. Annual report - Entomological Society of Ontario. Entomological Society of Ontario; Insect pests; Insects. up, as m J?ig 25, with their heads toward the wind, and spin- nerets open. A thread soon blows out from the spinnerets, and, if the current of air continues, spins put to a length of two or three yards, and then offers enough resistance to the wind to carry the spider away with it up into the air. As soon as she is clear, the spider turns around, and grasps the thread with her feet, and seems to be very comfortable and contented till she strikes against something. Sometimes they rise ra
. Annual report - Entomological Society of Ontario. Entomological Society of Ontario; Insect pests; Insects. up, as m J?ig 25, with their heads toward the wind, and spin- nerets open. A thread soon blows out from the spinnerets, and, if the current of air continues, spins put to a length of two or three yards, and then offers enough resistance to the wind to carry the spider away with it up into the air. As soon as she is clear, the spider turns around, and grasps the thread with her feet, and seems to be very comfortable and contented till she strikes against something. Sometimes they rise rapidly, and are soon out of sight; at other times they blow along just above the ground. This habit is not confined to any particular kinds of spiders, but is practised by many small species of Erigone, and by the young of many spiders of all families, that when adult would be too large for it. The majority of spiders that fly in autumn are the young of several species of Lycosa, that seem to spend the greater part of October in trying to get as far above ground as possible. The best places to watch for them are garden- fences, where they often swarm, and can be seen more distinctly than on bushes. It is still unexplained how the thread starts from the spinnerets. It has been often asserted that the spider fastens the thread by the end, and allows a loop to blow out in the wind; but in most cases, this is certainly not done, only one thread being visible. Sometimes, while a thread is blown from the hinder spinnerets, another from the front spinnerets is kept fast to the ground (fig. 26) ; so that when the spider blows away, it draws out a thread behind it entirely independent of the one from which it hangs. Sometimes, instead of a single thread, several are blown out at once, like a Ion. brush. Fig. 26. 9.—"Water Spiders. One of the most curious and interesting of the spider family is the Argyroneta aquatica, or Water-spider, which lives for the greater part of its life b
Size: 1962px × 1273px
Photo credit: © Library Book Collection / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, booksubjectinsects, bookyear1872
