THE SPIDER GENERA GEA AND ARGIOPE IN AMERICA
(ARANEAE : ARANEIDAE)
HERBERT W. LEVI
This is the first pubHcation in a series of common spiders is immense and has been revisions of North American orb weavers, a bottleneck in many researches. The few Despite having studied representatives of speciahsts with knowledge of spiders are the genera of the family Araneidae, I am overwhelmed with requests for determina- not yet certain of the limits and diagnoses tions. Next to the Linyphiidae, the Aranei- of the numerous araneid genera. The ge- dae are most difficult to determine at the nus Argiope is an exception; the species present time, but fragmentation of the belonging to it are readily placed. As the family into many meaningless genera, as in work progresses, I expect that the relative the Linyphiidae, luckily is less of a prob- importance of the various characters will lem in the study of the Araneidae. become increasingly apparent, and there This research was supported in part by will be less need to illustrate as lavishly as Public Health Service Research Grant AI- in this paper. As most North American spe- 01944 from the National Institute of Al- cies of Argiope have wide distributions into lergy and Infectious Diseases. I am grate- South America, I have found it advisable ful to many colleagues for their help, to include South American members of the Specimens were loaned by Dr. W. J. genus. Even though Argiope includes our Gertsch of the American Museum of Natu- commonest spiders, the collections exam- ral History; Prof. M. Biraben and Dr. Olga ined had many specimens erroneously de- Blanco of the Museum of the University termined, and the Central American and of La Plata; Dr. L. Brundin of the Stock- Mexican species have been confused. In holm Natural History Museum; Dr. R. this genus, as in other Araneidae, it is not Crabill of the U. S. National Museum; Mr. at all easy to match males and females. J. Kekenbosch of the Institut Royal des The broken-off embolus tip of the male Sciences Naturelles de Belgique, Brussels; palp, found in the connecting ducts of the Dr. S. G. Lepneva of the Zoological Insti- female, is often very useful in matching the tute of the Academy of Sciences, Lenin- sexes and identifying females of some dif- grad; Dr. M. Muma of the University of ficult species (e.g. Argiope argentata, Figs. Florida; Dr. A. Riedel and W. Starega of 130-133). Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of F. During the last 10 years the economic Sciences; Prof. M. Vachon and Mr. J. importance of spiders, particularly the orb Jezequel of the Museum National d'His- weavers, has become recognized. Not only toire Naturelle, Paris; Prof. H. K. Wallace of the of are they used as test animals for laboratory and Mr. K. J. Stone University Florida State experimentation, but the value of spiders in Florida; Dr. H. Weems of natural control of insect pests in being stud- Museum, Gainesville; Dr. G. B. Wiggins of Dr. ied. The difficulty in determining even the Ro>al Ontario Museum, Toronto;
Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool, 136(9) : 319-352, April, 1968 319 320 Bulletin Mufieuin of Comparative Zoology, Vol. 136, No. 9
A. Willink and Mr. Z. Tomsic of the Insti- Note: Of the three family names, Epei- tute Miguel Lillo, Tucuman. Father Chry- ridae has been used most, Araneidae least. santhus sent a gift of New Guinea species At the present time, Araneidae is used by of Ar^io))C; Dr. B. Y. Main sent specimens German and some American authors, Argi- Dr. O. the French Bonnet's from western Australia; Kraus, opidae by ( including Senckenbergische Naturforschende Gesell- catalog) and by many English and Ameri- schaft supplied information; Dr. G. Owen can authors. Epeiridae is no longer in use. Evans and Mr. D. L. Clarke of the British Bonnet, in his authoritative Bibliog,ro})]iia Museum (Natural History) checked types; Amneorum, reasoned that the name Arane- Dr. C. Dondale checked specimens in the idae is so similar to the name of the Order Canadian National collections; Mr. R. Konig Araneae as to create confusion; he there- fore Araneidae in favor of supplied a photograph of Ar^iopc lobato; rejected Argiop- and Mr. Robin Leech sent data on distri- idae. However, if we were to follow Bon- net butions in Canada. we would have to reject some of the commonest names of in- The labels of the Wallace and Weems family animals, cluding Scoipionidae and Acaridae collections provided valuable ecological in- among the arachnids. To end the confusion re- formation from Michigan and Florida. sulting from use of three names for one In this and all anticipated revisions, as family, I ha\e applied The International in most of my theridiid revisions, I omit Code of Zoological Nomenclature on the unillustrated literature records that lack availability of family group names. The voucher in one of the specimens large pub- earliest emendation of Araneides to the lic spider collections. The reason for this is current spelling, Araneidae, appears to be that I have found even the commonest that of Dahl (Kaston, 1938, Amer. Midland to be misidentified in species frequently Natur., 19: 640). An apphcation to the the literature. International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature has been prepared request- ARANEIDAE Latreille, 1806 ing placement of the Araneidae Latreille, AraiieicU's Cencra Crustaceoruiii Latreille, 1806, 1806 on the Official List of Family Names et Insectoruni, 1 : 82. Family Araneides includ- in Zoology. ing the genus Aranca Linn. ( = Araneus Clerck Araneidae are web 1757), which is the tyi^e genus. Description. spiders. Araneidea Leach, 1817, Zoological Miscellany, 3: They lack a cribellum and calamistrum, for included in 47. Family Araneidea species have no trichobothria on femora or tarsi, this Latreille. family by and have three claws on their tarsi. The Araneadae Leach, 1819, in Samouelle, Entomolo- legs are relatively short, covered \\ith gists Useful Compendium. Family Araneadae macrosctae but there is including the genus Aranca, which is the t>pe ( "spines" )\ no genus. comb on the fourth metatarsus. The eyes Arach- Lpeirides Sundevall, 183-3, Con.spectus are arranged in two rows and in three nidum, p. 13. Type genus Epeira {= Aranctis, groups, the median group of four eyes ohjccti\e synon\'m), suhsequenth- used as a or Lpeiiidae. forming square trapezoid separated by Argiopidae Simon, 1890, Ann. Soc. Entomol. ' l''rance, (6)10: 81. Type genus Ar^iopr. A spine is delined in American dictionaries as
Araneidae I landworterbuch der Dahl, 1912, a "stilt, pointed external process" ( Pcnnak, 1964, Naturwissenschaften, 1: 502. Collegiate Dictionary of Zoology, Ronald Press).
Geo heptagon (Hentz) female. Fig. 1. Ventral view of sternum and coxae. Figs. 2, 3. Left chelicera. 2. Anterior view.
3. Posterior view. Figs. 4-8. Epigynum. 4. Dorsal view. 5. Ventral view. 6. Posterior view. 7, 8. Lateral view. Fig.
9. Epigync of eight individuals from Cameron, Louisiana. Fig. 10. Epigyna of eight individuals from Washington Co.,
Arkansas. Fig. 11. Dorsal view, Louisiana. Fig. 12. Ventral view of abdomen, Louisiana. Fig. 13. Ventral view of abdomen, St, Croix, West Indies. Fig. 14. Dorsal view, St. Croix, West Indies. Gea and Argiope Spiders • Levi 321
. 5 mm
"feT.ftfe'>r-
0.5 mm
I mm
r^^
I mm 322 BuUetin Museum of Coiuparativc Zoulo^ij, Vol. 136, No. 9
some distance from the two lateral deme similar to that of theridiids eyes ( Figs. 2, on each side. The eyes are all alike. The 3, 46, 47). area between the eyes and the border of Of the first pair of legs, the coxae and the carapace, the so-called "clypeus" trochanters each have a ventral tubercle or (better called front), is low, less than the ridge (Figs. 1, 92, 114-115, 139). The tar- height of the eye region. Anatomically, sus and metatarsus combined is longer than the clypeus is the area behind the chelic- the patella and tibia of each leg. The
and the better be aban- labium is . erae, name might wider than long ( Fig. 65 ) Males doned in taxonomic discussions. are much smaller than females. The chelicerae may lack the anterior The male palpi (Figs. 19-20, 39, 42) dorsal projection under the front that is resemble those of theridiids. The termi- present in many Theridiidae and that serves nal apophysis characteristic of Araneus is for muscle attachment. This projection may lacking, and the tip of the embolus breaks be present in the Argiopinae. On the face off when mating and remains in the female of the chelicerae below the front may be tubes probably in all species of Argiopc. a knob, little developed in Argiopinae. The The spiders hang in the center of the chelicerae are strong with two rows of almost vertical orb web and do not have a teeth and a short, strong fang. The labium retreat (Plate I, fig. 2; Plate II). has the anterior edge swollen or "rebor- Three genera were included in the sub- dered." There are six spinnerets (Fig. 66). family: Argiopc, Gca and Mecynogea. The in does not to the paracymbium (P Figs. 19, 20) Mcci/nogea' belong subfam- of the male palpus is attached to the prox- ily. imal end of the cymbium; it is not a free MECYNOGEA Simon 1903 sclerite as in the Linyphiidae. Most of the Araneidae construct orb Ihntzia McCook, 1894, American Spiders, 3: 244. Type species by monotypy Epeira basilica Mc- webs; the spider hangs in the web head Cook. Name preoccupied by Hcntzia Marx, down. 1883, in Howard's List of In\'ertelnate Fauna At present I do not know the limits of ot South Carolina, p. 26. Mecynogea Simon, Ann. Soc. Entomol. Bel- family, nor can I judge whether Tetragna- 1903, ,ui(iue, 47: 25. Type species by sulisecjuent thinae belong to the family. The inclusion designation ( Petrunkex itch, 1928, Trans. Con- of has on the TetragnatJia no bearing fam- necticut Acad. Sci. 29: 135) M. higihha Simon ily name, according to the International 1903, from Brazil, examined. Allepeira Banks, 1932, Publ. Oklahoma Biol. Surv. Code of Zoological Nomenclature (1961), 4: 23. New name to replace Hentzia McCook. as the family name is attached to the genus NFW SYNONYMY. Arancus no matter what else is included in Key i() Cknera ov .Argiopinae the family. la. Anterior nu-chan eyes ecjually spaced or Subfamily ARGIOPINAE Simon 1890 closer to laterals (Figs. 1, 17); adult fe- males smaller than 6 mm 2 Aryiopidaf Simon, 1890, Ann. Sor. Miilomol. 1 h. Anterior median eyes usually clo.ser to each France, (6)10: 81. 'I'ypc ^cnus Ar^'/'o/jc. other than laterals (Figs.' 44, 59, 94); Argiopinae Simon, 1895, Histoirc Naturdlc dcs adult females larger than 9 mm .... Argioj^e Araignees, 1 : 759. 2a. Adult females Geo 2b. Adult males 3a The posterior ('\'e row, seen from above, 3a. First tibia curved and bearing strong mac- is strongly procurved (Figs. 14, 43, 58). rosetae (Fig. 18) __ ._ Gca The anterior lateral eyes are smaller than 31). First tibia straight and ariried as other
legs are ( I'^ig. 7."i ) the other eyes (Figs. 17,74,102, 127). The Argiopc anterior on boss the chelicerae (Figs. 2, 3, GEA C. L. Koch 1843 46-48, 63-64) is small, and the relatively Gca C. L. Kocli, 1843, \)\r Araclmiden, 10: 101. anterior lace has a proximal pointed apo- Type species !>> monotypy Gca .\i)iiui)cs C. L. Gea and Argiope Spiders • Levi 323
. 5 iimi
I mm
0.5 mm
. 5 mm
Geo heptagon (Henfz), male. Fig. 15. Dorsal view. Fig. 16. Lateral view of carapace and chelicerae. Fig. 17. Eyes and chelicerae. Fig. 18. First left patella and tibia, proloteral view. Figs. 19-24. Left palpus. 19-20. Expanded. 21. Mesal view. 22, 23. Ventral view. 24. Ectal view.
