"228 The Ohio Journal of Science [Vol. XX, No. 7, 



later walks into the clutches of this spider. The moment 

 the fly comes within closing distance of the front legs and 

 chelicerae, they are shut down like a trap. I have observed a 

 fly alight on a flower cluster an inch or two from one of these 

 spiders and begin walking on the flower cluster, the spider 

 never moving, although it seemed to me that it must have 

 been aware of the presence of the fly. The fly walked around 

 on the flower for sometime, but finally came directly into the 

 "jaws" of the spider. One quick movement of the legs and 

 the fly was dead. 



I have tried feeding some of them in a cage, but always with 

 the same result. The spider would remain on the side of the 

 box and wait till the fly or jassid jumped or flew within grasping 

 distance of the chelicerae and front legs. The insect could 

 easily have been pursued, but the spider preferred to let the 

 insect walk into the trap. 



One which I observed on top of a pump lived entirely on 

 ilies. An old tin cup turned upside down on top of the shaft 

 of the pump was its home. This one remained in the same place 

 for a long time. Several different species of flies were eaten. 

 Musca domestica, Pseudopyrellia cornicina and Haematohia 

 serrata were the species which were taken from the spider. 

 The location of this spider made flies about the only kind of 

 insect which could be captured. All those which were observed 

 on flowers preferred flies to any other kind of insects. Small 

 bees, Andrenidae, were also eaten. 



A few references are made to the food of this spider. In 

 an article entitled "Change of Color and Protective Coloration 

 in a Flower Spider," {Misumena vatia), J. Ent. Soc, Vol. 13, 

 pp. 85-96, Dr. Alphaeus Packard states that he saw one of 

 these spiders holding a green fly (Lucilia caesar) . He fed house 

 flies to four of them which he had in captivity. Dr. Packard 

 also notes one which had an Andrenid bee in its chelicerae. 



Besides the flies mentioned, this spider was observed to feed 

 upon flies belonging to the Syrphidae, the Dolichopodidae, the 

 Scatophagidae, and the Asilidse. A few bees were eaten belong- 

 ing to Andrena and Colletes. I also induced one to eat Lygus 

 pratensis and Jassids. I tried to feed them Gryllidae, Acrididae, 

 and Nabidae, but never succeeded in getting one to eat any of 

 these insects. As far as I have observed their food consists 

 chiefly of flies and I believe they will eat any kind of Diptera. 



