ARGYOPID.E. 213 



Family ARGYOPID^E. 



(=Epeiridce of most recent authors.) 



Sedentary Spiders spinning webs composed of radiating and 

 concentric threads. 



Carapace with clypeus low ; lateral eyes typically close together, 

 remote from the median quadrangle and situated at the sides of 

 the head. Mouth-parts manducatory ; mandibles powerful, freely 

 movable, with strongly toothed fang-groove ; maxillae not inclined 

 on the labium. Legs not scopulate, 3 claws ; tarsi furnished 

 apically with " spurious claws " in the form of thickened serrate 

 bristles. Abdomen large, but variable in form. Spinners sub- 

 equal, short, forming a compact cluster ; colulus present. 



Distribution. Cosmopolitan. 



Synopsis of the principal Indian Genera. 



a. Head conical in front, lateral eyes wide 



apart POLTYS, p. 235. 



b. Head truncate in front, lateral eyes nearer 



together. 

 a 1 . Abdomen hard, armed with 6 marginal 



spines GASTERACANTHA, p. 231. 



b l . Abdomen softer, not armed with mar- 

 ginal spines. 

 a 2 . Head very high, abruptly elevated 



and strongly tubercular C-SEOSTRIS, p. 230. 



b 2 . Head lower, at most gradually 



elevated. 

 a 3 . Mandibles long, armed with many 



teeth TETRAGNATHA, p. 214. 



b 3 . Mandibles short, armed with a few 



teeth. 



a*. Carapace with about 4 sym- 

 metrically arranged tubercles ; 

 abdomen very broad, multi- 

 tubercular ORDGARIUS, p. 230. 



b 4 . Carapace mostly smooth, rarely 



with 2 tubercles (Nephila) or 



irregularly tubercular. 



a 5 . Abdomen wider than long, 



leathery, with large sigilla 



above CYRTARACHNE, p. 228 



b f . Abdomen not wider than long, 



sigilla small. 

 o 6 . Eyes of posterior line strongly 



procurved ARGYOPE, p. 220. 



b 6 . Eyes of posterior line not or 



scarcely procurved. 

 a 7 . Abdomen flat, with sharply 



defined lateral edges .... HERENNIA, p. 219. 



