THE MAGNIFICENT SPIDER : DICROS 

 TICHUS MAGNIFICUS RAINBOW. 



Notes on Cocoon Spinning and Method of Catching Prey. 



By Heber a. Longman. F.L.8. 

 (Plates VII and VIII.) 

 [Read before the Boyal Societi/ of Queensland, 25th July, 1921.) 



The follomng observations are the result of several mo^iths 

 of stud}^ of the " Magnificent Spider." Dicrostichus magnificns, 

 specimens of which have been transferred to my garden in 

 Brisbane. The so-called cocoons or egg-bags of this spider 

 are such remarkable objects that they are frequently brought 

 to the Queensland Museum. The children call them " cow's 

 teats." As the spiders are practically stationary in the adult 

 stage, they can be studied at leisure if estabhshed in a garden. 

 Apparently no observations have been previously made on the 

 spinning of the large cocoons, or on the remarkable way in 

 which these spiders catch their prey, as described in this 

 paper. 



The adult female of Dicrostichus magnificus is a very large 

 and handsome spider. A detailed description was given by 

 Rainbow (1), and need not be repeated here, in view of my 

 illustrations. 



The abdomen is cream-coloured above, \\ith darker 

 vermiculations and a mosaic of fourteen salmon-pink spots 

 on the front edge ; the two prominent tubercles are yellowish. 

 The daint}' httle turret on the cephalo-thorax, forming Simon's 

 generic character (2), has an alabaster base, and the wine- 

 coloured turret itself supports two pairs of eyes. 



Although the locahty for Rainbow's type was Mount 

 Kembla, N.S.W., there appear to be no special distinctions in 

 our Queensland specimens. 



Apparently the different species of Dicrostichus manufac- 

 ture distinct types of cocoons, but the contours of those 

 associated with D. magnificus vary considerably. Rainbow 

 figured cocoons with a very blunt terminal portion or tail. 



