J. n. Eme,rto7i — New England Epeiridm. 329 



ground, or as in rlparia the middle portions of these stripes are 

 united together into a longitudinal black middle band. The webs 

 are crossed in the middle by a wide zigzag white band that partly 

 conceals the spider when young. The cocoons are large and stiif 

 like pa[)er on the outer surface. The eggs are laid in autumn, and 

 the young hatch during the winter and leave the cocoons early in 

 the summer, becoming adult in August. 



Argiope riparia = EjteJra H/paria Hentz and E. suirix Hentz. 



Plate XXXIV, figure 19. Plate XXXVIII, figures 13, 14, 19. 



This is one of the largest and most conspicuous native species of 

 the family. A large female measured 20"'"' long ; cephalothorax, 

 8""" ; first legs, SO""". The cephalothorax is nearly as wide as long 

 and covered with silvery white hairs, except around the eyes where 

 it is black. The front legs are entirely black, the others have the 

 femora reddish or yellow and the rest black. The abdomen is oval, 

 a little pointed behind and slightly notched in front, with two humps 

 at the corners. The folium is black, narrowed between the humps, 

 and widening again around the large yellow spots of the second 

 segment. It extends to the end of the body about the same width, 

 with scollops and branches on each segment. Along the sides of the 

 folium are two bright yellow longitudinal bands or rows of irregular 

 spots, and in the folium are two pairs of rounded j^ellow spots on the 

 second and third segments. Underneath the color is black with a 

 yellow stripe on the sternum, and four pairs of small yellow spots in 

 the middle and two wide yellow stripes on the sides of the abdomen. 

 Around the spinnerets are two large triangular yellow spots and one 

 or two pairs of smaller ones. The sides of the abdomen below the 

 large yellow spots are marked with irregular oblique lines of black 

 and yellow. The epigynum is covered by a long brown process 

 -directed backward and covering the openings entirely. 



The young of this species differ considerably from the adult. 

 Until nearly full grown the legs are distinctly marked with dark 

 rings on the ends and middle of each joint, the ground color being 

 white or pale yellow. When very young the abdomen is more 

 slender, the color is pale yellow, and the markings gray without any 

 of the strong black and yellow of the adult. Hentz's E'peira satrix is 

 perhaps the young riparia at this stage. 



The male differs greatly from the female. It is only 5 or 6"'"' long. 

 The colors and markings resemble those of the female but are gener- 



