Superfamily Argiopoidea 



Phidippus clarus (P. cla'rus). — This is a red and black species. 

 In the male the cephalothorax is black and the abdomen red 

 with a central longitudinal black band, the margins of which 

 are notched by three pairs of red or white spots, and there is a 

 basal white band and oblique white bands on the sides. The first 

 pair of legs are stout and long, exceeding the second pair by the 

 length of the tarsus and a part of the tibia. In the female both 

 the cephalothorax and abdomen are red; upon the abdomen there 

 are two longitudinal black stripes spotted with white, and a basal 

 white band, and oblique white bands at the sides. The male 

 measures from .20 to .34 inch in length; the female from .32 to 

 .52 inch. 



This is a widely distributed species, occurring from the Atlan- 

 tic to the Pacific. 



Phidippus insolens (P. in'so-lens). — This is a Southern red 

 and black species, which is dimorphic in both sexes. 'The male 

 has a black cephalothorax covered with inconspicuous brownish 

 hairs. The abdomen may be black with red bands and spots, or 

 may be uniform red, in which case the pattern shows in deeper 

 spots of colour when the spider is under alcohol. In the black 

 form the red marks consist of a basal band, an oblique band on each 

 side, a pair of spots directly behind the basal band, a central trian- 

 gular spot, and two pairs of bars farther back." " In the female the 

 cephalothorax is red on the upper surface, the sides and thoracic 

 slope being black. The abdomen, as in the male, has two forms, 

 being sometimes of a uniform red on the dorsum, or, in some cases, 

 with a small black V pointing up, just above the spinnerets, a 

 faint white basal band, and one white diagonal on each side; while 

 others, as in the type, have the basal band and diagonals yellowish 

 and marked with a wide central black band which reaches from the 

 spinnerets to a point in front of the middle." (Peckham.) The 

 male measures .34 inch in length; the female from .40 to .56 inch. 



Phidippus purpuratus (P. pur-pu-ra'tus).— - This is a common 

 widely distributed species, thickly clothed with light gray hairs; 

 in alcohol it appears brown. The abdomen is light gray with a 

 broad dark central band, which is more or less distinctly divided 

 along the middle line, and which is marked with four pairs of 

 white spots (Fig. 755). 



This spider is usually found under stones or other objects 

 lying on the ground and often in a silken nest. 



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