ARANEAE 



425 



1. Argiope Savig-ny and Audouin. Ceplialothorax flat; head very 

 small; eyes all alike, the second row strongly curved, first row straight 

 or curved : about 5 American species. 



A. aurantia Lucas {A. riparia Emerton) (Fig. 668). Body large 

 and conspicuous, being often 25 mm. long, with long legs; abdomen 

 black and 2 bright yellow or orange bands underneath; cephalothorax 

 gray above and yellow underneath: the web is sometimes 2 feet in diam- 

 eter and has a zigzag band of silk across the middle; the male has a 

 small, irregular web nearby; in grass and bushes; in open fields, especially 

 near water. 



A. trifasciata (Forskal) (A. transversa Em.). Like the above, but 

 a little smaller; abdomen white or light yellow, crossed by black lines: 

 web often in marshes. 



2. Cyclosa Menge. Head and thorax 

 of the female separated by a deep trans- 

 verse groove : 5 American species. 



- C. conica (Pallas). Abdomen with a 

 blunt conical lump at its hinder end; 

 length 6 mm.; color gray: the web has a 

 band of silk across it in which the spider 

 fastens sticks and rubbish, and is pro- 

 tected by its resemblance to them. 



3. Epeira Walckenaer {Araneus 

 Simon). Thorax without a transverse 

 furrow; the 2 rows of eyes straight or 

 nearly so, 4 eyes being median in posi- 

 tion and a pair at some distance from 

 them on each side: about 57 American 

 species. 



E. foliata Koch {E. strix Hentz). 

 Length 8 mm.; color brown, with a broad 

 scalloped stripe on the back of the abdomen; cephalothorax with 3 lon- 

 gitudinal stripes: common all over the country around houses and on 

 bushes and fences. 



E. angulata (Clerck). Length 12 mm.; color dark brown, with a 

 yellow stripe on the sternum and yellow spots on the under side of the 

 abdomen; anterior end of abdomen wdth a pair of humps and a yellow 

 spot : common among trees, 



E. cavatica Keyserling {E. cinerea Emerton), Length IS mm.; color 

 dirty white with grayish maikings; long white liairs scattered over tlie 

 body; abdomen with 2 small humps in front: common about houses and 

 barns in New Enaland. 



Fig. 668 — Argiope aurantia 

 (Emertou). 



