Superfamily Argiopoidea 



and consequently those that are used for illustration here, were 



made on other plants. 



The web is usually nearly horizontal. It is sometimes a 



complete orb (Fig. 239), and sometimes an incomplete one (Fig. 



240). The hub is meshed (Fig. 241); there is no clear space, 



and to the unaided eye, the hackled band, which constitutes 



the spiral thread, appears like the spiral thread of an Aranea. 

 The structure of this hackled band has been dis- 

 cussed on page 263. 



The spiders reach maturity in early summer; 

 their orbs are then from three to five inches in 

 diameter. The spider rests beneath the hub, and 

 resembles a bit of dried leaf. At this time, the egg- 

 sacs are made. They are light brown in colour, are 

 ejongate, about one fourth inch in length, and bear 

 several tubercles (Fig. 242). They are suspended in 

 or near the web (Fig. 240). In central New York 

 the eggs hatch in the latter part of July. 



On one occasion I had a brood of young of this 

 Fig. 242. species in a cage; each one made a stabilimentum 



E :L G "^°J across the centre of its web; but the parent spider 



UL.OUORUS 



americanus had none in her web. 



Fig. 243. ULOBORUS GENICULATES 



This species is the Uloborus plumipes of Lucas. 



Uloborus geniculatus (U. ge-nic-u-la'tus). — The female meas- 

 ures one fourth/inch in length; the male one fifth inch. The 

 abdomen bears a single obtuse hump at the end of the first third 

 of its length. The posterior row of eyes is nearly straight. The 

 markings are very conspicuous in living individuals; but the 

 markings of the abdomen are very apt to disappear when the 

 specimen is placed in alcohol. Figure 243 is from a photograph 



268 



