Superfamily Argiopoidea 



The male differs greatly from the female, being only about 

 one fourth as long; the cephalothorax is yellowish brown; the 

 abdomen bears a broad brown band along the middle of the back, 

 and on each side a zigzag band of white; the palpal organ is large. 



The young of this species differs much in appearance from the 

 adult, a difference due largely to a banding of the legs; Fig. 444 

 represents an immature male, and Fig. 445, an immature female. 



The genus Miranda to which this species belongs was recently 

 separated from Argiope by F. O. Pickard-Cambridge in the 

 Biologia Centrali Americana. This species has been commonly 

 known under the name Epeira riparia given to it by Hentz in 

 1847; it has also been known under the name Epeira cophinaria 

 given to it by Walckenaer in 1837; but it was described and 

 figured by Lucas in 1833, under the specific name used here. 



The web of this species is often found upon shrubs; but it is 

 more frequently made upon herbaceous growth in marshy places 

 and upon grass in meadows and pastures. It seems strange that 

 so large a species should choose such feeble supports for its web. 



When first made in a protected situation and before it is injured 

 by wind and insects it is a very beautiful structure, resembling 

 the web of the next species shown in Fig. 449, which is of a web 

 made in our insectary. But under natural conditions the sym- 

 metry of the web is very soon lost. Figure 446 is from a photo- 

 graph of one taken in the field. 



These webs are large, sometimes two feet in diameter. The 

 hub is sheeted and usually furnished with a stabilimentum; the 

 notched zone is broad, and extends nearly to the viscid spiral; 

 the free zone is therefore limited. The web is inclined and the 

 spider rests upon the hub on the lower side of the web; but it 

 sometimes passes through the narrow free zone to the upper side. 

 The web is usually accompanied by what I have termed a barrier 

 web; this consists of an irregular net-work of lines stretched behind 

 the orb, and probably serves to protect the spider from attacks. 

 Sometimes a barrier web is built upon each side of the orb. 



The two sexes have similar web-building habits; but when 

 the males reach maturity they wander in search of the females and 

 are then to be found in the webs of the females, usually upon the 

 barrier web. In the Northern States, this occurs late in August 

 and in September. 



During the late summer and in the autumn, grasshoppers 



436 



