South Indian Arachnology. 229 



Orossopriza (Sim.), 189o. 

 16. Orossopriza lyoni (Black.). 



Its web lias sometimes a conical hollow, within which the 

 spider rests inverted. 



All the three Pholcids are common either within houses or 

 outside in the open, where they shelter under rocks or under 

 the ledges of buildings. They are not at all common on 

 the hills. 



Locality. Madras city (February-August). 



Theridiidse. 



Argyrodes (Sim.), 1864. 



The genus Argyrodes includes species usually considered 

 parasitic on the webs of other spiders. These spiders are 

 not really parasitic, but are commensals living at the same 

 table as that of the much bigger Argiopid and securing frag- 

 ments o£ its food. Argyrode sargentatus, A. jisstfrons, and 

 A. argyrodes are found. 



17. Argyrodes argentatus (Camb.) 



are small silvery-backed spiders usually found on a few 

 threads of their own at the back of the big web of an 

 Argiopid. Argyrodes is most frequently got on the webs of 

 Argiope, but also on those of Gaateracantha, Tetragnatha, 

 Araneus, and Cyrtophora. Tlie cocoon is very characteristic 

 in shape and is always attached to withered stems some 

 distance away from the big web. 



Locality. Madras city : common on webs on the trees of 

 the Beach during the monsoon (October-January). 



18. Argyrodes Jisstfrons (O. P.-Camb.). 



Small red and white spiders with black legs, all from 

 threads attached to the large web of Nephila malabarensis. 



Locality. Nawalapitiya, Ceylon. 



This species is said by Simon to be widespread in India 

 and Malaysia, but I have seen it only in Ceylon. 



Argyrudes argyrodes is also reported by Simon (i. p. 501) 

 to be common on the web of Cyrtophora citricola, but as yet 

 I have seen neither of these. 