radix. Abbreviations; C, conductor; E, embolus; I, stipes; M, median apopfiysis; P, paracymbium; R, 324 Bulletin Museum of Comparative Zoology, Vol. 136, No. 9
Koch, ibid., 10: 101, pi. 823, from the East in the Rio Museum but could not be ex- Indies. amined. Koch could not determine the sex of the Gea deeorata Thorell var. varians Fran- Bol. Soc. Entomol. specimen he described, as the palpi were ganillo, 1926, Espafia, 9: Cuba. The coloration missing and the abdomen shrivelled. The 12, suggests a specimen, belonging to the Berlin Museum, ju\enile Argiope argentata. could not be located in 1966. Gea integra Franganillo, 1930, Invest. Inst. Nac. Cienc. 1: Despite the incomplete description, it Havana, 19, Cuba. The has been assumed, since the time of Simon, sketch of the narrow abdomen with a that Gea differs from Argiope in having tubercle on each side suggests a juvenile the anterior eyes evenly spaced. This is Gea heptagon. Scattered pigment was not apparent in the Koch illustration. Fur- probably mistaken for the epigynum. lineata thermore, young Argio))e, and often small Gea Franganillo, 1926, Bol. Soc. males, also have the anterior eyes evenly Entomol. Espana, 9: 53, Cuba. Colora- spaced. The species Gca heptagon has tion and lack of tubercles suggest a juve- always been associated with Gea, and it is nile Argiope trifa.seiata. best to keep it in the genus until more Gea panamen.sis Chamberlin, 1916, Bull. Mus. 40: knowledge about the characters of the dif- Comp. Zool., 243, pi. 19, fig. 8,
c? . Male in ferent genera of Araneidae becomes avail- holotype from Panama, the able. Museum of Comparative Zoology, exam- ined, is Another character that separates the gen- Argiope argentata. Gea 1930, Invest. Inst. era is the modified first tibia, curved and partita Franganillo, Nac. 1: Cuba. This be armed with macrosetae in males of Gea Ciencia, 17, may a juvenile Gea heptagon, and the descrip- (Fig. IS), unlike that of Argiope (Fig. 73). tion of the epigynum that of scattered Koch's specimen may have been a male, pigment spots. as the first tibiae appear to be curved and Gea praedieta O. 1898, Biol- armed in the illustration. P.-Cambridge, ogia Centrali-Americana, Araneidea, 1: to According Simon ( 1S95, Histoire Nat- 267, pi. 37, fig. 11 c^. Male holotype urelle des Araignees, 1: 76S), 0<7 does not from Teapa, Tabasco, Mexico, in the make a stabilimentum. British Museum, is Gea heptagon. Of the numerous described from species Gea .severinoi Mello-Lt>itao, 1917, Broteria, the Americas, some are Gea heptagon, 15: 91. Female from Bello Horizonto, others juvenile were de- Argiope. Many Minas Cerais. This species makes a sta- scribed whose by Franganillo, descriptions bilimentum and the description indicates of Cuban are spiders barely recognizable, that it is a juvenile Argiope argentata. and who did not make holotypes. His col- The holotx'pe was not available for ex- lection is kept at the Institute of Zoology, amination. Academia de Ciencias de ("uba, La Ilabana. G^ea sulxirniata Thorell \ar. niaeulata Fran- The collection, though well preserved has ganillo, 1930, In\t\st. Inst. Nac. Ciencia, no labels, only numbers glued to bottles. 1: 19, ('uba. The description appears to is to exist l)e that of a (U'a No catalog known ( personal com- Jieptagon. munication Dr. P. 1967. Alayo D., March, ) Gea heptagon (Hentz) The G^ea species described from America Figures 1-24; 1 with their ]:)robal)le synonymy are: Map
Gc« hitnueronala Mello-Leitao, 1936, Rev. I'.pciid hcpld^ou I lent/, 1(S5(), J. l^ostoii Sof. Natur. Hist., 0: 20. '\'\\w localities. North Chilena Hist. Natur., 40: 125, fig. 14. C'aroliiia and Alabama; siiccimcns lost. Female, probably mature, possibly Argi- iUa heptagon,— Kc\serlin Gea heptacjoii Map 1. Distribution of Geo heptagon (Hentz). 1893, American Spiders, 3: 208, pi. 12, fig. 8, Gea ergaster,—Chamberlin and Ivie, 1944, Bull. 9. Tullj^ren, 1901, Bihang Svensk. Vet. Akacl, Univ. Utah, Biol. Ser., 8(5): 104. Not Epeira 27: 9, fig. 5, $. Petrunkevitch, 1930, Trans. erga^er Walckenaer, 1841, Histoire Naturelle Connecticut Acad. Sci., 30: 243, figs. 93-96, des Insectes Apteres, 2: 55. 9^. Roewer, 1942, Katalog der Araneae, 1: 746. Bonnet, 1957, Bibliographia Araneorum, Note: Franganillo's names have insuf- 2: 1982. ficient descriptions to place them with cer- Gea praedicta O. P. -Cambridge, 1898, Biologia Ivie 1944 tainty. The Chaml:)erhn and ( ) 1: 267, Centrali-Americana, Araneidea, pi. 37, synonymy of Gea heptagon with the older fig. 11, S- Male holotype from Teapa, Tabasco, ergaster is an error. Walckenaer's Mexico, in the British Museum ( Natural His- Epeira tory), examined by D. Clark and compared to name has Abbot manuscript figure 235 as my figures. NEW SYNONYMY. holotype. Abbot's figure shows a light Gea var. Petrunkev heptafion nigra itcli, 1930, brown spider, probably of the genus Ara- Trans. Connecticut Acad. Sci. 30: 245, figs. 97- neus, certainly not Gea heptagon. (Color 100. Female holotype from Puerto Rico, lost. NEW SYNONYMY. photographs of Abbot illustrations and a are in the of ? Gea Integra Franganillo, 1930, Invest. Inst. Nac. microfilm Museum Compara- Cienc. Havana, 1: 19, Cuba. NEW SYNON- tive Zoology.) The Abbot specimens, YMY. found in a wasp nest, were presumably ? Gea 1930, ibid. 1: 17, Cuba. partita Franganillo, illustrated when There is no need to NEW SYNONYMY. dry. change the widely accepted name of this ? Gea subarmata Thorell var. maculata Frangan- illo, 1930, ibid., 1: 19. Cuba. NEW SYNON- species. YMY. Description. Male. Carapace yellow- 326 Bulletin Museum of Comparative Zoology, Vol. 136, No. 9 brown, legs yellow-brown. Abdomen shield- sum of abdomen white with a median pos- shaped with lobes on sides, a black patch terior dark triangle (Fig. 11). Venter with on posterior part. Anterior median eyes white pigment spots and median line of largest; anterior lateral eyes smallest, one- dark spots (Fig. 12). Anterior median eyes half size of posterior laterals. Anterior me- one and one-half diameters apart, one and dian eyes one diameter apart, one diameter one-half diameters from laterals. Posterior from laterals. Posterior median eyes two median eyes one and one-quarter diameters diameters apart, more than two diameters apart, two and one-half diameters from lat- from laterals. Posterior median eyes three erals. Total length 4.5 mm. Carapace 1.9 diameters from anterior medians. Total mm long, l.S mm wide. First femur, 2.3 length 2.6 mm. Carapace 1.7 mm long, 1.5 mm; patella and tibia, 2.5 mm; metatarsus, mm wide. First femur, 2.1 mm; patella and 1.9 mm; tarsus, 0.5 mm. Second patella and tibia, 2.2 mm; metatarsus, 2.1 mm; tarsus, tibia, 2.1 mm; third, 1.3 mm; fourth, 2.1 0.9 mm. Second patella-tibia, 2.1 mm; mm. third, 1.1 mm; fourth, 1.7 mm. Specimens from the West Indies have Ster- Female. Carapace yellow-brown. light, probably silver, transverse bands, with median line 14 than in num longitudinal light more contrasting ( Fig. ) speci- and white lines going laterally to the coxae. mens from the southeastern United States. Legs yellow-brown with dark bands. Dor- The specimens with most contrast came from Puerto Rico and the West Indies (Figs. 13, 14). McCook (1893) indicated and illustrated some of the light areas of the abdomen as metallic silver similar to the color of many species of Arii^iope. Pe- the trunkevich ( 1930 ) described light areas as pearly white. Habits. Despite the common occurrence of Gca hcptaiion, there are no adequate descriptions of its habits or of its web. The web appears to lack a stabilimentum and the viscid spiral is dense. The web is per- pendicular and on the slightest disturbance the spider will drop out of it (Hentz, 1850). The web is probably made in low herba- ceous vegetation (J. Beatty, pers. comm.). In large collections obtained by A. M. Chickering in the West Indies in 1966, Gca hc])ta able from the xicinity of .Vlbion, Michigan; there is a literature record Irom southern Plate I. Fig. 1. Juvenile Argiope trilasciata hanging in Wisconsin. The species is common in the web; from Liberty Co., Florida. (Photo by H. K. Wallace.) West bidies as tar south as St. Lucia Fig. 2. Adult Argiope argenlata hanging m web; from Plantation Key, Florida. (Map 1). Gea and Argiope Spiders • Levi 327 Plate II. Web of Argiope Honda Chamberlin and Ivie, showing the four stabilimenta. The spider hangs head down in the hub on the right side of web. (Photo by Dr. T, Eisner, courtesy of Amer. Assoc. Adv. Sci. and T. Eisner.) 