1982] 
Obin — Spiders Living at Wasp Nesting Sites 
323 
structure was within 5 m of a lake and was surrounded on three 
sides by a lawn dotted with palms and turkey oak. A dense stand of 
palmetto and hardwoods was located ca. 100 m distant. The Garage 
site was located 150 m from the lake shoreline and was next to a 
small plot of palmetto-hardwood forest. Wasp nests covered the 
exterior walls of this painted wood structure and were exposed to 
ambient light. The third site, Rocky Creek (RC) was two cement 
bridge tunnels where State Road 121 crossed Rocky Creek. During 
the study, the water level was sufficiently low such that the sand 
bottom of the creek was exposed throughout most of the two tun- 
nels. The tunnel entrances were fringed with tall grass, occasional 
shrubs and Eupatorium sp. Light levels inside the tunnels were the 
lowest among the 3 sites. The area surrounding the site was com- 
posed of cleared agricultural plots interspersed with thickets and 
small stands of oak and pine. 
Results 
Table 1 lists the spiders observed at the 3 sites. Prey species are 
distinguished from non-prey species and web spiders from wander- 
ing spiders. 
Web-Building Spiders. Eighty-three web spiders were collected, 
representing 12 genera in 4 families. Ten genera were taken as prey 
by the mud-daubers nesting at the study sites. Species of three gen- 
era of spiders were found living in open mud cells from which wasps 
had emerged earlier in the season. Males and females of Metazygia 
wittfeldae (McCook), Filistata hibernalis Hentz and Oecobius annu- 
lipes (Lucas) were removed from inside old nests of Sceliphron and 
Chalybion that were constructed over or close to seams and cracks 
in walls. Of 1 1 cells containing M. wittfeldae, 8 also contained egg 
cases. Two old cells with adult pairs and spiderlings inside were also 
noted. Genera of Araneidae and Theridiidae positioned webs either 
close to nesting sites (Argiope, Nephila, Micrathena and Neoscona) 
or within 10-15 cm of active nests (Leucauge, Tetragnatha, Tidar- 
ren, Latrodectus and Achaearanea). Webs of Argiope aurantia 
Lucas were found only at Rocky Creek, where the tall grass and 
bushes at the tunnel entrance afforded suitable habitat. The distribu- 
tion of Micrathena sagittata (Walckenaer) appeared similarly limited 
by habitat, as webs were confined to the wood’s edge behind the 
Garage site. 
