THE SPIDERS AND ALLIES 



141 



Fig. 77. A tarantula 



untrue. Whatusuallyhap- 

 pens is that persons bitten 

 by them suffer only tem- 

 porary pain and swelling, 

 something like that which 

 follows the sting of a bee. 

 Among the most inter- 

 esting of the tarantula 

 family are the trapdoor 

 spiders of the Western and 

 Southern states, and of 

 southern Europe. They 

 build burrows, which they 

 line with silk, and provide 

 with a lid lined with silk, 

 attached by one edge to 



the mouth of the burrow. A European species builds a nest 



with a side tube (Fig. 78), into which it can retreat in time 



of danger, closing a door at the entrance 



of this tube. 



Harvestmen. The long-legged harvest- 

 men, or daddy-long-legs (Liobu'num, 



Fig. 79), are allied to the spiders. They 



can be recognized by the eight extremely 



long legs, which are thus developed as 



organs of touch, as well as for walking. 



They are familiar creatures, found in 



damp and shady places. They feed on 



small insects, especially aphids. 



Mites and Ticks. The mites and ticks 



are related to the harvestmen and to 



spiders. They show less segmentation 



of the body than the preceding groups 



(Fig. 80). They are small, oval, eight- 



■o- 



Fig. 78. Burrow of 



a trapdoor spider, 



showing side tube 



After Emerton 



