163 



of vegetation. This species has received considerable study. 

 McCook ('90) and Porter ('06) record many observations on this 

 species. Howard ('92b) has discussed its hymenopterous parasites 

 and those of some other spiders. 



No specimens of Argiope transz'ersa Emerton, the transversely 

 black-and-yellow-banded relative of aurantia, were observed at 

 Charleston, although they are fairly abundant in colonies of prairie 

 vegetation near Urbana, e. g. at Mayview, III, Sept. 26, and on Nov. 

 26, 191 1. I have seen this species only among colonies of prairie 

 vegetation along railway rights-of-way. 



Thomisid.e 



Misnmena alcatoria Hentz. Ambush Spider. 



This crab-like flower spider was abundant upon flowers : on the 

 mountain mint, Pycnantheiniim flexuosum (Sta. l,g), Aug. 8 (No. 

 6) ; on the mint, (Sta. I) with a giant bee-fly, Bxoprosopa fasciata 

 Macq., Aug. 12 (No. 31); on the Loxa prairie (Sta. II) with the 

 same kind of fly, Aug. 13 (No. 47) ; on the prairie (Sta. I, ^) on the 

 flower of the swamp milkweed, Asclcpias incarnata, Aug. 24 (No. 

 157) with a male bumblebee, Bomhiis separatus Cress.; on Andropo- 

 gon (Sta. \, g) with a large immature female of ConoccpJialus, Aug. 

 24 (No. 115.9) ; on the Loxa prairie (Sta. II) on flowers of Bryn- 

 giiim yuccifolium, Aug. 27 (No. 178) ; in the colony of Blymiis 

 (Sta. I, a) Aug. 28 (No. 179) ; and in the open glade of the low- 

 land Bates woods (Sta. IV, c) on the flowers of Bupatoriuui caics- 

 tijiuni, with a very large syrphid fly, Milcsia ornata Fabr. {^^virgin- 

 icnsis Drury), Aug. 26 (No. 184). These insects captured by the 

 spiders vary from about five to ten times the size of their captor. There 

 is considerable variation of color in this series of spiders. 



It would be well worth while for some one to make a special 

 study of this spider, and give us an account of its methods of cap- 

 turing food and finding fresh flowers, with a full account of its life 

 history. McCook ('90, Vol. 2, pp. 367-369) gives some informa- 

 tion about the habits of an allied species of spider, but the account is 

 meager. Some observations on the breeding habits of this species 

 have been made by Montgomery ('09, p. 562); and Pearse ('11) 

 has recently published the results of an interesting study of the rela- 

 tion between the color of these spiders and the color of the flowers 

 they frequent. He conclud-^s thnl nith' iidi this spider may change 

 its color slowly (from yellow to white), it does not do so with 

 rapidity or in such a way as to match its surroundings, and, further, 

 that it does not seek an environment or a flower colored like itself. 



