84 



AMERICAN SPIDERS AND THEIR SPINNINGWORK. 



Structure 



the manner of suspension, as well as the character of the egg case, Argen- 



teola resembles her congeners. 1 



A cocoon, when dissected, shows two principal parts the basal sheet 



above referred to, and the cup or case which is set upon it. Both these 



parts consist of closely 

 woven silk, like that 

 which forms the out- 

 er case of Cophinaria 

 and Argyraspis, the 

 latter of which it most 

 resembles. This cup 

 is of a yellow or yel- 

 lowish green color, 



FIG. 50. FIG. 51. FIG. 52. 



FIG. 50. Cocoon of Argiope argyraspis. X 2. FIG. 51. Interior, showing aild the deep green 

 padding, eggs, and the egg cover. FIG. 52. Side view of the egg cover. ^^ appear mogt de _ 



cidedly in slight flossy -tufts, which here and there overspread it. The 



inner surface of the basal sheet is overspread with 

 white silk. Within the case is a ball of 

 white flossy curled silk, which forms the 

 inner upholstery of the nest. It thus ap- 

 pears, that while the cocoonery of this remarkable 



spider resembles that of Epeira in its external shape 



and the nature of the interior furnishing, yet in 



the texture of the case and manner of suspension 



it is like the cocoonery of its congeners. In the 



example produced in my trying box the basal 



sheet is hung vertically. If it were suspended hor- 

 izontally, with the egg case downward (Fig. 54), it 



would closely resemble an Argyraspis' cocoon. 



Mrs. Eigenmann tells me that Argenteola makes 



more than one cocoon. A specimen which had spun 



a web in her sitting room placed a cocoon upon it somewhat in the posi- 

 tion observed by myself, as above described; but 

 shortly after (the time is not specified) a second 

 cocoon was formed upon the web about two inches 

 below the first one. A few days previous to this 



FIG. 54. cocoon of Argiope ar- cocooning the' spider neglected to eat, and paid 

 genteoia; side view. About nat- no attention to the flies placed upon her web. 



The discoverer had concluded that the creature's 



mission was ended and death would soon ensue, but was surprised to find 



FIG. 53. Cocoon of Argiope ar- 

 genteola ; front view. Natural 

 size. 



1 Koch has described species from South America which closely resemble A. argenteola, 

 and perhaps may be the same. See Arachniden, Tafeln 5-8, Fig. 360, Arg. argentatus, and 

 Fig. 361, Arg. fenestrinus. 



