irregular; of fe male broadly incised at tip. corial pattern venniculate dark fi g­ This species can be separated from ures with somewh at vague longitu­ the remainder of the genus by the dinal series; membra ne and corium male genitalia, the number of dark clearly separated by a pale line; em­ lines on the pronotum and the fact bolium pale to smoky; rear and fore that the hind tibia and tarsus I are PROC. E~ToMOr .. Soc. BRIT. COI.U mIfA. VOL. 57 (1960). O~~C. 1. 1!l6() 39

B

Fig. 2.-CenocOrix. columbiensis. A Dorsal view of male abdomen. B Front leg of male. C Right clasper of male. 40 PROC. E NT0l\10L. Soc. BUIT. C<'LIJ)lIlIA, V OL. 57 (1960), D Elc. 1, 1960 almost the same length whereas in C. furrow 25 per cent longer than that andersoni tarsus I is considerably of the claval suture; lateral lobe of longer than the tibia. the pro thorax one third longer than Described from eight males and broad at widest point, tip truncated; twelve females. Holotype, allotype, mesoepimeron narrow with osteole and para types in the collection of the near tip; metaxyphus longer than University of British Columbia. broad, apex pOinted. Type series as follows: 6 ~ ~ 6 'i' 'i' , Front leg of male: pal a twice as Pond, Univ. Brit. Col., 12 October broad as long, widest at median line; 1928 (G. J. Spencer); 3 'i' 'i' , id., 11 32 pegs in a curved continuous line; October 1928 (V. Z. Lucas); 1 ~ 1 'i' , tibia two thirds as long as pala, with id., 12 October 1928 (J. Waterfield); a pronounced dorsal carina; femora 1 'i', Metchosin, 30 August 1919 (W. nearly twice as long as tibia, with a Downes); 1 ~ , Vancouver, 27 March patch of about 12 rows of stridulatory 1929, 1 'i' , id., 10 October 1925 (P. N. pegs on the inner surface and an Vroom) . irregular row of small spines from the stridular patch to the apex of the Cenocorixa downesi n . sp. Fig. 3 femora; middle and hind legs more Size : length 7.5 mm.; width of head robust than other species in the across eyes 2.5 mm. genus. Comparative measurements of Colour: general facies light brown; segments, middle leg: femora, tibia, pronotum crossed by 7 dark lines tarsus, claw: 100, 60 .9, 38.7, 36; hind about half as wide as pale interline­ leg: femora, tibia, tarsus I, tarsus II: ations, median ones forked in the 100, 100, 127.6, 54.6. centre; claval pattern irregularly Male asymmetry dextral, strigillarge transverse, the dark pigment being of 15 regular combs; rear margin of etched away at the apical end; corial the seventh abdominal segment pattern with a longitudinal stripe rather similar to that of C. andersoni, along the outer margin and two in­ differing in that just sinistral of the cipient stripes along the median and median lobe there is a small projec­ inner margins; membrane separated tion basally. On the dextral side is a from the corium by a distinct smoky dense patch of hairs produced in­ line; membrane with an indistinct wardly. Right clasper of the male not vermicula te pattern; embolium pale, bifurcate at the tip. venter dark except at margins, limbs This species can be separated from pale. the others of the genus by the shape Structural characteristics: head of the right genital clasper and the half as long as pronotum, interocular configuration of the seventh abdom­ space slightly wider than the width inal segment, and also by the fact of an eye; vertex of male slightly pro­ that the hind tibia and femora are duced beyond margins of eye as seen the same length. from above; facial h airs very few, Known only by the male type from male fovea shallow almost attaining Stanley Park collected by T.T.W.M., 8 lateral margins of eye; pronotal car­ October 1925. Type in the collection ina visible only on anterior fifth; of the University of British Columbia. pronotum and hemelytra moderately Dedicated in honour of W. Downes rastrate, hemelytra with numerous who in his life time did so much to pale long hairs; pruinose area of the advance our knowledge of the Hemip­ embolar groove posterior of the nodal tera of British Columbia. PROC. E NTO,",lOL. Soc. BRIT. CO['llMBIA, VOL. 57 (llJ60) , D EC. 1, 1960 41

3

8

Fig. 3.-Cenocorixa downesi. A Dorsal view of male abdomen. B Front leg of male. C Right clasper of male. 42 Pnoc. E NTO)IOI_ Soc. B aIT. COLU ~I H J.\ , V OL. 57 (IS60 ), DEC. 1, 1960

