58 



THE COMMON SPIDERS 



as wide as long, with the sides nearly straight and parallel in 

 the female but widened behind the middle in the male. The 

 abdomen of the female is oval and nearly twice as long as wide. 

 The color is bronze green, changing in some lights to copper 

 red. The legs are yellow, with longitudinal dark stripes, except 

 the front femora, which are dark brown. 

 The males are much more brightly colored. 

 The legs are orange, darker toward the ends, 

 with fine dark longitudinal stripes. The ends 

 of the front tibiae are dark brown and have 

 long brow^n hairs on the inner and upper 

 side. The palpi are orange, darker toward 

 the end. The sides and hinder part 

 of the cephalothorax are orange, 

 and there is a white line over the 

 coxae. The upper part of the cepha- 

 lothorax and abdomen is covered 

 with greenish yellow scales. On 

 the front of the head are two tufts 

 of long hairs, yellow mixed with 

 black, pointing forward and a little 

 inward between the middle and 

 lateral eyes. On the hinder end 

 of the abdomen is an iridescent 

 purple spot. The abdomen is 

 green on the under side, and the 

 sternum and coxae are orange. In 

 alcohol all the colors become dull. 

 The mandibles are slender, and the claw short and strongly 

 curved inward toward the point. In the male the mandibles 

 are a little longer and hollowed a little on the inner side. The 

 male has the first pair of legs much longer and larger than the 

 others. In the female the fourth legs are longest. 



Fig. 152. Maevia 

 vittata. — Fe- 

 male enlarged 

 six times. 