328 Bulletin Museum of Comparative Zoology, Vol. 136, No. 9 ARGIOPE Audouin 1826 four authors in five publications, while 53 authors in over 100 publications spelled it Arfiyope Audouin, 1826, Explication sommaires with i to 1938 des planches d'Arachnides de I'Egypte et de la up (Bonnet, 1955). Syrie in Savigny's Descriptions de I'Egypte et 3. Bristowe, in his book Comity of Spi- de la Syrie (4): 121. Type species designated ders (1939, Ray Soc, London), spelled the by Thorell, 1869, On European Spiders, p. 51, name with other — family y. Judging by lolnita ( = A. sericca Olivier, Audouin, Argiopc made, Bristowe was unaware of 1826). changes the of the of Arpiope,—Audouin, 1827, ihicJ., 2 ed., 22: 328. importance keeping spellings Thorell, 1869, On European Spiders, p. 51. scientific names unchanged and also of the Emendation of generic name used by almost all provisions of the International Code on later authors. 1955, Ara- Bonnet, Bibliographia Zoological Nomenclature (for seeking re- neorum, 2: 667. lief from unnecessary changes brought Argijopcs,—Latreille, 1829, Les Arachnides, in about strict adherence to the Code). Cuvier, La Regne Animale, p. 548. (This form by Roewer's der Araneae was used by several authors before 1875. ) Katalog ( 1952-1954), Miranda C. L. Koch, 1835 in Herrich—Schaeffer, while a very useful compendium, changed Deutschlands Heft 14. Insekten, 128, pi. Type numerous spellings from long accustomed species Miranda transalpino C. L. Koch [= Ar- usage. The authoritative Bibliographia giopc hruc'n)iicJ}i (Scopoli)]. Miranda was first Araneorum of Bonnet 1945-1961 avoided synonymized with Argiopc by Thorell, 1869, On ( ) in footnotes European Spiders, p. 51. such changes by discussing any Argiopcs,—L. Agassiz, 1846, Nomcnclator Zoolog- problems concerning the correct spellings icus, Soloduri, Arachnidae, p. 2. in use since the time of Thorell. Mctargyopc F. P. -Cambridge, 1903, Biologia Cen- 4. Unfortunately, some German authors, trali-Americana, Araneidea, 2: 451. Type spe- W. have followed cies by monotypy A. trifasciata. particularly Crome, Roewer, apparently unaware of possible Notes: 1. is The word Ar flio])e aiirantia. In the combination A. tri- 50-year statute of limitations requires such fasciata, the common cosmopolitan species, a procediue. No issue can be taken with the genus has been spelled with y by on))- this view except the enormous amount of Argi'ope /ofaa/o (Pallas). Figs. 25-35. Epigynum. 25. Dorsal view, USSR. 26. Ventral view, USSR. 27. Posterior view, USSR. 28. Lateral view, USSR. 29. Dorsal view, Italy. 30. Ventral view, Italy. 31. Posterior view, Italy. 32. Lateral view, Italy. 33. Dorsal view, France. 34. Ventral view, France. 35. Posterior view, France. Fig. 36. Female. Fig. 37. Left palpus, mesal view (Isl. Tremiti, Italy). Fig. 38. Palpus, ectal view (Isl. Tremiti, Italy). Argiope bruenn/chi (Scopoli). Figs. 39-41. Left palpus. 37. Expanded. 40. Mesal view. 41. Ectal view. Argiope argentata (Fabricius). Fig. 42. Left palpus expanded. Abbreviatons: C, conductor; E, embolus; I, stipes; M, median apophysis; R, radix. Gea and Argiope Spiders • Levi 329 25 0.5 mm 330 Bulletin Museum of Cuniparative Zoulo^ij, Vol. 136, No. 9 new^ 1961 to relief in the non-constructive and time-consuming work ( ) Code bring in making the applications, and the dis- very many cases in the Animal Kingdom in agreements that arise over small details which the emended spelling has become in applications. the accepted name. The other view is that names should be 6. A formal application to the Interna- freely changed about in strict accord with tional Commission on Zoological Nomen- the text of the Code. The proponents feel clature to preserve the name Arii.io})C has that only in this way will final stability been made. come about. This is not a convincing ar- 7. An added complication is the homo- gument considering that one still finds the nym Aigiope Eudes-Deslongchamps 1842, name Miranda (a synonym of Argiopc) in for a brachiopod, the name of which was catalogs of biological supply houses and in promptly emended to Arg^ijope Davidson, and the name Attidae in 1850 to Nomen- popular literature, ( according Neave 1939, the technical literature although Attidae clator Zoologicus, 1: 293). This name has was supplanted by Salticidae at the turn been replaced by Meii,atJiiris d'Orbigny, of the when the name Atiu.'i 1847 century, ( see Schuchert, 1929, Fo.ssilium Cata- Walckenaer 1(S05 was found to be a to ( ) Iog,u.s\ part 42, Brachiopoda), according synonym of Salticus Latreille 1804 (Bon- information kindly supplied by Dr. G. A. net, 1955, Bi1}lio<^ra))Jiia Araneonim, 2: Cooper of the United States National Mu- 781). Also the junior objective synonyms seum, presumably because Argiopc Eudes- of Araneus, Aranea and Epcira continue to Deslongchamps was considered a junior be used. homonym of Argiopc Audouin. The use of The spellings in Roewer's Katalog have the name Ar The ol the shared face of chelicerae is small interpretation Code by relatively ( Figs. a of 46-48 number North American spider spe- ) and the chelicerae are much weaker cialists familiar with the Code (consulted than in Aranciis, and are sometimes in- in letters during summer 1966) is that the clined posteriorly at the distal end. spelling of the generic names used in Bon- The leg metatarsus and tarsus is longer net's authoritative BihlioiJ^raphia Arancortini than the patella and tibia. The abdomen of should be contiiuied and that the continuit) females is shield-shaped (Figs. 36, 52, 61), and stability of scientific animal names is that of males and juveniles longer than paramount. wide (Figs. 54, 76, 103, 128, 148). It should also be pointed out that in re- All make a nearly vertical orb web ha\'ing to a or gard original spellings the recent (1961 ) stabilimentuin two stabilimenta cross- International Code of Zoological Nomen- ing (in /\. (iiL!,('iilata and .A. florida Plate I; clature has a change from the ])re\ious iMate II). The stabilimentum is always (French) version, which condoned later more elaborate in \()ung than in adults emendation. Plate I ). its the white No provision, except through ( Despite name, the Statute of Limitations, was made in the bauds do not luuetion in support of the Gea and Argiope Spiders • Levi 331 Argiope aurantia Lucas. Figs. 43-45. Female carapace and chelicerae. 43. Dorsal. 44. Anterior 45. Lateral. Figs. 46-48. Left female chelicera. 46. Anterio-mesal. 47. Lateral. 48. Ventral. Figs. 49-50. Epigynum. 49. Dorsal view. 50. Ventral view. Figs. 51-52. Female abdomen. 51. Ventral. 52. Dorsal. Fig. 53. Male eyes, chelicerae and pal- Left pus. Fig. 54. Male, dorsal view. Fig. 55. Tips of a male embolus retrieved from female epigynum. Fig. 56-57. palpus. 56. Mesal. 57. Ectal. 332 Bulletin Museitm of Comparative Zoolop,ij, Vol. 136, No. 9 web; webs of the largest females often lack take was made presumably because the a stabilimentum. It may obscure the out- theridiid radix often is similar in appear- line of the spider, which does not have a ance to the median apophysis of the retreat but hangs in the center of the web Araneidae. Such similarity of two nonho- similar (Plate II). However, there is no experi- mologous structures suggests func- mental evidence for this theory. The sta- tion. The figure (fig. 12) I published of bilimentum may help guide males to the Amneu.s palpi (Levi, 1961, J. Morphol. female (Crome and Crome, 1961b). The lOS: 4) after Comstock was poorly copied frame of the web may extend on each side and incorrectly labelled. of the orb and may be strengthened by On the mesal side of the palpus (Figs. It is 39-42 in and is the radix the spider. not periodically replaced, ) Argiope Gea (R) as is the viscid silk. as in theridiids. The median apophysis been be- is a structure of no The genus Geo has separated ( M ) median seemingly cause the eyes of the anterior row are function but of complex shape that differs evenly spaced or closer to laterals. Often in different species. In all Argiope and in as this is the is and lies they are so Argiope, and an Gea embolus ( E ) large allometric growth character, it does not within a large conductor (C). As in other hold to separate juvenile specimens of the Araneidae, there is an additional sclerite, Small males the between the radix and the genera. Argiopc and ( Figs. stipes (I), 53, 102, 162) have the same arrangement base of the embolus. But the terminal as does Gea. Adult Argiope generally have apophysis found in the palpi of Araneus the anterior median eyes closer to each species is lacking. other than to the laterals, but they are only Growth. Crome and Crome (1961a) slightly closer in some species. The males published the remarkable observation, of Geo have the first tibia curved and with based on sampling in the field, that the strong, large setae (Fig. IS); those of body of female Argiope hruenniehi doubles Argiope are not modified (Fig. 73). its size after copulation without any inter- Color illustrations of the commonest spe- vening molt. Individuals with a large ab- cies will be published in a forthcoming domen (ready to lay eggs) had a longer book Levi and in . and than individuals ( Levi, press ) carapace longer legs