il2 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF [Jan., 



Teutana triangulosa Walck. 



This is locally quite a common species in houses, but much less abun- 

 dant than Theridium tepidariorum. 



Tlie following individuals were kept in captivity: cJ* No. 173, captured June 

 4, killed by Q No. 70, June 19; 9 No. 70, captured May 8, killed by accident 

 August 15; ? No. 153, captured May 28, died July 22; ? No. 176, captured 

 June 5, still living. 



Mating. — Four different males of Theridium tepidariorum were 

 placed upon the web of 9 No. 70, but she was hostile to each. On 

 three different occasions cj' No. 173, of her own species, was placed 

 upon her web; she signalled to him by pulling upon the web lines, 

 shaking her first pair of legs, but he avoided and was finally eaten by 

 her. Her mode of signalling was like that of Theridium tepidariorum. 



Cocooning. — This process I saw only once. 9 No. 153 was seen at 

 9.05 A.M., June 15, to have spun a small ball composed of looped 

 threads suspended in the web; she continued to add to it until 9.10, 

 holding to the lower surface of the ball ("base" of the cocoon) with her 

 ventral surface turned toward it, raising her spinnerets to apply them 

 to the ball, dropping them, then raising them again for another appli- 

 cation, the length of the "stroke" accounting for the looseness of the 

 threads. At 9.10 she placed her genital aperture close to the lower 

 surface of the silken ball, and deposited there a globular, viscid mass 

 enveloping ova; this oviposition lasted just half a minvite. Then she 

 immediately began spinning over the egg mass, laying down long 

 threads upon it, making the covering spherical by revolving her body 

 around the cocoon, whereby she first supported herself by the sur- 

 rounding web lines, later by hanging to the cocoon itself. She stopped 

 spinning at 9.21. The cocoons of this species are snowy white, spheri- 

 cal, and peculiar in that they are so loosely constructed that the yel- 

 lowish egg mass may be seen through them. 



In natural position the cocoons are hung high in the web, generally 

 attached to some object (such as a board) that rpofs over the web; 

 in captivity some of the cocoons were attached to the roof of the cage 

 in conformity with this habit, but as often they are placed lower in 

 the web. In natural conditions, also, the cocoons are generally placed 

 close together, in that part of the web where the spider spends most of 

 her time. 



The number of cocoons made by my captives, and the dates, were as 

 follows : 



(1) 9 No. 70: May 21, June 3, 15, July IS, 26, August 2, 13. A 

 total of 7 cocoons. 



