THE EPEIRID/E 



195 



oval, a little pointed behind and square in front, with two small 

 humps at the corners. There is a black stripe in the middle 

 of the abdomen, narrowed between the humps and widened in 

 the middle, where it includes two pairs of yellow spots. Along 



Fig. 452. Rudimentary web of male Argiope riparia of the natural size. Part of the web 

 of the female at the left shows the difference between the webs of the two sexes. 



the sides are two bright yellow bands or rows of irregular spots. 

 The color underneath is black, with a yellow stripe on the 

 sternum and two wide yellow stripes on the abdomen, with 

 small yellow spots between and at the sides. The young 

 differ considerably from the adults. Until nearly full grown 



