Superfamily Avicularioidea 



the base of the anterior metatarsi is armed with spines; the apex 

 of the posterior metatarsi is minutely scopulate; the posterior 

 median eyes are broadly removed from the anterior median and 

 are much smaller. 



Only one species has been described. 



Rhechostica texense (R. tex-en'se).— The male is black and 

 measures one and one half inches in length; the four anterior 

 eyes are nearly equal in size; the posterior median eyes are evi- 

 dently smaller than the anterior median, and are barely separated 

 from the posterior lateral eyes. 



The female has not been described. 



Nothing is known of the habits of the species; it was described 

 from specimens collected in Texas. 



Genus EURYPELMA (Eu-ryp'el-ma) 



The tibia? and metatarsi of the third and fourth pairs of legs 

 are armed with many spines. The metatarsi of the fore legs 

 are thickly scopulate to the base and are usually without 

 spines. 



To this group belong the largest spiders that occur within 

 the limits of our fauna. They are the tarantulas which, in the 

 South and the West, most often attract attention on account 

 of their size, 

 and which are 

 greatly feared 

 on account of 

 the supposed 

 deadly nature of 

 their bite. One 

 of them is rep- 

 resented natural 

 size by Fig. 224. 



They are nocturnal, hiding during the day in the cracks of trees, 

 under logs, stones, stumps, or other rubbish, and coming forth 

 in the evening and lying in wait for their prey. 



Several species have been described from the United States; 

 but in most cases the descriptions have been based on an ex- 

 amination of but one sex. In fact, notwithstanding the large 

 size of these spiders and their abundance in the regions where 



Fig. 224. EURYPELMA HEXTZII 



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