254 



AMERICAN SPIDERS AND THEIR SPINNINGWORK. 



brief period. Here is a yonng Argiope which on first observation had two 

 insects trussed up, one on either side of her central web, near 

 Trussing- ^-^^ outer margin of the orb. On the second observation, an 



Captives. 



hour afterward, one of these was cut loose, and the spider held it 



under its jaws while 

 fed upon it. Here 

 on a large insect, 

 side of her shield, 

 This is an observa 

 Another observa 

 illustrate this point. 



^rp 



she rested on her shield and there 

 is another Argiope, engaged in feeding 

 and has two other insects, one on either 

 swathed and trussed ready for use. 

 tion which is frequently made, 

 tion made upon Acrosoma rugosa will 

 A\'lien the observation began Rugosa 

 had just captured a fly. A second II3' 

 struck the web, and tlie spider rushed 

 to it, leaving fly No. 1 trussed up and 

 banging by a short cord. She seized the second 

 victim, held it a second or two, then slowly re- 

 volved it, using the third and fourtli 

 croso- p.^jj.g Qf ipgg ^Yhe fourth leg was also 

 ma Trap- ' , . ,,*? , , • , , 



ping Plies ^^■'^'^'^' "^ pulinig out the enswathmg tln-ead. 

 A slight enswathment was placed upon 

 the insect, and it was left hanging in the snare. 

 Rugosa then returned by a 

 dragline to the carcass of 

 No. 1, and feasted upon lier, 

 leaving No. 2 suspend 

 the top of the central. 

 When fly No. 1 was finished, tlie threads sur- 

 rounding it were cut out, and the carcass was drop- 

 ped from the snare. No. 2 was then approached, the 

 spider meanwhile cautiously pulling on the radial 

 gangway by jerks, as though testing the vitality of 

 the victim or the neighborhood of an enemy. Mat- 

 ters being satisfactory, the fly was seized, swathed, 

 and brought back to the centre of the orb. 

 rejecteil, the carcass was a cliarred looking 

 mass, out of wliieh all the animal juices had 

 been scpieezed. 



While preying upon No. 2 a third 

 fly struck the web, whereupon No. 2 

 was at once flung out, as in Fig. 23(), 

 and hung by a thread to the lower 

 margin of the hub. While waiting 

 for prey, Rugosa clings to the upper part of the orb by the fourth pair 

 of legs. While engaged in feeding, the fourth and second pairs of legs 



Fi«. 233. Carrying a moth by the 

 spinnerets. 



Fig. 234. Carrying a swathed moth by the feet. 



