336 J. H. Emerton — New England Epeiridce. 



Pachygnatha. 



The genus Pachygnatha has been generally classed with the 

 Therididce near Steatoda and Erigone on account of its terrestrial 

 habits and the absence of any apparent web. In structure it how- 

 ever resembles Tetragnatha^ especially in the copulatory organs of 

 both sexes. It resembles Tetragnatha also in the large mandibles 

 and in the colors and markings. It does not, however, spin a geo- 

 metrical web, nor apparently any web, but is always found under 

 leaves and stones near the ground. The feet do not have toothed 

 hairs under the claws. In general appearance these spiders resem- 

 ble Steatoda. Tlie abdomen is oval and rounded and smooth on the 

 back. The cephalothorax is widened in the middle. The sternum is 

 wide and hard. 



Pachygnatha brevis Keys. 



Zool. Bot. Gesellschaft, Wien, 1883 = Pachygnatha tristriata Keys., Zool, Bot, 

 Gesellschaft, Wien, 1882. 



Plate XXXIV, figure 21. Plate XL, figures 8, 10. 



This is the common large and light colored species. The whole 

 body is 5 or 6'"™ long, the abdomen and cephalothorax about equal 

 in length. The legs and cephalothorax are light brownish yellow, 

 the latter with three dark brownish bands. The abdomen is light 

 yellow with an indistinct grayish folium, in the middle of which is a 

 white band. The mandibles, maxillae and sternum are dark reddish 

 brown. The under side of the abdomen is gray except two yellow 

 longitudinal stripes. There is but little difference between the sexes 

 in size, color or the general shape of the body. The middle eyes 

 nearly form a square, the hinder pair being slightly the farthest 

 apart. The lateral eyes almost touch each other. The mandibles 

 are stout and in both sexes moi-e than half as long as the cephalo- 

 thorax and as far apart at the tips as they are long. Under the 

 claw groove are three or four small spines and above the groove 

 three larger ones which are larger and the terminal one more promi- 

 nent in the males. The maxilliTi are obliquely truncated at the ends 

 as in Erigone^ and thickly haired on the inner edges beyond tlie lip. 

 The lip is shorter than wide. The sternum is in front nearly as wide 

 as long but tapers backward so that the coxre of the hind legs almost 

 touch. The opening of the reproductive organs is just back of the 

 spiracles in the male, but as far back as the middle of the abdomen 

 in the female. 



