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Roth, V.D. 1992. A new and first troglobitic spider from Arizona (Thymoires, Theridiidae). Texas Mem. Mus., Speleol. Monogr.,3:123-126A NEW AND FIRST TROGLOBITIC SPIDER FROM ARIZONA(THYMOITES, THERIDIIDAE)Vincent D. RothSpider Lane # IBox 136Portal, AZ 85632ABSTRACTThe first troglobitic spider from Arizona, Thymoires minero,new species, is described from Southwestern Cave, CochiseCounty. This is the first troglobitic Thymoires and the firsttroglobitic species of the Theridiidae in North America.INTRODUCTIONArizona has a depauperate cave fauna mainlyconsisting of troxloxenes and troglophiles (Roth,unpublished; Peck 1980) and a few troglobites.Barr's (1963) definition of troglobites would includeonly the following blind forms: the isopod Brackenridgiasphinxensis Schultz (1984), an amphipod,Stygobromus arizonensis Holsinger (1974), a phreatobite,and possibly the collembolan, Tomocerussp., and campodeid, Haplocampa sp., the latter twolisted by Peck.Peck presented a list of species taken from cavesin the Grand Canyon, used a broadened definition ofthe term "troglobite," and included a "cave adapted... low level or relatively unspecialized" spider(Telema sp., Telernidae) as a troglobite. Barr wouldidentify this as a troglophile. He describes troglobitesas "those obligative cavernicoles -usuallydistinguished morphologically by regression of pigmentand photoreceptors, and frequently by longer,more slender appendages than their epigean congeners.In the absence of regressive andlor adaptivemodifications frequently associated with troglobites,an animal, even though known only from caves, isusually (and probably should be) considered atroglophile. " This is the criteria followed in this paperand accordingly some of Peck's "troglobites ordisjunct troglobites" must be considered troglophilesor disjunct troglophiles, or, at the most, incipienttroglobites.Undescribed female telernids have a FIC index of260, (femur I length/carapace length X 100), for aneyeless troglobite, 218 carapace length for an eyedtroglophile, and 170 for an epigean species. Peck'sTelema sp. showed the presence of pigmented eyes,not reduced in size, integument slightly pigmented,and not much longer legs than normal with a F/Cindex of 195, obviously a troglophile.This suggests that the new species of Thymoites(Theridiidae) is the first spider troglobite knownfrom Arizona. It is unpigmented, has only pale eyespots except for the AME which do not appearfunctional and are irregularly pigmented and moreslender legs with a F/C index of 169 - 197 (males)and 194 - 219 (females) compared with eight epigeanspecies with an index of 94 - 161 (males) and96-136 (females).Few Theridiidae are troglobites. Styposis havethe AME reduced or lost (Levi 1959a, 1964a) butare not cave species.The 6-eyed Comaroma (= Archerius) is not atheridiid and its transfer to the Anapidae by Wunderlich(1986) was overlooked by both Peck andShear (1987) and Merrett and Ashmole (1989). Theydescribed the first theridiid troglobites, the blindTheridion streptipes (Peck and Shear) from the123