1912] 



Emerton — Four Burrowing Lycosa 



27 



of Lake Erie near Buffalo to Chicago, 111., and south to the mid- 

 dle of Illinoi.s, along the Illinois River. 



In this group the burrowing habit is so far developed that, ex- 

 cepting adult males during the mating season, their whole life is 

 passed under ground or within a short distance of the mouth of 

 the burrow. As soon as the young leave their mother they make 

 burrows of their own proportioned to their size. The digging is 

 done by covering the sand with silk enough to hold the grains 

 together and it is then gathered into pellets of convenient size 

 and carried in the mandibles to the mouth of the Vjurrow, where 



Fig. 3. Lycosa nidifex sitting in the mouth of its burrow. 



it is thrown outward by the ends of the front feet and on open 

 sand the pellets may be seen in a circle of three or four inches 

 radius around the hole. When watching for prey, they sit with 

 the front half of the body out over the edge of the hole and the 

 legs turnsd under. Fig. 2. They are sensitive to the slightest 

 movements on the ground, and when down in their burrows will 

 notice the walking of an insect within an inch or two of the hole 

 and come quickly to the top. The movement of a straw on the 

 surface will sometimes deceive them and bring them to the mouth 

 of the hole. 



Lycosa nidifex digs often in sod and makes a "turret" around 