Palpii.'i. The palpi of Gea and Argiope with a small abdomen (which presumabK' consist of the same parts seen in theridiid had just molted). There is some possibility palpi (Figs. 39, 42). When I started to that the observation is erroneous. work on the family Theridiidae, I named Crome indicated that this growth is al- the parts following other authors. It would lometric. However, plotting of Crome's have been wiser to study first the arancid own data on graph paper indicated that the palpi on which the anatomical names were growth is proportional. based during the 19th century. I find now A female Argiope argentata kept in the that what I called median apophysis in the laboratory here had its first l(>ft leg re- theridiid palpus is not at all the same struc- moxed 18 days after the last molt. The ture called median apophysis by Chyzer x'irgin female spider died 5'i: months later and Aranea Kulczynski ( 1S91, Ilungariae, of natural death. There were no measur- vol. 1 in Arcnieus (Uadeinatiis. able difference's the Budajiest, ) between remaining As the parts ol the araneid palpus \\v\v right leg and the preserved leg. The female named long before those of the 1'heridiidae, was the normal si/e of adult A. argentata, it is necessary to change the names used and all parts grew in the same proportion for theridiid palpi to make them correspond; during the last molt (the skin was kept). that is, to exchange the term mcnlian apoph- The experiment was designed and carried ysis ior radix and vice versa. The mis- out l)\ W. Eberhard to test the Crome ob- Gea and Argiope Spiders • Levi 333 60-62. Argiope trifasciata (Forskal). Figs. 58-72. Female. Fig. 58. Carapace. Fig. 59. Eyes and chelicerae. Figs. Abdomen. 60. Ventral view. 61. Dorsal view. 62. Ventral view from St. Croix, Virgin Islands. Figs. 63-64. Left che- licera. 63. Lateral view. 64. Posterior view. Fig. 65. Endites and labium. Fig. 66. Spinnerets. Figs. 67-69. Epigynum 70. Dorsal from Egypt. 67. Dorsal view. 68. Ventral view. 69. Posterior view. Figs. 70-72. Epigynum from Ontario. view. 71. Ventral view. 72. Posterior view. left Argiope argentata (Fabricius). Fig. 73. Male, prolateral view of patella and tibia of first leg. 334 Bulletin Museum of Comparative Zoology, Vol. 136, No. 9 servations on one individual of another talia and are sympatric; their habits are species. not known. Relationships. A number of characters Habits. In connection with the habit of inckiding the large size and long metatarsi hanging in the middle of the web in broad suggest relationship with ISJephilu. More daylight, often in the sun, one finds sev- likely both are adaptations to the habit of eral characteristics that may be adaptive. hanging in the web (Plates I, II) as the The silver reflecting pigment, for instance, genitalia of the spiders and the structure of is found in some other Araneidae that hang the web are quite different. in the web at daytime (e.g. Leucaugc, of A. , also in the web Ar- Among the species Arg.io])e, trijas- Tetra'gnatha ) parasites ciato 61 looks of the Theridiidae. The ( Figs. 60, ) superficially iiyrodes family much like A. bnicnnichi. Arfiiope trijasci- large size may be an adaptation against has not been water loss the surface is small ata, although cosmopolitan, ( relatively is to the volume . meta- collected with A. hrucnnichi and not compared ) The long found in Europe; their ranges are mutually tarsi are otherwise found only in Ncpliila exclusive. However, the genitalia of the which has similar habits and is also large, two species are quite different. The geni- while the very different web and genitalia talia of the European A. hruennichi (Figs. indicate that Nc))hila is not closely related similar to of A. aurantia to 40, 41 ) are those Argio))e. (Figs. 56, 57), but the two are quite differ- All species probably prey mainly on ent in coloration. All other American spe- grasshoppers. I have observed more grass- cies have similar to those of A. genitalia hoppers caught in an A. trifasciata web so similar that at tiifasciato, species may than the spider could possibly consume. times be difficult to on the basis separate Argiopes live less than a year; the female of genitalia only. These other similar spe- dies after making an egg-sac. cies are all sympatric with A. trifasciata but Studies on the life history and behavior probably are limited to different habitats. of the European Arg,iope hruennichi have Other similar to A. are Ariiiope trifasciata been and made by Crome Crome ( 1961a, found in New Guinea and the East Indies b). Infonnation on American species can (Chrysanthus, 1958, 1961). But, of course, be found in McCook (1889-1894), and ob- the Ar^iopc of India and Africa are not servations on various well known. species of Ariiiopc have been Lewis and Eve Most similar to A. trifasciata in colora- published by Peters Richter and tion is A. (1965), (1953), (1960), florida. Ar0O])e florida ( Figs. Wiehle (1931). 95-97 ) has some color characteristics found in juveniles (and males) of A. ar^cntata Misplaced Species (Figs. 128). There is some evidence of Ar^i(>))c tiKirxii McCook, 1894, Ainoricaii Spiders, character displacement; the genitalia of 3: 223, pi. 1, fig. 5, 9. Female holohpe from A. are small trifasciata noticeably ( Figs. Fort Yuma [Yuma], Arizona, in the U.S. Na- 80-85) in those parts of the range where tional Museum, examined, [= Cyrtophora vtol- Jtirrcmis ( Doleschall It was collected A. florida occurs. Arii.io))(' florida is foimd )]. b> Marx: as inan\- of Marx's collectintj labels are only in the southeastern United States. The in error, we cannot lie certain that the speci- A. A. and three species, arii^entata, saviiimji nicii actualK' came froTn ^ nma. Anotlier fe- A. ])laiida have similar color, similar geni- male ol Cyrtopliora iiiolliiccciisis from Albu- Argiope trifasciata (Forskal), male. Fig. 74. Carapace and chelicera. Fig. 75. Eyes, chelicerae and palpus. Fig. 76. Dorsal view. Figs. 77-79. Left embolus tip. 77. Egypt. 78-79. California. Figs. 80-91. Left palpus. 80-85. Florida. 86-88. Ontario. 89-91. Egypt. 80, 83, 86, 89. Mesal view. 81, 84, 87, 90. Ventral view. 82, 85, 88, 91. Ectal view. Gea and Argiope Spiders • Levi 335 336 Bulletin Museum of Comparative Zoology, Vol. 136, No. 9 querque, Arizona [sic] is in the Museum of 2a. A small spur near tip of palpal embolus Comparative Zoology, Banks collection. (Figs. 130-1.33, 135, 136) argentata Epeira fascinatrix Walckenaer, 1841, Histoirc Nat- 2b. No spur near tip of embolus 3 urelles des Insectes Apteres, 2: 111. Female 3a. A large spur present on the distal face of from Rio de collected holotype Janeiro, by the median apophysis ( Figs. 149, 165 ) ; Freycinet, lost. This name may have to be tropical America 4 applied to the connnon \ery large araneid found 3b. No spur or only a small spur (Fig. 106) in the gardens of Rio de Janeiro. It is not an on distal face of median apophysis 5 but I not certain to which Argiope, am genus 4a. A large thorn at base of palpal embolus the species belongs. (Figs. 149-151); Texas to Guatemala ____ blanda Key to North American Argiope 4b. Without thorn at base of palpal embolus Females (Figs. 165-167); Costa Rica to Bolivia savignyi la. Venter of abdomen with a white trans- 5a. Diameter of palpus greater than 0.6 mm; verse band (Fig. 125); tropical species _ 2 coil of embolus large, tip almost straight lb. Venter of abdomen witliout white trans- (Figs. 107, 110); southeastern United verse band (Figs. 51, 160); temperate States florida and tropical species 3 5b. Diameter of less than 0.5 mm; coil 2a. Transverse band almost as wide as black palpus of embolus small, tip curved (Figs. 81, area between band and epigynum ( Fig. 84, 87, 90); Canada to Chile ___ irifchsciuta 144); posterior face of epigynum narrow without depressions (Fig. 142); Te.xas to Cluatemala hhmda Argiope lobata (Pallas) Lobed Argiope 2b. Transverse band less than half width of Figures 25-38 black area anterior to it (Fig. 125); Aranca loJxiia Pallas, 1772, Spicilegia Zoologica, posterior face of epigynum relatively 9: 46. Holotype from unknown locality [pre- wide and with two depressions on its sumably from the Ukraine], lost. surface (Fig. 122); widespread, tropical Argiope lobata,—Simon, 1870, Ann. Soc. Entomol. - argcntaia France, (4) 10: xcv. Kolosvary, 1938, Zool. 3a. Sides of posterior half of abdomen lobed 4 An/.., 123: 22-25. Bonnet, 1955, Bibliographia 3b. Sides of posterior half of abdomen without Araneorum, 2: 687. Levi and and lobes 5 Levi, Spiders their Kin, 69 in ) . 