160 L. L. Gaddy 



The data here are based primarily on field identification. Because of the 

 large number of spiders handled, only taxonomically difficult species 

 and representative specimens of common species were collected. Voucher 

 specimens are in the author's personal collection. General notes were 

 taken on the presence of non-araneid orb weavers and non-orb weavers. 



RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 



Twenty-two species of araneids were found on the four islands. 

 Table 1 lists the number of adults recorded per transect in winter (Feb- 

 ruary), spring (March and April), early summer (May and June), late 

 summer (July and August), and autumn (September and October). No 

 perceptible differences in population or species number were found 

 among the four islands. Most species, however, did exhibit some degree 

 of seasonality, as seen in Table 1. 



Of the 22 araneid species, the genus Araneus was represented by 4 

 species, M angora by 3, and Neoscona, Micrathena, and Argiope by 2 

 species each. As seen in Table 1, only Araneus pegnia was found to be 

 in the adult stage in winter. Araneus miniatus, another small Araneus, 

 was observed in the spring, along with additional A. pegnia. Araneus 

 pratensis, the third small Araneus found on the islands, occurred in 

 forest openings only in late summer. 



The spring dominants were M angora placida and Acanthepeira 

 spp. (Because of the difficulties of field identification of the large 

 number of Acanthepeira individuals encountered, these spiders were 

 identified only to genus.) Mangora maculata and M. gibberosa did not 

 mature until early summer, confirming the observations of Berry (1971). 

 The third most frequent species found mature in the spring was Araneus 

 bicentenarius. Levi (1971) thought this species rare in North America, 

 but its giant webs were seen frequently from early March through May 

 on the four islands studied. One individual seen in March was over 20 

 mm long, possibly having overwintered as an adult (however, no sub- 

 adults were seen on the transects in February). The retreat of A. bicen- 

 tenarius was usually made in Spanish moss, Tillandsia usneoides, on the 

 four study islands. 



In early summer, Acanthepeira individuals became the dominant 

 adults, reaching a peak in early June. Neoscona arabesca matured in 

 early June and continued to be common into October. Leucage venusta 

 individuals were common from late May to July. Argiope trifasciata 

 peaked in abundance in late summer in shrubby areas. In late July, 

 females of Nephila clavipes were undergoing their final molt with males 

 beginning to appear in their webs. Mating frequently took place during 

 the final molt while the female hung defenseless in her web (see Robin- 

 son and Robinson 1973, 1976). Nephila, however, did not become the 

 most abundant spider until August. In late summer and autumn, Neo- 

 scona domiciliorum began to appear in the wetter areas of the maritime 



