Superfamily Argiopoidea 



lower sheet or doily is much more nearly horizontal than the bowl, 

 but is somewhat concave. It is not a discarded bowl, but is 

 composed of as fresh and delicate tissue as is the bowl. The spider 

 rests in an inverted position near the centre of the lower surface 

 of the bowl and is protected from attacks from below by the doily. 

 Insects that fly against the thread of which the maze is composed 

 are apt to fall to the bottom of the bowl, in which event they are 

 seized by the spider and pulled through the sheet as is done in the 

 case of the filmy dome spider. 



On one occasion I carried a bush bearing the web of this 

 species three or four miles to our insectary. It was a very windy 

 day and the bowl of the web was blown entirely away; but the 

 spider clung to the upper surface of the lower sheet. The insectary 

 was reached at 5 p. m. At 10 p. m. of the same day, I found that the 

 spider had begun to spin a new bowl; and when examined on the 

 following morning, the web was completely restored. 



I have found this species in only a few localities in New 

 York but in the South it is one of the most common of the sheet- 

 web weavers. 



This is the Frontinella communis of some writers. 



Linyphia insignis (L. in-sig'nis). — The specific name insignis 

 is not a very fortunate one for this species, as the distinguishing 

 marks that probably suggested it are frequently wanting. The 

 cephalothorax and mouth-parts are light orange-yellow. The 

 abdomen varies from dark gray to white and is either without 

 markings or with gray stripes across the back and on the sides 

 (Fig. 401); the stripes on the back are often angular. The 

 epigynum projects in a finger-like process, which reaches the 

 middle of the abdomen and has openings in the end (Fig. 402). 

 The tibia of the palpus of the male has a short pointed process 

 extending directly outward from the side. The length of the 

 body is one eighth inch. 



1 have taken many mature specimens of both sexes in October 

 by sweeping, but failed to observe the web. Emerton states that 

 the spider lives in flat webs among low plants. 



Linyphia lineata (L. lin-e-a'ta). — This species is easily dis- 

 tinguished from our other common species of Linyphia by the 

 three rows of black spots on the dorsal aspect of the abdomen 

 (Fig. 403); there are also irregular black spots on the sides of the 

 abdomen. The ground colour of the body is light yellowish gray; 



388 



