. American spiders and their spinning work. A natural history of the orbweaving spiders of the United States, with special regard to their industry and habits. Spiders. 122 AMERICAN SPIDERS AND THEIR 7 ains.^ To the same group belong Emerton's Epeira sylvatica, and my E. bicentennaria. The species are closely related to each otlier and to the European Epeira angulata and E. bicornis. Systematists may ngu a a |^^f|.gj. unite them all into two or three species. The habits of the entire group, as judged by the species which I have studied, are like those of Insularis and Trifo
. American spiders and their spinning work. A natural history of the orbweaving spiders of the United States, with special regard to their industry and habits. Spiders. 122 AMERICAN SPIDERS AND THEIR 7 ains.^ To the same group belong Emerton's Epeira sylvatica, and my E. bicentennaria. The species are closely related to each otlier and to the European Epeira angulata and E. bicornis. Systematists may ngu a a |^^f|.gj. unite them all into two or three species. The habits of the entire group, as judged by the species which I have studied, are like those of Insularis and Trifolium as above described. They dwell in silken tents or nests of rolled leaves, and spin webs of the type shown at Figs. 101 and 107. Epeira stellata is remarkable for the formation of its abdomen. Around the sides are inserted a number of spines, one of which projects promi- nently over the cephalothorax, which gives the creature a striking and weird appearance. I have taken it, especially the young, in I'enusylvania. New Jersey, and Connecticut. In the last named State rmmbers of tlie species were seen occupying orbicular snares, which were spun low upon grass, ferns, and golden rods on the margin of a meadow near a stone fence. They were of the general type of that group of which lipcira strix is a representative. The spiders hung at the centre with legs bunched up against the body, the lialf grown individuals looking like seeds of certain plants. The dull grays and grayish browns of its color helped to make it inconspicuous against the background of the brown- Fio. 109. Figure of ing foliagc Oil wliicli their snares were spun. At the least G^teracantha,fe- fUytm-bance the spider dropped suddenly to the ground, or ran for refuge to the foliage at one end of the web.^ Among the Orbweavers constructing full vertical orbs is Gasteracantha, a spider whose remarkable shape has attracted the attention of many ob- servers. Fig. 109. I have received numerous specimens of Gaster- ^^ f
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, booksubjectspiders, bookyear1889
