May, 1920] Studies in Food of Spiders 227 



The food of this spider where observed consisted chiefly of 

 Diptera, Orthopera, Hemiptera, and Hymenoptera. No case 

 was noted where this spider fed on Coleoptera. The juices are 

 sucked from the insect, and the chitinous parts discarded. 



Phidippus podagrosus Hentz. 



Phidippus podagrosus is less common than Phidippus- 

 audax. Comstock cahs this spider Phidippus insolens. It was 

 found on various kinds of plants. Several females were found 

 in oat fields. This spider is not abundant, but it was not 

 difficult to find a few individuals in the localities where it was 

 studied. The records were all made from spiders kept in 

 captivity. 



Castianeira descripta Hentz. 



Castianeria descripta is a small black spider with red mark- 

 ings on the abdomen. It is commonly found under stones in 

 meadows and pastures. 



It was a common spider at Crestline, Ohio, during the entire 

 summer. One could scarcely turn up a stone in pasture fields 

 without finding one of these spiders. Although they were 

 plentiful, it was difficult to gather much information as to what 

 their food was under natural conditions. Several individuals 

 were kept in captivity and a list of the insects eaten in captivity 

 will be found in the table already mentioned. 



Misumena vatia Clerck. 



Misumena vatia is a common yellow crab spider which 

 lives on plants and is most often found among flowers. They 

 can usually be found in such flower clusters as Ironweed {Ver- 

 nonia gigantea) and Boncset {Eupatorium perfoliatum) . 



They lie in wait until some insect flies or walks into their 

 chelicerae when it is seized. As far as I have observed they 

 make no attempt to capture insects as other spiders do, depend- 

 ing wholly upon their coloration as a protective resemblance to 

 aid them in securing their prey. One of these spiders when 

 getting its prey sits with the abdomen down in the flowers and 

 usually with the front legs extended. Its color is usually so 

 nearly that of the flower upon which it rests that it can be 

 picked out only with difficulty. The unsuspecting fly or bee 

 which comes to feed upon the nectar of the flower sooner or 



