248 The Ohio Journal of Scieyice [Vol. XX, No. 7, 



were destroying a creature of considerable value to themselves. 

 In my studies I have handled hundreds of these spiders and 

 have not been bitten once. 



The per cent of each particular class of insects is based on 



the contents of six hundred and twenty-one webs of this spider 



is as follows: 



443^% consisted of Grasshoppers; 9% consisted of Jassidae; 9% con- 

 sisted of Tipulidffi; 63^% consisted of Eurymus philodice; 5% consisted 

 of Apis mellifica; 4% consisted of Pentatomidse ; 4% consisted of 

 Epicauta pennsylvanica ; 33^% consisted of Capsidas; 3% consisted of 

 Oecanthus niveus; 1% consisted of other spiders. 



Like its near relative, Argiope riparia, this spider feeds 

 mainly on grasshoppers; nearly half of its food consisting of 

 that insect. The percentage of honey bees eaten is much less 

 than that of Argiope riparia. This is due to two things. 

 Argiope riparia matures earlier in the season and has more 

 nearly attained its growth when the fall wild flowers begin to 

 bloom. It thus has more opportunity of capturing bees when 

 they visit these flowers. Argiope trifasciata, at least those 

 observed, spent the earlier part of their lives in grass and there 

 is little opportunity of capturing bees in grass. By the time 

 it has matured sufficiently to construct a large web some of the 

 flowers are gone and there is less chance of bees getting in the 

 web. Nearly all of the Jassids eaten were one species, Drcecu- 

 lacephala mollipes. The Pentatomid^ taken from the webs 

 were of several species, the one most often found being Euchistus 

 variolarius. This spider was observed eating more spiders than 

 any other spider. Agelena ncevta, Phidippus aiidax and Argiope 

 trifasciata themselves being the ones eaten. I think this was 

 likely due to the fact that this spider lives late in November 

 when insect life gets scarce and the opportunity for capturing 

 spiders greater. 



As far as I have observed, the cannibalistic habit is not so 

 much developed as is generally thought to be the case in most 

 spiders. I have observed several different species of spiders 

 which feed on other spiders but none of them to any great 

 extent until late in the fall when other food becomes scarce. 

 One spider, Xysticus gulosus, which was very plentiful late in 

 the fall and which I found most abundant on fence posts seemed 

 to be given to much cannibalism. Sometimes there were three 

 ■or four of these spiders on one post. Frequently one or more of 