4a. Posterior half of dorsum of abdomen with p. ( press two longitudinal paralli'l lines (Fig. 97); The name Arii,iopc lohata is applied to southeastern United States florklu the common Mediterranean found 4b. Posterior third of dorsum of abdomen al- species also in southern Russia. I have examined most entirely black (Fig. 161); Costa Rica to Bolivia savigmji .specimens from Kazakhtan, Kazakh, USSR. 5a. Dorsum of abdomen black with yellow France and North Africa. No two looked spots (Fig. 52) aurantia alike (Figs. 25-35) and all seemed suffi- 5b. Dorsum of abdomen silvery with some different to be considered different transverse black lines, sometimes with ciently on first some yellowish or orange marks ( P"'ig. species impression. However, large 61) - trifasciuta series of the spiders were examined bv 1938 who illustrated 83 differ- Males Kolosvary ( ) ent epigyna showing all kinds of inter- la. Various sclcrites out from projecting cym- grades. Th(>re seems to be both geograph- binm making the palpus much wider ical and individual variation. Kolosvary, in than long (Figs. 56, 57) auruntia one of the few studies of variation of Euro- II). Sclcrites of palpus not projecting but more -- all or less curled - 2 pean spiders, considered of them to Argiope Honda Chamberlin and Ivle. Figs. 92-101. Female. 92. Sternum and coxae. 93. Carapace. 94. Eyes ond chelicerae. 95. Abdomen of juvenile female. 96. Ventral view of abdomen. 97. Dorsal view of abdomen. 98-101. Epigynum. 98. Dorsal view. 99. Lateral view. 100. Ventral view. 101. Posterior view. Figs. 102-111. Male. 102. Sternum and coxae. 103. Dorsal view. 104, 105. Tip of left embolus. 106-111. Left palpus. 106, 109. Mesal view. 107, 110. Ventral view. 108, 111. Ectal view. Gea and Argiope Spiders • Levi 337 338 Bulletin Museum of Comparative Zoology, Vol. 136, No. 9 belong to one species. His argument is Description. Male, specimen described convincing. from Michigan. Carapace brown with The species has a greenish color in alco- white hairs. Sternum black with white me- hol. Color slides made available by Mr. R. dian longitudinal band. Legs brown. Dor- Konig show that the dorsum of the cara- sum of abdomen black with an indistinct pace and abdomen (Fig. .36) is silvery in yellow-white longitudinal band on each and in side . in- living specimens (Levi Levi, press). ( Fig. 54 ) Venter black with two distinct longitudinal lines. Anterior median Argiope aurantia Lucas eyes about one and one-half diameters Black and Yellow Argiope apart, one diameter from laterals; posterior Figures 43-57; 2 Map median eyes one and one-half diameters Ann. Soc. Entoniol. Argyope aurantUi Lucas, 1833, apart, two diameters from laterals. Sides France, 2: 86, pi. 5, fiji. 1, 9. Female holotype of abdomen almost parallel to each other from North America probalily in the Museum Total 5.5 mm. National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris. Not seen. (Fig. 54). length Carapace Nephila vcstita C. L. Koch, 1839, Die Arachniden, 2.7 mm long, 1.8 mm wide. First femur, .5: 35, pi. .3.58, 9. Female liolotype, locality 4..3 mm; patella and tibia, 5.0 mm; meta- unknown, in the Berlin Museum. presumably tarsus, 5.0 mm; tarsus, L5 mm: Second Epeira cophimiria Walckenaer, 1841, Histoire Nat- patella and tibia, 4.8 mm; third, 2.4 urelle des Insectes, Apteres, 2: 109. Holotype, mm; Abbot illustration no. 151, from Georgia, in fourth, .3.9 mm. British Museum; color photograph of original Female, specimen described from Michi- examined. gan. Carapace yellow-white with some Epeira mni)itori(i Walckenaer, 1841, ilnd., 2: 112. brown markings covered white hair, New name for 'Nephila ve.stita Koch from New up by York. eye region black. Sternum black \\'ith me- Epeira riparia Hentz, 1847, J. Boston Soc. Natur. dian longitudinal yellow-white band (Fig. 5: Female Hist., 468, pi. 30, fig. 5, 9. holotype 51). Legs are banded dark brown; the from United lost. States, brown bands are wider than in-between Epeira siitrix Hentz, 1847, il)id., 5: 478, pi. 31, areas. Dorsum of abdomen is fig. 23, 9 Juvenile female syntypes from light shiny South Carolina and lost. black with 52 . Pennsylvania, yellow markings ( Fig. ) Emerton, 1884, Trans. Connecti- Argiope riparia, Venter with two longitudinal white bands cut Acad. Sci., 6: .329, pi. .34, fig. 19, 9, pi. enclosing four small pairs of white spots on .38, figs. 13, 14, 19, 9 6 . black Anterior Argiope riparia var. tatiltieoneha Treat, 1887, (Fig. 51). median eyes Amer. Natur., 21: 1122. Female holotype from about one and one-half diameters apart, Missouri. Guthrie, one and one-half diameters from laterals; Argioi)e personata O. P. —Cambridge, 1893, Biol- posterior median eyes two diameters apart, ogia Centrali-Americana, Araneidea, 1: 110, pi. three diameters from laterals. Abdomen is 14, fig. 14, 9 . Female holotype from Acapulco, Mexico, in the British Museum. shield-shaped with two anterior projections. Argiope eophinaria,— McCook, 1893, American Total length 18 mm. Carapace 15.9 mm 3: 217. 15, figs. 1-6; 16, Spiders, pi. pi. figs. long, 4.3 mm wide. First femur, 7.4 mm; 1, 5, 6, 9 ci. patella and tibia, 8.0 mm; metatarsus, 6.8 Argiope attrantia. —Simon, 1895, Histoire Natur- tarsus, 1.8 elles des Araiguees, 1: 765, 767. Kaston, 1948, mm; mm. Second patella and liull. Connecticut (ieol. Natur. Hist. Surv., 70: tibia, 7.6 mm; third, 4.3 mm; fourth, 7.2 221, figs. 717-721. Bonnet, 19,55, Bibliographia mm. Range of size of females between 14 Araueorum, 2: 675. Le\i and l.('\i. and Spiders and 25 mm. Largest specimens are from llicir Kin, p. 69 ( in press ). the Southwest and Mexico. Argio))e godaiani (). I'.-Ciunbridgc, 1898, Biol- ogia Centrali-.'Xmericana, Araneidea, I : 2-36, Diaij.no.si.s\ The species is closest to the 8. I'Cnialc Iroin (Guatemala pi. .37, fig. liolotxpe Furoj'X'aii A. hnuiinichi. which has a simi- Cat\', Guatcniala, in the Hiilisli Museum. lai- and ,39-41 also p;ilpus ( Figs. ) has an Miranda eoplunaria,— F. P.-Cami)ridge, 190.3, Biol- with a but A. I)rucnni pi. 43, figs. 4, 5, 9 i . has the coloiiition of Ari^iopc trifascidld Gea and Argiope Spiders • Levi 339 Argiope aurantia Map 2. Distribution of Argiope aurantia Lucas. (Fig. 61) while A. aurantia is brightly the George Reserve, A. aurantia is limited colored yellow and black (Fig. 52). to swamps, bogs and pond margins; this is Hal) its. Males are mature in July and probably true also for Wisconsin. In New August, females from August to December England A. trifasciata and A. aurantia are in Florida. In Wisconsin and Michigan found in similar habitats, meadows contain- males are mature in August, females pre- ing high grass and goldenrod {Solida^o sp.). sumably from August to October. For Both species were very aliundant from 1956 New England, Kaston (1948) reported ma- to 1957 but rapidly disappeared with the ture males in late July and August, females onset of the recent (1960-1966) drought, from August to October with the first co- A. aurantia being first to disappear. Both coons appearing in August and September. species reappeared in large numbers during In Florida, all collecting reports with the wet summer of 1967. habitat information indicate that the spe- The web has a single zig-zag stabilimen- cies is limited to margins of lakes, stream tum that extends above and below the banks, near ponds or sinks in swamps, center. The egg cocoon is a brown sphere rarely in sand scrub. Also in Michigan at of papery consistency attached at its top 9 340 Bulletin Museum of Comparative Zoology, Vol. 136, No. stietiealis O. P. 1876, Proc. end. Each sphere contains 400 to 1000 Argiope -Cambridge, Zool. Soc. London, p. 576. Juvenile syntypes yellow eggs. Young instars o\er\vinter in from Egypt probablx' at the Hope Dept. of the cocoon and in or egg emerge April May Entomology, Oxford. (Kaston, 1948). Argyopes indeeissa Holmberg, 1876, An. Agr. Rep. Di.strihution (Map 2). Nova Scotia, Argentina, 4: 112. Female specimens presum- from Buenos Aires, lost. southern Ontario, south to Guatemala City, ably hentzi Thorell, 1878, Ann. Mus. Civ. Guatemala, but absent from predominantly Argiope Geneva, 13: 295. New name for A. fa.seiata, is a literature rc^cord from arid areas. There — Hentz. that El Salvador (Peters, 1953) indicating Argiope transversa Emerton, 1884, Trans. Con- it is found in hot lowlands along the coast, necticut Acad. Sci., 6: 330, pi. 34, fig. 20; pi. 1.5-18, 9 New name for A. disappearing in fall. 28, figs. i. fasei- ata,— Hentz. —McCook, 1894, American Spi- Argiope frifasciafa (Forskal) Argiope argyraspis, 3: 219, 15, figs. 7-12; pi. 16, figs. 3-4, Banded ders, pi. Argiope 9 i. 3 — F. P. 1903, Plate I; Figures 58-72, 74-91; Map Metargyope trifa.seiata, -Cambridge, Biologia Central!