Smith.— Notes on a Molh-killing Spider. 69 



Art. X.~Noles on a Moth-killing Spider. 

 By W. W. Smith, F.E.S. 

 [Bead before the Marmwatu Philosophical Society, 25th .July, 1912.] 

 When residing at Featherston, in the Wairarapa, in November 1907 I 

 devoted much time to collecting a good series of specimens IHll the speL 

 o hepiahd moths occurrmg in the district. The wmter and sping month 

 t^\IZrl7t tT^lt?' 7- --Pt--lly wet, and tCfoH r 

 Ss Zi ,-v' ^^/p^^^^^*^ «^^'^« rhizophagous larvae of these large 

 motHs. Ihe laivae of Porina umhraculata Guenee fed numerouslv on the 

 roots of cocksfoot-grass {Dactylus glomerata), which fod^r plant Lws 

 mSUt X;r'"'^ of the remnanti of native foTesfilalZg 

 111 tlie disti ict. The presence of such large numbers of these larvae during 

 these months augured well for a successful collecting season when hf 

 beautiful moths appeared on the wine The fir.f InVT ^'^^^'^\^'^^ 

 light on the 5th N^v'ember; by the lUh'theytrfnlmTr ts^rrteet 



WeTs Xatedl^T'T'.'"^^ ^/ *'"^ '^'^" ^"^ -■?^^^- ThTLelTrng 

 nouse IS situated m the bush, and our method of capturing these lar^^ 



and handsome moths without injurmg them was by pkci^ ^a br Siantlv 



lighted lamp on the table close to the window m tL^sit i Loom Thev 



mvariably came to the light much earlier and were more 1 me ronton dark 



and drizzling nights than on others that were drier and clearer The bsects 



were alike m being m perfect condition and coloration, and withou ca^e 



^ ly removing the viscera and filling their bodies with wadding well Z!^^^^^^^^ 



TLinlsZata W. k ^ /" *^' '"^"^'*- ^^^^^^"^^ '^^^^ specimens 



iNo^embe until the 9th December, on which date I left the district the 



ruiwf Tr^'r'A'i ^""^-^^ ^^^ ^^^^*' ^^-^^^ - somewhat dtl^^^^^ 

 numbers. Throughout the sprmg months of that year (1907) many spedes 

 belonging to numerous other genera were also more or less abmidLt and 

 were m very perfect condition. Owing probably to the excLrX hum^d 



m" mc'ton:T^"";''\r^"-^^ ^^' 'P^^«« exhibited a motorTest 

 melanic tone of coloration than m normal seasons. 



ihe dwellmghouse (a wooden structure) referred to is of considerable 



tTcte'd t ITtT'T'^'ir .'^^' f"'^^^' ^^-^^^-- sLeTft con- 

 tracted. In the interstices thus formed several individuals of a large and 



Lst\T'?r'7?rir',""' ,^^"'^^ rr""^'^ Urquhart (Trans' NZ 

 mst. vol. 16, pp. ,2, /3), lived concealed, subsisting chiefly on nocturnal 



insects becoming entangled in their strong webs. The we^bs though ir 



TttVaner^itT' ''"' n"' ""! ^^"^^^"^ ^^^^^^^^^ across the ctnr 

 ?rame ^Z^' ^y^fuTTf ""^ "'1^ '*T^ '^'''^^' ^^^^^^^^ to the wmdow- 

 .^ri'l ^^^//^^ifch, to give strength and buoyancy to the webs On 



niriledt^: w1 ^nr^V^^ '^T "'^^^^■^' I ^b--«d — ^ b-ome 

 enta,ngled in the webs. The alert and sensitive spider awaiting concealed 



TJ^J'^fV'f''' T ^''^"^^ '^'' '^*^"^.^'- «f '^^ entangled moth gl^^^^ 



wnicn It suzed and instantly applied its powerful falx, or poison-fang to the 



nfotb ' M '^^V''"'^^ '^^•""- ^^^^^'^"g^^ ^h« bodies of^hearge healthy 



tTe r bimf erdt^r^^' /;'"" '' Tr '' ''^''' ^P^^^^' '^^ notwifhstaiX^ 

 tlieir bemg endowed with powerful wmgs, they were easily overpowered 



