Superfamily Argiopoidea 



This family is represented in our fauna by only three known 

 species, which belong to three different genera. These genera 

 can be separated by the following table: 



TABLE OF GENERA OF THE DYSDERID^E 



A. Each coxa of the legs completely surrounded by lateral 



extensions of the sternum. P. 299. Dysdera 

 AA. Coxal cavities of the usual type. 



B. Median eyes forming a nearly straight line with the 



anterior lateral eyes. P. 300. Segestria 



BB. Median eyes forming a nearly straight line with the 



posterior lateral eyes. P. 300. Ariadna 



Genus DYSDERA (Dys-de'ra) 



This genus is easily distinguished from the other members 

 of the family that occur in our fauna by the fact that lateral 

 extensions of the sternum completely surround the coxa of each 

 leg. The bulb of the palpus of the 

 male (Fig. 288) is of an unusual 

 form; it is described in an earlier 

 chapter (p. 109). Only a single 

 species occcurs in the United States. 



Dysdera interrita (D. in-ter'ri- 

 ta). — This is an orange-brown 

 species with a pale abdomen; the 

 body is one half inch in length; 

 the more striking features are rep- 

 resented in Fig. 287. This spider 

 lives under stones and in similar 

 situations. It is not considered a 

 rare species; but 1 have taken only 

 one specimen in this country. This 

 1 found at Ithaca, N. Y., in a base- 

 ment in a web of Tberidion tepidari- 

 orum; it was completely swathed by 

 the Tberidion, notwithstanding it 

 was twice as large as its captor. 



In Bermuda I collected many specimens from under stones 

 in mid-winter. I observed no indication of a web. But Simon 



Fig. 288. 



palpus of dysdera 

 interrita 



299 



