Epeira sericata. PI. XXIII, fig. 238.
Epeira sericata, Koch, U e b e rs d e s A ra ch n . S y st., e rs te s H e ft, p. 2.
— I^ie A ra c h n ., B a n d xi, p. 110, ta b . 385, figs. 914, 915.
virgata, H a h n , D ie A ra c h n ., B a n d ii, p. 2 6 , ta b . 4 6 , fig. 113.
Length of the female, | of an inch; length of the cephalo-thorax, |th, breadth, |t h ;
breadth of the abdomen, Tgths; length of an anterior leg, gths; length of a leg of the third
pair, S93ths..
The legs are long, robust, provided with hairs and spines, and of a brownish-yellow
colour, with dark-brown annuli, those at the anterior extremity of the femora being the
broadest; the first pair is the longest, then the second, and the third pair is the shortest;
the tarsi are terminated by the customary number of claws of the usual structure. The
palpi resemble the legs in colour, and have a curved, pectinated claw at their extremity. The
cephalo-thorax is compressed before, rather broad in front, rounded on the sides, moderately
convex, and has a large indentation in the medial line; it is of a dark-brown hue, and is
clothed with hoary hairs, which are densest on the lateral margins and in the cephalic region,
forming in the latter a conspicuous, whitish line that passes between the two intermediate
pairs of eyes, and whose extremities extend and converge to the medial indentation, where
they meet. The four intermediate eyes are seated on a prominence, and nearly form a square,
the two anterior ones, which are rather wider apart than the two posterior ones, being the
largest of the eight; the eyes of each lateral pair are placed obliquely on a small tubercle,
but are not contiguous. The falces are powerful, conical, vertical, and armed with teeth on
the inner surface; the maxillae are straight, short, strong, and rounded at the extremity ; the
lip is semicircular, but slightly pointed at the apex; and the sternum, which is heart-shaped,
is sparingly clothed with hoary hairs, and has small prominences on the sides, opposite to the
legs. These parts have a dark-brown colour, faintly tinged with red, and the extremities of
the maxillae and lip have a yellowish-brown hue. The abdomen is oviform, thinly clothed
with hairs, convex above, and projects over the base of the cephalo-thorax; the upper part
is of a dark, yellowish-brown colour, freckled with black; a large, leaf-like, brown-black
mark, mottled with dark, yellowish-brown, whose lateral margins are sinuous, and finely
bordered with yellowish-white, extends along the middle, diminishing in breadth to the
spinners; the anterior part of this mark comprises a yellowish-brown triangle, which includes
a brown-black one, both having their vertices directed forwards; the posterior part of the
mark comprises a yellowish-brown cross, the longitudinal portion of which tapers towards the
spinners, and includes a brown-black line, whose broadest part, near its anterior extremity,
has a triangular form; the transverse part of the cross is somewhat curved, and its extremities
occasionally break the continuity of the leaf-like mark, whose posterior part is
crossed by a few obscure, yellowish-brown bars; a broad, brown-black band, freckled with
yellowish-brown, and strongly dentated at its superior margin, extends along each sid e ; the
under part has a brown-black hue, with a curved, yellowish line on each side; the sexual
organs are moderately developed,'with a subcylindrical, transversely striated, taper, membranous
process,' of a yellow-brown line, connected with their anterior margin, and curved
backwards; their colour is brown, slightly tinged with red, and that of the branchial opercula
is red-brown.
The sexes are similar in the design formed by the distribution of their colours, but the
male is smaller, much slenderer, and has longer legs than the female. Its palpi are short,
and of a reddish-yellow colour, with the exception of the digital joint, whifeh has th r ow n
hue ; the. cubital joint has at its extremity, in front, two long, curved, bristles, directed forwards
; the radial is larger than theNsubital joint, and projects a strong process from its outer
side, which is gibbous near the base, and amply provided with long hairs ; the digital joint is
somewhat oval, having a curved process at its Wise; directed outwards; it is convex and hairy
externally, concave withnsj: comprising the palpal organs, which are highly developed and
complicated in structure; at their base there is a long, rather -strong, and prominent bifid
pfocyss, with a large, obtuse protuberanignear its base, on'the inner side ; both divisions of
the bifid process are slightly curved towards the inner side, and the superior one, which is
much the stronger, and rounded at the end, has a small and somewhat pointed projection
near its-extremity, on the inner side ; lower down there is a prominent, depressed, brownish-
yeilow process, which'is enlarged and rounded at its extremity, and near whose summit, on
the inner side, the ends of two strong processes terminate ; th e larger process curves round
the extremity of'the organs-, and the other is situated on their inner side; the colour of the
palpal organs is reddish-yellow with dark, reddish-brown intermixed. The convex'sides
Of the digital joints are directed towards each other.
The habits of jEpeira sericata are similar to-those of Epeira apodiea, and both species
may frequently be found in' the same localities;
Epeira patagiata. PI. XXIV, fig. 239.
Epeira patagiata, K o c h , D ie A ra ch n ., B a n d x i, p . 115, ta b . 386', figs. 9 16— 919.
. ' __ dumetorum, H a h n , Ib id ., B an d ii, p . 3 1 ; ta b . 48, fig. 117.
__ _ Koch,'H e b e rs des A r a ch n . S y st., e rs te s H e ft; p . 2 .
Len gth of the female, §ths o f an in ch ; length o f th e cephalo-thorax, ith, breadth, }th ;
breadth o f the abdomen, #hS;; length o f an anterior' le g , §rds; length o f a l e g o f the third
pair, §ths.
The four intermediate eyes are seated on a prominence, and nearly form a square, the
two anterior ones, which are rather wider apart than the posterior ones, being the largest of
the eigh t; the eyes' of each lateral pair are placed obliquely on a small tubercle, but are not
contiguous. The cephalo-thorax is compressed before, broad in front, rounded on the sides,
moderately convex, and has a large indentation in the medial lin e ; it is of a red-brown
colour, and is clothed with hoary hairs, which are densest in the cephalic region and on the
lateral margins.''- The falces are powerful, conical, vertical, and armed with teeth on the