190 M. T. Thorell on Aranea lobata. 
The most important synonyms of this remarkable species, 
which is spread over the whole of Southern Europe, from 
Spain in the West to Southern Russia in the Hast, Southern 
Siberia, Northern Africa (Egypt, Algeria*), and which has 
even been observed in the Cape Verde Islands and in Senegal, 
should be as follows :— 
Argiope lobata (Pall.) 1772. 
Var. a, sive forma principalis. 
Syn. Aranea lohata, Pallas, Spicil. Zool. i. fase. 9. p. 46, tab. 3. figg. 14 et 
15 (1772). 
, Pallas, Naturgesch. merkw. Thiere, i. 9te Sammi. p. 71, 
pl. 5. fige. 14 et 15 (1777). 
, Fabr. Spec. Insect. p. 536 (1781). 
, Gmel. Linn. Syst. Nat. ed. 15. t. 1. pl. 5, p. 2955 (1789 ?). 
sericea, Oliv. Encycl. Méth. iv. pp. 188 et 198 (1789). 
Epeira sericea, Latreille, Gen. Crust. et Ins. i. p. 107 (1806). 
, Hahn, Die Arachn. i. p. 8, fig. 4 (1831). 
Walck., Hist. Nat. d. Ins. Apt. i. p. 116 (1841). 
margaritacea, Risso, Hist. Nat. d. princip. Product. de Europe 
mérid. vy. p. 40 (1826). 
Argyope sericea, Say. et Aud. in Descr. de "Egypte, ed. 2. xxii. p. 384, 
pl. 2. fig. 6 (1827). 
Varia: 
Aranea argentea, Gmel. Linn. Syst. Nat. ed. 18. t. i. pl. 5, p. 2959 
(1789 ?), 
Segestria dentata, Risso, Hist. Nat. d. prince. Prod. de Europe mér. 
v. p. 161 (1827). 
Epeira dentata, Walck. Hist. Nat. d. Ins. Apt. ii. p. 118 (1841). 
Argyopes prelautus, Koch, Die Arachn. vy. p. 37, fig. 359 (1839). 
—_— 
In conclusion, I would say a few words respecting the 
generic name Argiope, which is usually written Argyope or 
Argyopes. Both in the passage in the ‘ Description de 
VEgypte,’ where the genus is characterized by Audouin 
{t, xxl. p. 328, in ed. 2), and in the index to the same part 
(p- 466), the Latin name employed is Argiope; but in French 
it is Argyope-(“ Genre ARGYOPE, Argiope,” just as Audouin 
writes elsewhere “Genre T&GENAIRE, Zegenaria,”’ ‘“ Genre 
PHOLQuE, Pholcus,” “ Genre FAucHEuR, Phalangium,” &c.). 
Later, in describing the species, he has used this latter form 
of the word, not only for the French, but also for the Latin 
name. However, as Audouin first, and in characterizing the 
genus, wrote Argiope, and as this is moreover the only correct 
orthography (the name is in fact formed from ’Aprycé7n, nom. 
prop. myth. femin. gen.), it should be retained through the 
* Probably also over the eastern maritime countries of the Mediterra- 
neen. ~In Syria occurs an allied form, Argiope splendida, Say. & Aud., 
which is possibly not specifically distinct from A. /obata. 