-Americana, Araneidea, 2: 451, Aidiica trifasciuta Forskal, 1775, Descriptiones pi. 43, figs. 2, 3, 9 i Animalium Avium, Amphibioruni, Pisciiini, In- Argiope .simplex Badcock, 1932, J. Linnean Soc. sectoruni, Vermuni, Hauniae, p. 86. Holotype London, 38: 17, fig. 12. Female holotype from from Caini lost. [Ejiypt], Rio Verde, 6 miles north of Makthlawaiya, Aiaiica Olivier, 1789, Mt-thod., 4: fa.stuo.sv Eiicyel. Paraguay, in the British .Mn.seum, examined by 202. Syntypes from C^iiadalupe. D. J. Clark. NEW SYNONYMY. aurelia Audouin, 1827, som- Ar^yope Explication Argiope ahalosi Mello-Leitao, 1942, Rev. Mus. La maire des Planches d'Arachnidcs, /)i .Savigny, Plata, (N.S.) 2: .399. Juvenile holotype from de 22: 3.31, 2, .5, Description I'Egypt., pi. fig. Lujan, Santiago del Estero in the .Museo de la . from 9 $ Syntypes Egypt. Plata, examined. NEW SYNONYMY. Epeira uehhii Lucas, 18.38, in Barker, Webb, Argiope seininola Chamberlin and Ivie, 1944, Bull. Berthelot, Histoire Naturelle des lies Canaries, Univ. Utah, Biol. Ser., 8 (5): 96, figs. 98-102, from 2: .38, pi. 6, fig. 5, 9. Syntypes Canary east of 9 S . Female liolotype from 10 miles Islands. Naples, Florida, probablv in the Unixersity of 1841, Histoire Epeira argyruspicUs Walckenaer, Utah collection, not seen. NEW SYNONYMY. Naturelle des Insectes, Apteres, 2: 110. Fe- Argiope stenoga.stra Mello-Leitao, 1945, Re\-. Mus. male holotype is Abbot illustration, fig. 1.56, in La Plata, (N.S.) 4: 235. Juvenile holotype the British Museum; color photograph examined. from Solari, Corrientes, in tlic Museo de la — Boston Soc. Epeira fa.seiata, Hentz, 1847, J. Plata, examined. NEW SYNONYMY. Natur. Hist., 5: 468, pi. 30, fig. 8, 9. Not .A. hruciniichi . E})eira faseiata ( = ) Description. Male, specimen described in Historia Epeira flavipcs Nicolct, 1849, Cay, from North Carolina. Carapace yellow- Chili, 10 (3): 493. Specimens from \'aldi\ ia, brown. Sternum yellow-brown with white C;liilc, probably in the Museum National (FHis- each coxa surrounded toire Naturelle, Paris. spot opposite by .\ behind Argyoix' avin-d Thorell, 18.59, ofvers Kongl. Vet. some dark pigment. white spot from Akad. I'Orh., 16: 299. Female s\iitypes labium. Legs \ellowish brown. Dorsum of San Francisco, California, and Oaliu, Honolulu, abdomen white. \' enter with pigment spots in the Natural History Museum, Stockholm, ex- and two white linc\s bordered by narrow amined. Tlic California specimen is in poor black ones. Anterior median exes about condition, tlic Hawaiian specimen in excellent Posterior physical condition. Bonnet, 1955, Bibliographia one and one-half diameters apart. 2: 677 NEW S^ \- Araneorum, (sub Argi()))e). ex'cs a little mori' than two diamettMs apart. OXYM^. Sides of the abdomen almost ( on jiarallel Fig. Argiope t r ifa.se iai a,—Thorell, 1873, Remarks 76). Total 5.5 mm. 3.0 Sxnonyms of European Sjiiders, p. 519. Kas- length (>arapace ton, 1948, Bull. Connecticut Cleol. Natur. Hist, iiiiu long, 2.1 mm wide. First femur, 4.6 Surx. 70: 222, 697-699, 722-723, 2034- figs. mm; patella and tibia, 5.S mm; metatarsus, Ara- 20.35, 9 c^ . Bonnet, 1955, Bibliographia 5.6 mm; tarsus, 1.6 mm. Second patella and neorum, 2: 694. Levi and Levi, Sjiiders antl tibi;i, 5.0 third, 2.0 fourth, 4.2 their Kin, p. 68. (in press) mm; mm; Gea AND Argiope Spiders • Levi 341 .7 W Arcjiope trifasciatn Map 3. American distribution of Argiope trifasciata (Forskal). 342 Bulletin Museum of Comparative Zoology, Vol. 136, No. 9 mm. Total length of a male from the West 0.5 mm (Figs. 81, 84, 87, 90); that of A. Indies 5.8 2.7 2.3 is than 0.6 mm. Carapaee mm long, florida more mm ( Figs. 107, mm wide. First patella and tibia, 4.3 mm; 110). The embolus lacks the small spur second, 4.0 mm; third, 1.7 mm; fourth, 3.1 that projects near the tip in A. argentata mm. (Figs. 130-133). Females can be separated Female, specimen described from North from other species by lack of a transverse Carolina. Carapace dark with white scales. lip anterior to the septum of the epigvnum Sternum black with a median white longi- (Figs. 68, 71). tudinal band and two white spots on each Habits. Males are mature from June side 60 . dark with dark ( Fig. ) Legs brown until November in Florida, females from brown bands as wide as lighter areas be- June until December. In Wisconsin and tween. Abdomen white with transverse Michigan males are found from August un- dark lines (Fig. 61). Venter l)lack with til September, females from August until two parallel white lines enclosing a black October. In Connecticut, males are mature area which contains four pairs of white from July to September, females from 60 . Anterior median one until spots ( Fig. ) eyes August frost (Kaston, 1948); the dates and one-quarter diameters apart, one and are about the same in other parts of New one-half diameters from laterals. Posterior England. eyes a little less than two diameters apart. In Florida the animals are found in high Abdomen oval in shape, sometimes poster- drv grass areas and weeds, in low brush ior the tip overhanging way beyond spin- in pines, in sand scrub, all much drier habi- nerets (Fig. 62). Total length, 17 mm. tats than that of A. aiirantiu. All collections 5.5 4.0 wide. First Carapace mm long, mm in Michigan came from upland fields, rarely femur, 7.6 mm; patella and tibia, 8.2 mm; moist fields. Kaston 1948 A. ( ) reports metatarsus, 8.2 tarsus, 2.1 mm. Sec- mm; trifasciata and A. atirantia from similar ond and 8.1 4.2 patella tibia, mm; third, situations but less common than A. auran- fourth, 7.0 mm. mm; tia in Connecticut. In the areas of eastern Total of a female from the West length Connecticut and eastern Massachusetts Indies 24 mm. Carapace 7.4 mm long, 6.3 that I have lived in, A. trifasciata was more mm wide. First femur, 10.1 mm; patella common than A. aurantia but had similar and tibia, 11.0 mm; metatarsus, 12.5 mm; habitats. While both species \\'ere very tarsus, 2.4 mm. Second patella and tibia, common in 1956-1957, both almost 11.0 mm; third, 5.9 mm; fourth, 8.9 mm. disap- as a result of the recent Variations. Females range in size from peared, perhaps (1960-1966) Individuals of A. 12-26 mm. The smallest specimens came drought. were found occasionalh from southern South America, the largest trifasciata during ones from the West Indies and Mexico. The the drought. They reappeared in abun- West bidian specimens had the most over- dance during the summer of 1967. hanging tails (Fig. 62). In large collections from the West Indies, Diaiinosis. Male Arii,iopc trifasciata have Cca heptagon was commonh- collected been confused with A. florida. IIowev(>r, with ArgiojX' argentata. But Clea and A. the embolus has a diameter of less than trifasciata weic never collected together. Argiope argentala (Fabricius). Figs. 112-125. Female. 112. Carapace. 113. Eyes and chelicerae. 114-115. First left coxa and trochanter. 116-118. Left cfielicera. 116. Posterior view. 117. Anterior view. 118. Lateral view. 119-124. Epig- ynum. 119-122. Veracruz, Mexico. 119. Lateral view. 120. Dorsal view, 121. Ventral view with embolus tip. 122. Posterior view. 123. Ventral view from slightly posterior, Florida. 124. Ventral view, Lima, Peru. 125. Abdomen, ven- tral view. 126. Abdomen, dorsal view. Figs. 127-136. Male. 127. Eyes, chelicerae and palpus. 128. Dorsal view. 129. Lateral view of carapace. 130-132. Embolus tips. 130, 131. From right side of epigynum, from Peru. 132-133. Right tips, Mexico. 134-136. Left palpus. 134. Mesal view. 135. Ventrol view. 136. Lateral view. Cea and Argiope Spiders • Levi 343 344 Bulletin Museum of Comparative Zoology, Vol. 136, No. 9 The web has a vertical stabiHmeiitum of Brazil. No spiders are known from the above and below the spider; sometimes it Antarctic. is lacking (Kaston, 1948). The egg-sac is florida made in fall and soon afterward the female Argiope Chamberlin and Ivie Florida dies. The sac is brown, the eggs yellow, Argiope than 100 of in a sac Plate 4 more them ( Kaston, II; Figures 92-111; Map In there is one 1948). New England just Argiope argentcita, —McCook, 1894, American generation a year. The egg-sac is papery, Spiders, 3: 220 (in part), pi. 16, fig. 1, $. Not A. Fabricius . flat above and rounded below. The young argcntata ( ) Ar forests 3 . by tropical ( Map ) Description: Male. Carapace light brown. The distribution of A. trifa.sciata is un- Labium, maxillae brown. Sternum dark known, because it may have been con- on each side, legs brown. Abdomen dorsum fused with A. hruennichi of Eurasia and with two longitudinal bands on some silver other names may ha\e been applied to it. (Fig. 103), venter black with two white It appears to be almost cosmopolitan. Speci- longitudinal bands. There are no lobes on re- the of the . Total mens examined from the Mediterranean sides abdomen ( Fig. 103 ) came from Porto Santo T. 4.5 mm. 2.2 mm gion Madeira, ( length, Carapace long; D. A. Cockerell). African specimens ex- 2.1 mm wide. First femur, 3.5 mm; patella amined were from Egypt; and from Far- and tibia, 4.2 mm; metatarsus, 4.0 mm; adje, Republic of the C'ongo (American tarsus, 1.3 mm. Second patella and tibia, Museum Congo Expedition). Atlantic 3.8 mm; third, 1.8 mm; fourth, 2.9 mm. Ocean islands: Madeira, Isla da Trinidade Female. Carapace eompleteh' coxered (Brazil) and St. Helena Island (A. Lover- by long silvery scales on dark brown back- idgc). It is a common species on St. Hel- ground. Chelicerae, labium, maxillae dark ena. Australian l-'acific area: Eromanga brown with labium and maxillae ha\ing the distal rim Island, New Hebrides ( L. MacMillan), light. Stennnn dark brown B. Y. with median forks Western Australia ( Main). light mark which pos- There are literature records from the teriorK into 3 jirongs. Legs dark brown lower Amazon {V. P. -(Cambridge, 1903) with lighter rings as wide as dark areas and Cuyana, l^ra/il, and the Antarctic and some white scales on ventc r. Dorsum (Bonnet, 1955). 