432 1999. The Journal of Arachnology 27:432–434 THE FEMALES OF ANELOSIMUS DUBIOSUS AND ANELOSIMUS JABAQUARA (ARANEAE, THERIDIIDAE) Marcelo de Oliveira Gonzaga and Adalberto Jose ´ dos Santos: Po ´s-graduac ¸a ˜o em Ecologia, Departamento de Zoologia -IB -Universidade Estadual de Campinas. C.P. 6109. CEP: 13083-970 -Campinas, Sa ˜o Paulo, Brazil ABSTRACT. The females of Anelosimus dubiosus Keyserling 1891 and Anelosimus jabaquara Levi 1956 are described and illustrated based on specimens collected in Jundiaı ´, Sa ˜o Paulo, Brazil. Keyserling (1891) described Anelosimus dubiosus based on a male collected in Nova Friburgo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Levi (1956) described Anelosimus jabaquara also based on a male. This latter species, however, was considered a junior synonym of A. dubiosus by the same author in 1963 (Levi 1963). Levi & Smith (1982) revalidated A. jabaquara, but until now the two species were known only from males. Both species build communal webs of sim- ilar size and architecture and are sympatric in some places, as in Serra do Japi, a forest re- serve close to Jundiaı ´, Sa ˜o Paulo, Brazil. Dur- ing studies on the ecology of social spiders in this area, we encountered these and three other species of the genus, A. jucundus (O.P.-Cam- bridge 1896), A. ethicus (Keyserling 1884) and A. studiosus (Hentz 1850). Adult males of A. jabaquara and A. dubio- sus are found in colonies only during the re- productive period. During the rest of the year the identification of the species is based on the females, which are described in this paper. METHODS The format of the description follows Levi (1963). Complete measurements were taken from one specimen of each species, and ad- ditional measurements of total length, cara- pace length and width were taken from six specimens of each species. All measurements are in mm. The epigyna were observed and drawn using an Olympus SZH10 dissecting microscope. For observation of the internal genitalia, the epigyna were immersed and ex- amined in clove oil and drawings were made using an Olympus Bx50 microscope with a camera lucida attached. Coloration was de- scribed using specimens that had been fixed for two days. The material is deposited in the collection of Instituto Butantan, Sa ˜o Paulo (IBSP, Curator: A.D. Brescovit). Anelosimus dubiosus (Keyserling 1891) (Figs. 1–3) Theridium dubiosum Keyserling 1891: 187, pl. 6, fig. 133 (Male holotype from Nova Friburgo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in British Museum of Natural History, not examined) Anelosimus dubiosus: Levi 1963: 34; Levi & Smith 1982: 277, fig. 4 Diagnosis. —Anelosimus dubiosus males can be distinguished from all other species of Anelosimus, except A. jabaquara, by the pres- ence of a half-moon shaped tegular process. This species differs from A. jabaquara by the long and filamentous embolus (Levi & Smith 1982, fig. 4). The females are similar to A. jucundus and A. jabaquara in coloration and shape of the epyginum, but can be separated from these and other species of the genus by the lateral loops of copulatory ducts (Fig. 3). Description.—Female: Carapace red with black rings around the eyes, clypeus and che- licerae orange, sternum and labium red, en- dites orange. Legs light brown with distal ends of segments darker, tibiae and femora with dark rings in the middle. Abdomen light brown with a dorsal median band with black spots (Fig. 1) ending with four transverse red strips, venter with a central dark band with a black ring around spinnerets. Posterior median eyes little more than their diameter apart, slightly less from laterals. Epigynum a lightly sclerotized, folded plate, with a small poste- rior projection (Fig. 2). Total length 4.29, car- apace 1.65 long and 1.12 wide. First femur