May, 1920] Studies in Food of Spiders 253 



of pasture fields, a small tract on the edge of a woods which was 

 entirely cleared of brush piles, etc., and which was for many 

 years seeded to blue grass. A creek traversed the tract and 

 this was overgrown with weeds, grass and small bushes. Part 

 of it was covered with scattering trees. In this part were many 

 piles of brush and rubbish; in another part of it was a young 

 Catalpa grove which was seeded to blue grass. It will thus 

 be seen that a variety of conditions was obtained. 



Insects common to different conditions would be entrapped 

 and a list of such insects are given. Not all the insects could be 

 identified, especially some of the smaller ones which were badly 

 broken up. Only the juices are sucked from the insect, after 

 which it is cut loose from the web and thrown out to the ground. 

 Argiope wraps up practically every insect that happens to 

 strike the web. Webs were noted in which there were two 

 or three grasshoppers, a Capsid and a locust tree borer all at 

 the same time. Many times she has her web checkered with 

 a half-dozen insects, yet if another insect strikes her web she 

 goes at once to the place and ties it up. One often finds 

 deserted webs with several insects in them which have not been 

 eaten. Many times the insects which are captured are much 

 larger than the spider herself. 



The observations on the food of this spider took in the 

 entire feeding time of the spider and extended over a period 

 of about four months. During that time data was taken on 

 two thousand two hundred and forty-nine individuals and the 

 percentages of the insects used as food are based on the webs of 

 one thousand two hundred and fifty spiders. 



35% of the webs contained grasshoppers; 14% contained Apis 

 mellifica; 9% contained Epicauta pennsylvanica; 5% contained Lygus 

 pratensis; 4% contained Drasteria erechta and IDrasteria crassiuscula ; 

 4% contained Ceresa bubalus; 3% contained Coccinella 9-notata; 2% 

 contained Epicauta vitatta; 2% contained Jassids; 2% contained 

 Phytonomus punctatus; 2% contained Tiphia inornata; 2% contained 

 Onthophagus hecate; 1% contained Cyllene robinae. 



This spider's food includes a large variety of insects. It is 

 a voracious feeder. The large size of the spider and the fact 

 that only the juices are sucked are important facts because a 

 large number of insects are destroyed by one spider in a limited 

 time. One of these spiders, a very large one which I watched 

 for a long time and whose food because of the situation of the 



