Superfamily Argiopoidea 



Genus DRASSUS (Dras'sus) 



The margins of the furrow of the chelicera are unarmed or 

 furnished with one or more very small teeth. The posterior row 

 of eyes is plainly procurved, and is longer than the anterior row; 

 the posterior median eyes are oval, and are usually farther from 

 the lateral eyes than from each other. The median ocular area 

 is longer than wide, rarely subquadrate, and its sides are parallel. 

 The space between the lateral eyes of each side is a little less 

 than that between the anterior median and the posterior median 

 eyes. 



The species of Drassus are quite uniform in colour, varying 

 from reddish brown to a pale yellow; and they are clothed with 

 soft, white, or yellow hairs. Sometimes the abdomen is marked 

 with faint spots and chevrons 



These spiders are found under 

 stones, more rarely under bark and 

 in fissures of rocks. Nine species 

 have been described from the United 

 States; of these the following is the 

 most common. 



Drassus neglectus 

 lec'tus). — The adult 

 nearly one half inch 

 it is light gray, with 



neg- 



(D. 

 female is 

 in length; 

 short fine 



Fig. 300. 

 DRASSUS NEGLECTUS, FEMALE 



Fig. 301. EPIGYNUM OF 

 DRASSUS NEGLECTUS 



hairs all over its body; in alcohol the cephalothorax and legs 

 are brownish; the cephalothorax is very narrowly margined with 

 black; the abdomen is either without markings, or with four spots 

 on the muscle-impressions, between which there may be a longi- 



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