THE THERIDID/E 



117 



joints. The abdomen is large and round, and has on the back 

 a light undulated band bordered by brownish translucent 



spaces, with two black spots 

 just over the spinnerets. 

 Sometimes there are black 

 spots in the translucent 

 spaces, especially toward the 

 hinder end, and these may 

 be united into two long 

 black stripes. In some in- 

 dividuals of either sex the 

 black on the cephalothorax 

 forms a wide band in the 



271 



Figs. 270, 271, 272, 2-j-^. 

 Theridium spirale. — 

 270, male. 271, fe- 

 male. Both enlarged 

 eight times. 272, end 

 of palpus of male. 

 2 73, epigynum. 



273 



Fig. 274. Theridium frondeum. — 

 Varieties of marking, enlarged 

 four times. 



middle, almost covering the back, 

 and a black stripe of similar width 

 extends backwards on the abdomen 

 for half its length. These black- 

 striped individuals have all the other variations of color and 

 markings. The males have all the colors and spots brighter 

 and the legs longer than the females. The 

 mandibles of the male are longer than those of 

 the female and have at the base, in front, a low 

 conical point. 



This species is found from the White Moun- 



r Fig. 275. Theri- 



tains to Alabama. In New England it matures dium unimacuia- 

 in July and is found on bushes all summer. e | l ^JJj. ti me s. rge 



