ARGYOPID.E. 213 



Family ARGYOPID^E. 



( = Epeiridce of most recent authors.) 



Sedentary Spiders spinning webs composed of radiating and 

 concentric threads. 



Carapace with clypeus low ; lateral eyes typically close together, 

 remote from the median quadrangle and situated at the sides of 

 the head. Mouth-parts manducatory ; mandibles powerful, freely 

 movable, with strongly toothed fang-groove ; maxillae not inclined 

 on the labium. Legs not scopulate, 3 claws ; tarsi furnished 

 apically with " spurious claws " in the form of thickened serrate 

 bristles. Abdomen large, but variable in form. Spinners sub- 

 equal, short, forming a compact cluster ; colulus present. 



Distribution. Cosmopolitan. 



Synopsis of the principal Indian Genera. 



a. Head conical in- front, lateral eyes wide 



apart Poltys, p. 235. 



b. Head truncate in front, lateral eyes nearer 



together. 

 a 1 . Abdomen hard, armed with G marginal 



spines Gasteracaxtha, p. 231. 



b l . Abdomen softer, not armed with mar- 

 ginal spines. 

 a'". Head very high, abruptly elevated 



and strongly tubercular C^erostris, p. 230. 



b 2 . Head lower, at most gradually 

 elevated. 

 a*. Mandibles long, armed with many 



teeth Tetragnatha, p. 214. 



b 3 . Mandibles short, armed with a few 

 teeth. 

 a*. Carapace with about 4 sym- 

 metrically arranged tubercles ; 

 abdomen very broad, multi- 

 tubercular Orugarius, p. 230. 



b*. Carapace mostly smooth, rarely 



with 2 tubercles (Nephila) or 



irregularly tubercular. 



a : '. Abdomen wider than lonp;, 



leathery, with large .sigilla 



above Cyrtarachne, p. 228 



b\ Abdomen not wider than long, 

 sigilla small. 

 a 5 . Eyes of posterior line strongly 



procurved Argyope, p. 220. 



// . Lyes of posterior line not or 

 scarcely procurved. 

 a'. Abdomen flat, with sharply 



defined lateral edges .... IIkhexnia, p, 219. 