11ie Aiilaretie record ol abdomen siKcry with sil\t'r\' scales on turned out (o be an error: it was colleeled white background excei)t two longitudi- by the British Expedition to tiie Antarctic nal (lark stripes at the posterior hall of Continent on Trinidad Island oil the coast the abdomen (Fig. 97), and the anterior Gea and Argiope Spiders • Levi 345 face of the lateral lobes is black. The ven- Argiope argentafa (Fabricius) ter has two longitudinal white lines on Silver Argiope black background, broken in the posterior Plate 1 1 I; Figures 42, 73, 2-1 36; Map 5 part of the abdomen and going around Aranea En- spinnerets. Total length, 16 mm. Carapace argentata Fabricius, 1775, Systema tomologiae, p. 433. "Habitat in Indiis," type 10 mm long, 8.0 mm wide. First femur, specimens lost. Martini and Goeze, 1778, in 8.1 mm; and tibia, 8.7 mm; meta- patella D. M. Lister, Naturgeschichtc der Spinnen, 2.3 mm. Second tarsus, 8.2 mm; tarsus, p. 248, "Indianische Silberspinne" [American patella and tibia, 8.6 mm; third, 5.0 mm; Indian silver spider]. Fabricius, 1781, Species Inscctorum exhibentes eoruni fourth, 7.6 mm. differentias auc- torum, 2: 539, "Indiis." Gmelin, 17S9, C. A. Diciii^nosis: Females are easily recog- Linne. Systema Naturae, 1 (5): 2953, "Habi- the lateral lobes on the nized by posterior tat America australi insulique obversis et India." abdomen and the two dark dorsal lines Olivier, 1789, Araignees in Encycl. Meth. Hist. Natur. 4: "Elle se trouve anx (Fig. 97). The anterior edge of the epig- Ins., Paris, 234, that of Indcs nrientales." Fabricius, 1793, Entomologia ynum has a lip (Fig. 100) while Systematica emendata, 2: 414, "Habitat in A. does not. The trifasciata (Figs. 68, 71) India." has a palpus of the male (Figs. 107, 110) Aranea manuuata De Geer, 1778, Mem. Hist. In- diameter of more than 0.6 mm, that of A. sectes, 7: 318, pi. 39, fig. 5. Specimens from Pennsylvania [prob. an error] and figured trifasciata less than 0.5 mm (Figs. 81, 84, by Sloane from Jamaica. 87, 90). It lacks the spur near the tip of Argyopes argentata,—C. L. Koch, 1839, Die the embolus of A. arg,entata. Arachniden, 5: 38, pi. 361, from "Siidamerika"; Habits: The males mature from June to Holmberg, 1876, An. Agr. Argentina, 4: 112. C. L. 5: October, the females from July to Novem- Argyopes fenestrinus Koch, 1939, ibid., 39, fig. 361. Holotype from South America. ber. The webs are found in dry sand scrub Epeira amictoria Walckenaer, 1841, Histoire Nat- in and flat woods longleaf pine oak-pine urelle des Insectes, Apteres, 2: 119. Holotype in Florida. There are four stabilimenta in from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. II as in A. Plectana sloanii Walckenaer, 1841, ibid., 2: 2()(). form of a cross ( Plate ) ar^cntata. Name for a bv Sloane, of Jamaica, Distribution: From North Carolina, Ala- figure History pi. 235, fig. 3. to southern Florida bama, (Map 4). Argyopes hirtiis Taczanowski, 1879, Horae Soc. Entomol. Rossicae, 15: 103, pi. 1, fig. 23, ?. Female syntypes from Lima, Chorillas and Cal- lao, Peru. Female lectotype from Lima, Peru, here designated in the PoHsh Academy of Sci- ences, Warsaw, examined. NEW SYNONYMY. Argyopes maronictis Taczanowski, 1873, Horae Soc. Entomol. Rossicae, 9: 261. Female holo- type from St. Laurent de Maroni, French Guiana, in the Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw. Argyopes subtilis Taczanowski, 1873, ibid., 9: 261. Female syntypes from Cayenne, French Guiana, in the Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw. American Argiope argentata.—McCook, 1893, 1 Spiders, 3: 220, pi. 16 (in part), fig. (in part), 2. Bonnet, 1955, Bibliographia Arancorum, 2: 673. Levi and Levi, Spiders and their Kin, in . p. 69 ( press ) Argiope waiiglii Simon. 1897, Act. Soc. Sci. Chili, he 6: 105. No specimens with this name coultl found in the Simon collection (M. Vachon in letter). NEW SYNONYMY. Biol- Argyope argentata,—F. P.-Cambridge, 1903, 2: 450, pi. Map 4. Distribution of Argiope tlorida Chamberlin and Ivie. ogia Centrali-Americana, Araneidea, 9 346 BiiUetin Museum of Comparative Zoology, Vol. 136, No. indistinct 42, figs. 25, 26, 9 i Roewer, 1942, Katalog pace yellow-white with two longi- der Araneae, 1: 744. tudinal brownish bands going from each sxihmawnica Strand, 1915, Arch. Natiir- Argiope side of eye region, posteriorly, about their gesch. 81 A (9): 105. Female liolotype from width apart. Sternum yellowish white \\'ith "Joinville, Sta. Catherina, Brasilien," depository their width unknown. This name was first synonymized two longitudinal brown bands, at the base of with A. (irgcntata liy Bonnet. apart, a white pigment spot Bull Mus. Gca panamcmis Cliamberlin, 1916, each coxa. Legs with brown bands slightly 8. Male holo- Comp. ZooL, 60: 243, pi. 19, fig. wider than intermediate area. Abdomen type from Panama in the Museum of Compara- in alcohol, dorsum whitish with two paral- tive Zoology, examined. NEW SYNONYMY. lel dark bands, their outlines Argiope filiargentata Kingston, 19.32, A Naturalist longitudinal in the Guiana Forest, pp. 132, 372. Trinidad. black (Fig. 128). Venter sometimes with nor Hingston neither kept his specimens desig- dark pigment, generally light with two nated types. All his specimens seem to be juve- parallel white lines enclosing but touching nile A. (irgcntata. NEW SYNONYMY. a pair of white spots in the middle. An- Argiope ctiytinii Hingston, 1932, ibid., pp. 133, terior median one diameter .373. Cuvuni River, British Guiana (see above). eyes apart, NEW SYNONYMY. three-quarters diameter from laterals. Pos- ArgidiH' fiJiiufracta Hingston, 1932, ibid., p. .373. terior median eyes one and one-half diam- Trinidad (see above). NEW SYNONYMY. eters apart, two diameters from laterals. Soc. Argiope argyrea Badcock, 1932, J. Linnean The abdomen of the male is shield-shaped, London, p. 17. Female holotype from Nanahua, behind; there are no tubercles ( Fig. Paraguay, in the British Museum, examined by pointed Total 4.0 mm. 2.4 D. f. Clark. NEW SYNONYMY. 128). length Carapace Argiope indistincta Mello-Leitao, 1944, Rev. Mus. mm long, 2.0 mm wide. First femur, 2.7 La 3: 328. Male from Plata, (N.S.) holotype mm; patella and tibia, 3.0 mm; metatarsus, Rosas Costa, Prov. Buenos Aires, in the Museo 2.7 mm; tarsus, 1.2 mm. Second patella and de la Plata, examined. NEW SYNONYMY. tibia, 2.5 mm; third, 1.5 mm; fourth, 2.1 Note: Apparently the Fabricius type mm. loeality wa.s understood to be America by Female from the West Indies. Carapace mo.st of his contemporaries, although this covered completely with white scales that for is not at all clear. Considering that are silver in living specimens. Sternum more than 150 years the name has been brown with a median white line. Legs with used for the common tropical American dark bands. Abdomen in alcohol, anterior species, this is of academic interest only. white, posterior with a dark pattern con- Hingston's diagrammatic illustrations of taining white spots (Fig. 126). In living the web of juvenile Arii,iopc ariienfota (to specimens, mostly silver. Venter with a all of which he gave new names), have un- transverse white bar which has a width al- fortunately been reproduced in numcM'ous most one-third length of distance between books including Crasse, P., edit., 1949, spinnerets and epigynum; otherwise black, Traife de Zoolo^ie, 6: 692. except lateral tubercles whose venter is Description. Male specimen described is white. Anterior median eyes one and one- from St. Croix, British West Indies. (Cara- half diameters apart, posterior median e\es 139. First left Argiope blanda O. P. -Cambridge. Figs. 137-147. Female. 137. Carapace. 138. Eyes and chelicerae. coxa and trochanter. 140-143. Epigynum. 140. Lateral view. 141. Dorsal view. 142. Posterior view. 143. Ventral view. 144-147. Abdomen. 144. Venter. 145. Dorsum, pattern. 146. Lateral view. 147. Dorsum. Figs. 148-153. Male. 148. Carapace and abdomen. 149-151. Left palpus. 149. Mesal view. 150. Ventral view. 151. Ectal view. 152- 153. Right tip of embolus. chelicerae. 156-159. Argiope savignyi new species. Figs. 154-161. Female. 154. Carapace. 155. Eyes and Epigy- num. 156. Dorsal view. 157. Lateral view. 158. Ventral view. 159. Posterior view. 160. Abdomen venter. 