Superfamily Argiopoidea 



A single female makes several egg-sacs; these are lenticular 

 in form, snowy white in colour, and are usually made in or near 

 the web. They are placed side by side (Fig. 262) or in an over- 

 lapping series. Nineteen species of Dictyna are recognized as 

 occurring in our fauna; of these the following are the more 

 common. 



Dictyna sublata (D. sub-Ia'ta). — The adult female is one 

 sixth inch in length. The cephalothorax is reddish brown, 

 clothed with white hairs, which are arranged upon the head in 

 five longitudinal lines. The abdomen is brown above, with a cen- 

 tral, longitudinal dark band, with irregular edges, and more or 

 less nearly broken in the middle of its length. The shape of the 

 abdominal marking varies greatly in different individuals, and 

 especially on the hind half of the abdomen. The form of the 



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Fig. 263. 

 EPIGYXUM OF DICTYNA SUBLATA 



Fig. 264. TIBIA OF 



PALPUS OF .MA1.K 



OF DICTYNA 



SUBLATA 



epigynum is shown in Fig. 263. The tibia of the palpus of the 

 male (Fig. 264) bears a short apophysis at the base; this apophysis 

 is much shorter than the diameter of the tibia and is bifid at 

 the tip. 



The sheet-like webs of this species are very common on the 

 sides of buildings. The spider builds a retreat in some small 

 opening or corner, and makes its web about the opening of this 

 retreat. Frequently some of the threads forming the foundation 

 of the web extend in a radiating manner from the small, circular 

 opening of the retreat, giving the web a certain degree of regularity. 



The web represented in Fig. 265 was made on the outside 

 of a window sash. The retreat was in the angle of the sash near 

 the centre of the web but it does not show in the picture. And 

 the plain threads forming the foundation of the web are also 

 invisible: but the zigzag courses of the hackled band resting on 

 these threads are well-shown. This is especially the case in the 

 lower left corner of the web. 



281 



