1988 . The Journal of Arachnology 16 :390

Hoff, C . C. 1946 . American species of the pseudoscorpion Microbisium C iamberlin, 1930 . Bull . Chicago Acad . Sci ., 7 :493-497 . Hoff, C . C . 1958 . List of the pseudoscorpions of North America north of Mexico . American Mus . Novitates, No . 1875 :1-50 . Kaisila, J . 1964 . Some pseudoscorpionids from Newfoundland . Ann . Zool . Fenn_ci, 1 :52-54. McClure, H . E . 1943 . Aspection in the biotic communities of the Churchill area, Manitoba . Ecol. Monogr ., 13 :1-35 . Nelson, S . Jr. 1984 . The genus Microbisium in North and Central America (Pseudoscorpionida , Neobisiidae) . J. Arachnol ., 12 :341-350 . Sharkey, M . J. 1987 . Subclass Chelonethida, Order Pseudoscorpionida (pseud scorpions) . P. 17, In The Insects, and Mites of Cape Breton Highlands National Park . Agric . Canada, Biosystematics Res . Centr ., Rep. 1 .

Seppo Koponen, Zoological Museum, University of Turku, SF-20500 Turku, Finland, and Michael J. Sharkey, Biosystematics Research C :ntre, Agriculture Canada, Ottawa, Ontario K1A OC6, Canada .

Manuscript received March 1988, revised April 1988 .

PREDATION OF ACHAEARANEA TEPIDARIORUM (ARANEAE, ) UPO N SPHODROS FITCHI (ARANEAE, ATYPIDI,AE )

Sphodros fitchi Gertsch and Platnick is a recently describ e purseweb inhabiting the central plains states from Nebraska to Oklah o a and Arkansa s (Gertsch and Platnick 1980) . Although some aspects of the atural history of members of this genus have been observed (Coyle and Shear 1 9 1 ; McCook 1888; Morrow 1985; Teeter 1984), little information exists concern ng predation. A female Sphodros rufipes (Latreille) was taken from the st mach of a frog (Gertsch 1936) . Observations in eastern Kansas indicate that ales of the same species often fall victim to female conspecifics and females o Sphodros niger (Hentz) during the mating season (Morrow 1985). The pre ent note record s predation of Achaearanea tepidariorum (C. L. Koch) upon S. fi chi. On 10 July 1987, remains of an adult male S. fitchi were disc vered in the we b of a female house spider, A. tepidariorum, located in a metal st rage building o n the University of Kansas Rockefeller Experimental Tract i n efferson County, Kansas. The web was situated below a wooden shelf agains t a wall, and was approximately 0.5 m above the concrete floor . The Sphodros w wrapped in sil k and suspended in the lower portion of the web . A. tepidariorum is well known for its ability to overp o er and consume relatively large prey, including vertebrates (Gertsch 1979) . Dud to the shriveled condition of the abdomen, the total length of the victimize d phodros was not measured ; however, the length of the carapace was 4 .1 mm Since the male holotype of this species has a carapace length of 4 .2 mm and a total length of 12.7 mm (Gertsch and Platnick 1980), the estimated length of t h prey item is less than 13 mm. The total length of the female Achaearanea was 7 .4 mm . 1988. The Journal of Arachnology 16 :39 1

Upon reaching maturity, Sphodros males emerge from their burrows an d wander in search of suitable mates (Coyle and Shear 1981) . During this period, they are especially vulnerable to predation. Fitch (1963) observed a jumping spider, Phidippus audax (Hentz) (Salticidae), attack and quickly kill a male S. litchi that was confined in an open glass jar in his laboratory . In view of an interesting account of a trapdoor spider (Uinmidia sp.) (Ctenizidae) caught by a triangulosa (Walckenaer) (Horner and Russell 1986), S. triangulosa and other theridiids could conceivably prey upon male Sphodros. I thank Dr. Norman Platnick of the American Museum of Natural History for spider identifications, Dr. Charles Michener, University of Kansas, for providin g laboratory space, and Paul Liechti, Kansas Biological Survey, for providing a microscope and supplies. For reviewing the manuscript I thank: Dr. George Byers, Dr. Henry S. Fitch, and Joseph T. Collins, University of Kansas, and Dr . Norman Platnick . Specimens were deposited in the American Museum of Natural History.

LITERATURE CITED

Coyle, F. A. and W. A. Shear. 1981 . Observations on the natural history of Sphodros abboti and Sphodros rufipes (Araneae, Atypidae), with evidence for a contact sex pheromone . J. Arachnol., 9:317-326 . Fitch, H. S . 1963 . Spiders of the University of Kansas Natural History Reservation and Rockefelle r Experimental Tract. Univ. Kansas Mus. Nat. Hist. Misc. Pub., 33:1-202. Gertsch, W. J. 1936 . The nearctic Atypidae . Amer. Mus . Nov., No.x895, 19 pp. Gertsch, W. J. 1979. American Spiders (2nd edition) . Van Nostrand Reinhold Co ., New York, 274 pp. Gertsch, W. J. and N . I. Platnick . 1980 . A revision of the American spiders of the family Atypidae (Araneae, Mygalomorphae) . American Mus. Nov., No. 2704, 39 pp. Horner, N. V. and D. Russell. 1986. Ummidia trapdoor spider caught in a Steatoda web (Araneae : Ctenizidae, Theridiidae) . J. Arachnol., 14:142. McCook, H. C. 1888 . Nesting habits of the American purseweb spider . Proc. Acad . Nat . Sci., Philadelphia, 203-220 . Morrow, W. 1985 . Two species of atypid spiders (Araneae, Atypidae) in eastern Kansas : male emergence times and notes on natural history. Masters Thesis Univ. Kansas, 47 pp. Teeter, M. M. 1984. The role of slope orientation in nest-site selection by Sphodros spp . (Araneae, Atypidae): field and experimental observations . Masters Thesis Univ. Kansas, 40 pp .

Hank Guarisco, P. O. Box 3171, Lawrence, Kansas 66046 USA .

Manuscript received March 1988, revised May 1988 .

COMMENTS ON A WOLF SPIDER FEEDIN G ON A GREEN ANOLE LIZARD

Reports of terrestrial, araneomorph spiders feeding on vertebrates are infrequent. Cokendolpher (1977 . J . Arachnol., 5:184) observed a female Argiope aurantia Lucas eating a Eumeces laticeps Schneider (broad-headed skink). The present note is the first report of a wolf spider feeding on a green anole.