Cyriocosmus elegans (Simon, 1889)

Figs 7–8, 27, 37, 43

Hapalopus elegans Simon, 1889: 210 . Holotype female, MNHN 9863, from Venezuela, without further information, examined.

Cyriocosmus elegans: Simon 1903: 929; Vellard et al. 1945: 181, pl. VIII; Roewer 1942: 228; Schenkel 1953: 3, figs 3a–c; Bonnet 1956: 1341; Schiapelli & Gerschman 1973: 67, figs 9–15; Pérez­Miles 1998: 100; Bertani 2000: 30 –31, figs 17–18 (misidentification for Hapalopus butantan);

Erythropoicila plana Fischel, 1927:72, figs 13–15. First synonymized by Pérez­Miles (1998: 100).

Cyriocosmus semifasciatus Mello­Leitão, 1939: 46; Schiapelli & Gerschman 1973: 67. First synonymized by Schiapelli & Gerschman (1973: 67).

Additional material examined: 2 males from Speyside, Tobago Island, in road cut ground burrows, 19 May 1980, R. C. West, RCW; 1 female identified by Mello­Leitão as Cyriocosmus semifasciatus, Otama Island, Carabobo, Venezuela, M. J. Bertheen col., MNRJ.

Diagnosis: Females can be distinguished from all other species, except C. fernandoi new species and C. fasciatus, by having four clear stripes on each side of the dorsal abdomen (Fig. 43). It differs from C. fernandoi new species by the shape of the clear central patch on the dorsal abdomen and from C. fasciatus by having the clear central patch covering less than 80% of the dorsal abdomen. The male can be distinguished from all the other species except C. versicolor, C. bertae and C. leetzi, by the presence of a short paraembolic apophysis. From C. versicolor and C. bertae, it differs by having a striped dorsal abdominal pattern. It can be distinguished from C. leetzi by a well developed prolateral superior keel (Figs 7–8) and absence of a longitudinal dark band on the ventral abdomen.

Distribution: Venezuela; Trinidad and Tobago Island, West Indies (Fig. 56).