Superfamily Argiopoidea 



dark lines. The scape of the epigynum is very long reaching half- 

 way to the spinnerets. 



In the male the abdomen is less triangular, not exceeding 



the cephalothorax in 

 width at its base; and 

 the dorsal spot is apt to 

 be broken. The legs are 

 longer and more slender 

 than in the female; the 

 metatarsus of the second 

 pair is strongly curved, 

 and the tibia of these 

 legs bears a long forked 

 spine on the inner face 

 near the tip. 



This is a Southern 

 species which occasionally 

 occurs as far north as Phil- 

 adelphia and Long Island. 

 It spins a large web with 

 a coarse mesh and long 

 Fig. 4 8o. verrucosa arenata, female guy-lines in forests and 



woodlands. When alarmed 

 it leaves the web by one of the guy-lines unless immediate 

 danger seems pending when it drops to the ground. 



Genus WIXIA (Wix'i-a) 



As with the preceding genus, 

 there is some doubt regarding the 

 distinctness of this genus from Aranea. 

 But our only representative can be 

 distinguished at a glance by the form 

 of the abdomen, which is greatly 

 elevated in front so that the pedicel 

 is near the middle of its length 

 (Fig. 481). The median furrow is 

 transverse; the posterior median eyes are larger than the anterior 

 median; the median ocular area is wider behind than in front 

 and wider behind than long; the sides of the head are parallel, 

 and the head is not narrowed in front. 



Fig. 481. WIXIA ECTYPA 



466 



