150 AMERICAN SPIDERS AND THEIR SPINNINGWORK. 



1806, 



Epeira cucurbitina, Latkeille, . . Genera Cnist. et Insect,, tab. 1, p. 107, No. 11. 



1832. Epeira cucurbitina, Sundevall . Svenska Spindlarness, p. 245, No. 8. 



1850. Miranda cucurbitina, Koch ... Die Arachniden, v., 53, pi. 159, Figs. 371, 372. 



1861. Epeira cucurbiiiiw., Westring . . Aranese Svecicfe, p. 50, p. 53, pi. 159, Fig. 371, 



male ; 373, female, 342. 

 1864. Epeira cuctirbilina, Blackwall . Spid. Gt. B. & I., 342, xxxv., f. 247. 



1870. Epeira cucurbitina, Thorell . . Syn. Ent. Spid., p. 23. 



Variety: E. displicata Hentz. 

 1842. E. cucurbUina-americana,\y ALCK. . Ins. Apt, ii., p. 76; Abbot, G. S., No. 178. 

 1847. Epeira displicata, Hentz .....LB. S., v., 117. 

 1866. Miranda cucurbitina, Menge . . Preuss. Spinn., i., p. 68, pi. 10, tab. 14. 



1871. Epeira cwurbitina, Blackwall . Spiders from Montreal, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist, 



4th ser., viii., 429. 

 1875. Ejyeria displicata, Hentz . . . . Sp. U. S., p. 117, xiii., 17. 

 1884. Eperia displicata, Emerton . . . N. Eng. Ep., p. 313, pi. 34, Fig. 4. 

 1889. Epeira displicata, McCooK . . . Amer. Spid. and their Spinningwork, Vol. I., 121. 

 1889. Epeira displicata, Marx .... Catalogue, p. 544. 

 1889. Epeira cucurbitina, Marx .... In part. Catalogue, p. 544. 



Female : Body length, 8 mm. ; abdomen, 6 mm. long, 5 mm. wide ; cephalothorax, 

 3 mm. long, 2 mm. wide. The adult specimens of this spider vary from 9 to 6 mm. in length. 

 The typical color appears to be, for the legs and cephalothorax a yellowish brown ; for 

 the abdomen a light green, with a tinge sometimes of blue, for the background of the 

 dorsum, upon which are drawn, on either side of the median line, two irregular scalloped 

 bands of white or yellowish white coming to a point at the apex. On the sides a band 

 of similar color and width passes entirely around the abdomen. The color, however, varies 

 much upon the abdomen ; I have .specimens in which it is almost white, and others again 

 (as Plate III., 3, 3a) from California where the ground color is a bright red. The species is 

 briefly distinguished by four round black spots arranged in V-shape, beginning at the apex 

 and widely open at the last spot, which is placed almost at the middle of the dorsum. 

 The six pits which mark the muscular attachments, on either side of the median line, are 

 also quite distinct, especially the two forward pairs. On most specimens longitudinal lines, 

 curved or straight, mark the lower part of the dorsum. 



Cephalothorax: Rounded, smooth, glossy; caput erected above the surface though 

 sloping at the ocular area; sternum yellow, slightly covered with hairs, narrowed and 

 pointed at the base, with slight sternal cones. 



Legs : 1, 2, 4, 3 ; uniform yellow brown, except that the feet are black. They are 

 well clothed, but not excessively, with spines and bristles. Mandibles colored as the ceph- 

 alothorax, project at the clypeus, where they are well rounded, and taper slightly towards 

 the fangs. 



Eves: Ocular quad rectangular, MF smaller than MR, about 1.5 diamet«r apart; MR 

 separated by less than one diameter. The front row is slightly recurved and is shorter 

 than the rear row, which is procurved ; MF distant from SF about 1.5 their alignment, and 

 MR from SR about twice their alignment ; clypeus, 3 diameters MF high. 



Abdomen: Well arched, especially when gravid, but a number of specimens are flat- 

 tened upon the dorsum; shape oval, diminishing towards the base as well as towards the 

 spinnerets, which it slightly overhangs. The venter is marked by a broad brownish band, 

 with two round white or whitish yellow spots on either side of the median line. These 

 spots in some specimens become interblended. The epigynum (Plate III., 3b, 3c) has a 

 broad lint decided scapus quite wide at the base and slightly spooned at the tip ; it is well 

 elevated above the venter. 



Male: Plate III., 2, 2a. In general color and markings the male corresponds with the 

 female ; it is 5 mm. in length. The tibia of the second pair of legs is without any special 

 armature. 



