244 AMERICAN SPIDERS AND THEIR SPINNINGWORK. 
Genus HENTZIA, new. 
I have felt it necessary to establish a new genus to receive the following interesting 
species, whose spinningwork, as described in a previous yolume, sets it apart as widely 
different in its industry from all other spiders. It is impossible to follow Dr. Marx in 
relegating it to Argiope, as the character of the eyes is entirely different, those of Argiope 
being procurved in both rows, the front row slightly and the rear row very much. On the 
contrary, the eyes of this species are so arranged as to form an oyal figure, the front row 
being decidedly recurved, the rear row procuryed. The midfront eyes are separated from 
the sidefront by a space almost equaling, but a little less than, the space which divides the 
latter. The cephalothorax is of medium height, the caput not specially depressed. 
The sternum is somewhat, but not decidedly, longer than wide. The labium is short, 
and the maxillee wide, almost as wide as long. The legs are long, rather thin, sparsely 
coyered with pubescence, and the spines, instead of being stout and short, are long and 
thin. The abdomen is cylindrical, decidedly longer than wide. In its general appearance 
the species is more closely allied to certain Theridioids than to the typical Epeira, and 
approaches Argyroepeira, from which, however, it differs, among other points, by the fact 
that in the latter genus the space between the midfront and sidefront eyes is more than 
twice as great as the interval between the midfront eyes, in this respect resembling Epeira. 
In Hentzia basilica the ocular quad is much longer than wide; the width in front only 
slightly, if any, greater than the rear width; in a typical Epeira the front width is usually 
decidedly greater than the rear, and the quad is not so manifestly longer than wide. The 
space between MF and SF in Hentzia is less than the intervening space of MF; in Epeira, 
on the contrary, that space is 1.5 to 2.5 times greater, usually nearer the latter than the 
former. The difference in this respect is enormous. In Hentzia basilica the space between 
SR and MR is but little, if any, greater than that between MR; in the typical Epeira, on 
the contrary, the intervening space between SR and MR is 3.5 to 4 times that of MR. The 
difference in this respect is even greater than in the former. The shape of the abdomen, 
again, separates the two genera, the typical Epeira being triangular ovate; this, on the 
contrary, being cylindrical, inclined to rectangular, and decidedly longer than wide, with 
the abdomen formed into a sort of caudal projection. The spinous armature of the legs 
also shows a decided difference, Hentzia having rather scant pubescence, and spines not 
numerous, long and slender, instead of being abundant, stout, and rather short, as in 
Epeira. The terminal joints of the legs also differ, Epeira being marked by a moderately 
long metatarsus, not disproportionate to the other joints, whereas Hentzia has a metatarsus 
at least one-third longer than the tibia, and the tarsus is much longer than the patella. In 
Hentzia basilica the three legs are almost nearly equal in length, the first and second pairs 
scarcely differing, and the fourth but a fraction of a millimeter shorter. The snare is a 
horizontal orbicular web, raised at the centre into an umbrella shape, like that of certain 
species of Linyphia. 
No. 96. Hentzia basilica McCook. Plate XIV, Fig. 2; Pl. XXIII, Fig. 8. 
1878. Epeira basilica, McCook .. . . Proceed. Acad. Nat. Sci., Phila., p. 124. 
1889. Lpeira basilica, McCook... . Amer. Spid. and their Spinningwork, Vol. I. 
1889. Argiope basilica, Marx ..... Catalogue, p. 541. 
Femate: Total length, 6.5 mm.; cephalothorax, 3 mm, long, 2 mm. wide; abdomen, 
5.5 mm. long, 2 mm. wide. 
CrpHaLorHorax: Oval, truncated at the base; fosse a low circular pit; corselet medium 
height, somewhat flattened on top; color yellow or olive, with a blackish brown ring on 
the margins of the corselet, and a similarly colored band passing the entire length of the 
corselet and caput on the median line; pubescent, especially on the margins; the caput not 
depressed, and scarcely elevated above the summit of the corselet; the sternum cordate, 