TABLE I-Distribution of Corixid species in the Pacific northwest and Alberta exclusive of new species. Alaska B.C. Alta. Wash. Cymatia americana ______X X X Trichocorixa naias (Kirk.) _____ . ______X Corisella decolor ______X C. inscripta (Uhler) ______.______X C. audeni ____ .______.. __ _. ______.. ____ .______X X X X Callicorixa alaskensis ______X X X X C. vulnerata ______X X X C. producta norvikensis Hung. ______.___ _ X Cenocorixa bifida ______...... ____ _. ______X X C. dakotensls (Hung.) ______X C. utahensis ______.. ______. ______X X C. andersoni ______.. ______X X C. wileyae Hung. ______.. ______X C. expleta ______. .. ______X Hesperocorixa laevigata ______X X X X X X ~: ;:,i~~i;~sn~ -~-~i-~ - - ::::::::::::::::::::_:::_::: __:::::: :__ :::::::::: :::: :::: .:: : :~ :: : : :: _ X H. atopodonta ______. __ __ X X H. obliqua (Hung.) ______. ______.. X Arctocorisa convexa ______.. X X A. sutilis ______X X X A. chanceae Hung. ______.. _ X Dasycorixa hybrida . ______X X Sigara conocephala (Hung.) ______.... ______X S. decoratella ______.______X X X S. penniensis ______.... ______.. ____ .______.. X S. bicoloripennis ______.. __ ___ .. ___ ... __ .. ______X S. alternata (Say) ______. ______.. ______X X S. washingtonensis ______. ______X X X S. solensis ____ ... ______. ______X S. mathesoni Hung. ______.. ______.. ______.. ______X S. omanl ______X S. mulletensis ______...... __ __ X S. grosslineata ______X S. dolabra ______X

Distribution the western seaboard. At this stage it The distributions of 35 species in is not possible to state definitely that the Pacific northwest and Alberta are British Columbia forms the northern summarised in Table 1. limit of distribution for group A; how­ Of the species recorded only Cor­ ever, the range of group B is known isella audeni and Calltcortxa alask­ to extend into Alaska : ensis are common to all four areas. Group A Group B The large number of species recorded C. IIecolor A. sutllis from British Columbia must in part C. utahensis C. audeni be due to the fact that there is a wide C. biflda C. vulnerata C. andersoni variety of habitats and climates en­ S. washingtonensis abling such genera as Corisella, Arc­ S.omanl tocorisa and Dasycorixa to occur al­ II. Species with a predominantly though none of these genera are very trans-Canadian distribution: abundant. It must, however, be borne A. convexa C. americana in mind that great areas of this prov­ III. Species distributed across Can­ ince have never been collected. ada, and north central plains of the The known Corixids of British Co­ United States: lumbia can be divided into four cate­ C. alaskensls S. decoratella gories according to their distribution H. vulgaris S. pennlensis in America north of Mexico. H. michiganensis S. blcoloripennis H. atopodonta S. solensl. 1. Species principally confined to S. mulletensis PI

IV. Species recorded from most of Acknowledgements Canada and found in most of the 1 wish to acknowledge the assistance of United States: Prof. H. B. Hungerford of the University of H. laevigata S. grosslineata Kansas for help in the determination of certain species of Cenocorixa and Sigara The remaining three species, D . dolabra. I also wish to thank Dr. G. G. E. hybrida, S. dolabra and C. expleta, Scudder, of the Department of Zoology at are difficult to comment upon regard­ the University of British Columbia, for allowing me to examine the University ing their distribution because of the collections and for reading and criticising lack of data. these notes.

References Hungerford, H. B., 1948. The Corixidae of the Westl'rn Hemisphere, (Hemiptera). Univ. Kansas Sci. Bull. Vol. 32: 1·827. Lansbury, I., 1955. Distributional Records of North American Corixidae (Hemiptera­ Heteroptera). Can. Ent. LXXXVII: 474-481. Walley, G., 1936. New North American Corixidae with notes. Can. Ent. LXVII: 62.

THE BLACK WIDOW SPIDER, LATRODECTES MACTANS FABR., IN VANCOUVER

Spiders of many shapes and sizes large house on Granville Street south are sent in to the Department of and found a female rnactans with Zoology throughout the year by fear­ pale markings in a typical coarse ful citizens with enquiries as to their web, between the edge of a carpet and propensi ty for killing human beings: I the wall, just under the edge of a have always told them that no deadly Hollywood bed on which 3 small chil­ poisonous spider occurs in Vancouver dren and a dog were accustomed to or in the wet coastal region. play; nearby was a male in its much In the mid 1950s a dead specimen smaller web; both were in a position in very poor condition was sent in where they could easily have been which resembled a Black Widow ex­ squashed by a child. Both were cap­ cept that the abdomen was conspicu­ tured and brought to the laboratory; ously marked with pale bands, very the female soon ate the male and in much like those of a typical male L. time became coal black except for rnactans, in contrast to all those fe­ one small pale spot on the dorsum of males I have seen in the dry belt, the abdomen. those from Davis, California and Hitherto I have always given the those from Victoria, whose abdomens distribution of the Black Widow in were totally black. British Columbia as the dry belt of In December, 1959 when checking the Interior and the drier sections of the low crawl space under a small Vancouver Island from Victoria to house in east Vancouver for termite Nanaimo, and on the dry Gulf damage, I found 2 sprawling webs of Islands; this distribution will have to coarse silk and 2 mature female be revised to include at least Vancou­ spiders which were undoubtedly rnac­ ver in the lower mainland. If it tans, with pale linear markings on increases in Vancouver it will con­ the dorsum of the abdomen: they stitute a definite hazard and the ran into holes from which I failed to public will have to be alerted to watch retrieve them. out for it. In January, 1960 I was assessing - O . .T. Spen ce r . Uni'I'C r si tJI or H ritis h ('a lu m ­ termitp damage in the basement of a bifl . Y anCnll1'l'l'