Superfamily Argiopoidea 



Genus PHLEGRA (Phle'gra) 



The cephalothorax is long and narrow, a little the widest 

 behind the middle. The thorax is level for more than one half 

 its length, then sloping abruptly. The anterior eyes are in a 

 much recurved line; the ocular quadrangle is short, occupying 

 only one third the length of the cephalothorax, with the sides 

 parallel. The abdomen is elongate oval in outline. 



Phlegra leopardus (P. le-o-par'dus). — The leopard-spider is 

 easily recognized by its stripes of which there are two on the 

 cephalothorax and three on the abdomen; these stripes are white 

 on a dark ground. In the female the white stripes on the cepha- 

 lothorax extend back from the anterior eyes to the hind end of the 

 abdomen; in the male they begin at the posterior eyes. This 

 species is widely distributed in the region east of the Rocky 

 Mountains. 



Genus PELLENES (Pel-le'nes) 



The cephalothorax is high, convex, and a little longer than 

 wide. The ocular quadrangle is wider than long, and usually 

 wider behind than in front; the second row of eyes is about mid- 

 way between the first and the third. 



'The males of Pellenes have usually some peculiar modi- 

 fication of form, colour or ornament, appearing in the first and 

 third legs. These fringes, enlargements and markings are used 

 to attract and delight the female during courtship, the posturing 

 and dancing being such as to show off every beauty to the greatest 

 advantage. They make the identification of the males compara- 

 tively easy, while the females resemble each other so closely as to 

 make it difficult to distinguish them. The young males are like 

 the females until one or two moults from maturity" (Peckham). 



In their "Revision of the Attidae" the Peckhams describe forty 

 species of Pellenes and give keys for their separation. But of many 

 of these species only a few individuals exist in collections and of a 

 considerable number of them only one sex is known. The following 

 species are those that are most common; they can be separated 

 by the following keys, compiled from those of the Peckhams. 



KEY TO MALES OF PELLENES 



A. First or third legs modified or fringed. 



B. Enlargements or fringes on both first and third legs. 



688 



