Superfamily Argiopoidea 



band on the hind half of the abdomen is often divided by a central 

 dark line with paired branches, and frequently this band is re- 

 placed by a series of more or less distinct spots. The carapace 

 varies in colour from yellow to orange-yellow or to brown; there 

 is a central dark band and on each side a sub- 

 marginal one; these vary greatly in distinctness. 



The male is marked like the female. The tibia 

 of the second legs (Fig. 529) is armed with short 

 stout spines and is usually strongly curved. 



The web (Fig. 530) is a nearly vertical complete 

 orb, from six to eighteen inches in diameter, built 

 on low bushes. I have found it most common in 

 damp situations, as on bushes along the shore of a 

 lake. The hub of the web (Fig. 531) is nearly an 

 open one; but the open space is crossed by one or 

 two lines. Outside of the rim of the hub there is 

 a notched zone and a wide clear space. The spider 

 rests at the centre of the web, as a rule, with the 

 tip of the abdomen pushed through the open space 

 in the hub. They are found in this situation both 

 in the daytime and at night. Some individuals 

 build a retreat and have a trapline leading 

 from the centre of the web to it. 



This species is the Epeira irivittata of Keyserling. 

 Neoscona benjamina (N. ben-ja-mi'na). — This is larger than 

 the preceding species, the adult females measuring from two fifths 

 to three fifths inch in length. The abdomen is ordinarily trian- 

 gular-oval, being broad at the base (Fig. 532) ; but sometimes when 

 distended with eggs, it becomes more uniformly oval (Fig. 533). 

 In colour and markings it resembles N. arabesca very closely and 

 is nlmost as variable. It can be most surely distinguished by the 

 form of the epigynum in which the scape is much longer, and 

 the tubercles at the base of the scape more prominent when seen 

 from below (Fig. 534). 



I have been unable to distinguish in a satisfactory manner 

 the male of this species from that of N. arabesca. According to 

 Emerton the tibia of the second legs of the male of N. benjamina 

 (Fig. 535) is not so strongly curved as it is in N. arabesca; but I 

 have not found it easy to make use of this distinction. 

 This is the Epeira domiciliorum of Hentz. 



498 



Fig. 52g. 



TIBIA OF 



SECOND LEG 



OF NEOSCONA 



''ARABESCA 



