Superfamily Argiopoidea 



an interval in which no new webs are made. In August the young 

 spiders can be found in their webs. 



Didyna volucripes (D. vo-lu'cri-pes). — The body is about 

 one sixth inch in length. This species resembles the preceding 

 in colour and markings; but can be distinguished by the form of 

 the epigynum (Fig. 267) and by the form of the apophysis on 

 the base of the tibia of the palpus of the male (Fig. 268), which 

 is very much longer than in D. sublata. 



The web is usually made near the top of some herbaceous 

 plant. In the centre of it is a silken retreat, spun in an angle 

 at the base of a branch or of a leaf stalk. The two examples 

 figured (Figs. 269 and 270) illustrate the most common type. In 

 Fig. 269 the spider can be seen resting on the retreat. A very 

 common feature in these webs is a ladder-like structure formed by 

 stretching a hackled band back and forth between two supporting 

 threads. This is shown in the edges of the upper part of Fig. 269. 

 Old webs are often refurbished by the addition of new ladders. 



The adults pair in mid-summer; the male and female live 

 together in their nest till after the female has made her egg-sacs; 

 these are made in the centre of the web, a single spider making 

 several of them. The female continues to use the web after 

 making her egg-sacs; and in the autumn the old female and the 

 young brood live together in the old web. 



Didyna foliacea (D. fo-li-a'ce-a). — The length of the body 

 is about one eighth inch. The cephalothorax is light brown, 

 darker on the sides and light on the head. The abdomen is yellow 

 in the middle and brown, sometimes red, at the sides. The 

 outline of the yellow portion differs greatly in different individuals. 

 The form of the epigynum is shown in Fig. 271. In the male 

 the chelicerae are very long, almost as long as the cephalothorax; 

 and the palpi are long and large. The tibia of the male palpus 

 is twice as long as wide, with a short, two-spined apophysis near 

 its base. 



This species is commonly known as D. volupis; but it is evi- 

 dently the Theridion foliacea of Hentz. 



The web is made in the hollow of a leaf, the edges of which 

 have been slightly rolled (Fig. 272). No part of the web is formed 

 for a retreat, the spider resting on the surface of the web. The 

 specimen figured here contains four egg-sacs, which are placed 

 in two piles of two each; it was collected in July. 



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