161. Ab- chelicera. 164. Cara- domen dorsum. Figs. 162-169. Male. 162. Eyes, chelicerae and palpus. 163. Carapace and pace. 165-167. Palpus. 165. Mesal view. 166. Ventral view. 167. Ectal view. 168-169. Tip of embolus. Gea and Argiope Spiders • Levi 347 348 Bulletin Museum of Comparative Zoology, Vol. 136, No. 9 less than two diameters apart. Lateral eyes have seen in southern South America had on higher humps than other species. Ab- a complete stabilimentum; most lacked domen with tubercles around posterior them completely. Juveniles have zigzag that are Plate I . margin (Figs. 125, 126). Total length 12 bands quite irregular ( ) mm. Carapace 5.7 mm long, 4.6 mm wide. Distribution. Southern Arizona, prob- First femur, 6.5 mm; patella and tibia, 9.1 ably southern California, southern Texas, mm; metatarsus, 8.9 mm; tarsus, 1.7 mm. southern Florida to Central Argentina, Second patella and tibia, 7.5 mm; third, Provinces Mendoza and Buenos Aires. It 5.2 mm; fourth, 7.5 mm. is absent from Chile, except for the north- Variation. There is relatively little vari- ernmost tip of the country (Map 5). ation in size among females of this species. blanda O. P. Diaii,no.sis. The small projection or curl Argiope -Cambridge the of the Mexican near tip embolus ( Figs. 130-133, Argiope 135-136) is diagnostic for this species and Figures 137-153; Map 6 is not found in other to any Argiope known Argiope hlanda O. P. -Cambridge, 1898, Biologia me. Females may be difficult to separate Centrali-Americana, Araneidea, 1: 267, pi. 37, from A. hJanda. However, Mexican and fig. 2, i . Male holotype from Santa Ana [20 km SW of Coban] Guatemala, in the British Central American specimens of A. argen- Museum, not examined. F.P.-Camhridge, 1903, tata have the posterior face of the epigy- ihid., 2, 451, pi. 43, fig. 1, <^ . num with a on each depression side ( Fig. Male. 122), while the posterior face of the epig- Description. Carapace yellow- brown, some black on each side. ynum of A. hlanda is narrower and lacks pigment Sternum Ncllow-brown, black on each the depressions. The frequent presence of side, and a white between last the broken off, easily identified male em- pigment spot coxae. with scattered black bolus tip in the female epigynum facilitates Legs pigment. the identification of females. Dorsum of abdomen with white pigment Habits. Adult males have been collected and indistinct median darker foliate pat- tern Venter black with two in February and March and also in June in (Fig. 14 ' •^7 .v^*^ Arqiope nrqenlata '»^^:, Map 5. Distribution of Argiope argenlata (Fabricius). 350 Bulletin Museum of Comparative Zoology, Vol. 136, No. 9 eters apart, three diameters from laterals. front, posterior eye row procurved as seen The abdomen has posterior lateral tuber- from above. Ocular quadrangle longer than cles and also a very distinct median dorsal wide, wider behind. Anterior lateral eyes tubercle (Figs. 145-147). Range of size half the diameter of anterior medians, pos- of female 9-14 mm. Measurements of one terior median eyes twice the diameter of specimen, total length 10 mm. Carapace anterior medians, posterior lateral eyes 0.8 4.2 mm long, 3.2 mm wide. First femur, diameter of anterior medians. Anterior me- 5.9 mm; patella and tibia, 6.4 mm; meta- dian eyes a little more than their diameter tarsus, 6.0 mm; tarsus, l.S mm. Second pa- apart, same distance from laterals. Poste- tella and tibia, 6.3 mm; third, 3.6 mm; rior median eyes one and one-half diameters fourth, 5.5 mm. apart, one and one-c^uarter diameters from Diaiinosis. The large thorn at the base of laterals. Total length 3.4 mm. Carapace the embolus of the palpus is diagnostic 2.1 mm long, 1.6 mm wide. First femur, 2.4 ( Figs. 149-151 ) and not found in other mm; patella and tibia, 2.4 mm; meta- species. The epigynum of the female is tarsus, 2.1 mm; tarsus, 1.2 mm. Second very much like that of A. arg,entata but the patella and tibia, 2.3 mm; third, 1.2 mm; face of the 142 1.9 posterior epigynum ( Fig. ) fourth, mm. is narrower, domed, and lacks depressions. Female. Carapace brown, but covered To separate females, broken-off embolus with white, silky hairs. Sternum black with tips usually found in the epigvnum are use- a wide, white median longitudinal band ful. having some radiating white lines. Legs Distribution. From southern Texas to black. Dorsum of abdomc^n with heavy Costa Rica (Map 6). white pigment anteriorly and very few sil- very hairs, posterior black (Fig. 161); ven- Argiope savignyi new species ter black except for white marks shown in Savigny's Argiope Figure 160. There is no continuous trans- Figures 154—169; Map 6 verse white band on \enter. Posterior eye row ocular Holotype. Male from Barro Colorado procurxed, quadrangle longer than wide, wider behind. Anterior lateral Island, Panama Canal Zone, 14-1(S Jan. smaller than others, the others about 1958, collected by A. M. Chickering, in the eyes in size, lateral on tubercles. An- Museum of Comparative Zoology. equal eyes terior median one diameter Description. Male. Area between eyes eyes apart, pos- terior median e\c's one and one-half diame- light. Eyes on black spots. C'arapace other- ters The is similar in wise dark bluish brown to black with a apart. abdomen shape to that of but the lateral median light band which widens in the Argiope argentata, tubercles seem more Total middle to wider than eye area and narrow s pointed. length 14 mm. 4.6 mm 4.2 anteriorly toward the posterior median eyes. Carapace long, mm wide. Measurements of first which is Sternum light with a posterior narrow leg ( broken off longitudinal white stripe and a black mark and might possibK be the sec- on each side anteriorly. Coxae and other ond leg): femur, 8.4 mm; patelhi and tibia, leg segments dark bluish brown to black 9.0 uini; metatarsus. 9.1 mm; tarsus, 2.1 w ith joroximal third of third femora and .sec- mm. Third patella and tibia, 4.9 mm. ond tibiae and also metatarsi and tarsi light. Diagnosis. The different color (Fig. 161), Palpi light except c\inbium, which is brow n. black where ArgiojX' argentatii is brown, Dorsmn ol abdomen with hea\\ white pig- the white dorsum ot the abdomen with ment. \'enter of abdomen black with a sj)arsc\ sil\c>ry haii- and hea\\- i)igment, and bracket-shaped white mark on each side also the posterior swollen tiansverse section and a small while spot on each side ol spin- ol tlu> epigynum (Figs. 158, 159) separate nerets. Anterior e\'e row straight as seen iroin the Icuialcs rcadiK Iroiii those of .A. anien- Gea and Argiope Spiders • Levi 351 Toro; Boquete 4-11 Aug. 1950, 9 paratype (A. M. Chickering, Mus. Comp. Zool.); Gamboa, Aug.-Sept. 1954, 9 paratype, (W. Amer. 4.(S Mus. ; of Lundy, ) km SW Arraijan, Sept. 1945 (C. D. Michener, Amer. Mus.). Panama Canal Zone, Barro Colorado Isl. Old Plantation, 14 July 1954, 9 paratype (A. M. Chickering, Mus. Comp. Zool.), Barro Colorado Island, July 1954, para- types (Paris Museum), (A. M. Chicker- ing), (N. Banks, Mus. Comp. Zool.), (11. F. Schwarz, Amer. Mus.), Gamboa, Aug.- Sept. 1954, 9 paratype, (W. Lundy, Amer. Mus.), France Field, i paratypes (A. M. Chickering). Venezuela: Caripito (W. Beebe, Amer. Mus.). Rritish Guiana. Kar- tabo (Amer. Mus.); Kamakusa, Feb. 1923 (Lang, La Varce, Amer. Mus.). Bolivia. Cashuela Esperanza, Prov. Vaca Diez, 9, 10-11 April 1922 (J. H. Williamson, Mus. Comp. Zool.). REFERENCES CITED Chrysanthus, Fr. 1958. Spiders from South New Guinea. Nova Guinea, New Ser. 9: 235-243. . 1961. Spiders from South New Guinea. Nova Guinea, New Ser. 10: 195-214. Crome, VV. and I. Crome. 1961a. Wachstum ohne und bei Map 6. Distribution of Argiope blanda O. P. -Cambridge Hiiutung Entwicklungsvorgange den Weibchen von Ivucnniclii. and A. savignyi new species. Argijope Deutsche Entomol. Z., (N.F.) 8: 443-464. . 1961b. Paarung und Eiablage bei Ar- tata. The like that of no related epigynum, gijope hrtiennielii. Mitt. Zool. Mus. Berlin species, is filled with exudate after mating 37: 198-252. that clings to the broken-off embolus tip Levi, H. W. and L. R. Levi. Spiders and their Kin. Golden Press, New York ( in press ) . (Figs. 168, 169). The male differs from A. Lewis, J. G. E. and A. Eve. 1965. Observa- argentata also by the more contrasting col- tions on the biology of a spider of the genus ors and the fork at the of by lacking tip Argiope. The Entomologist. Feb. 1965: 34- the of the 166- embolus palpus ( Figs. 37. C. 1889-1894. American 169)1. McCooK, H. Spiders and their 3 vols. Distribution. Costa Rica, British Guiana, Spinningwork. Philadelphia, Peters, H. M. 1953. Beitriige zur vergleichen- to northern Bolivia 6 . ( Map ) den Ethologie und Okologie tropischer Webe- Records. Costa Rica, Puerto Viejo, Sara- spinnen. Z. Moriihol. Okol. Tiere 42: 278- piqui, 20 Jan. 1959, (S. M. Le Roi Leopold 306. G. 1960. Beobachtungen iiber den III, Brussels Museum). Panama. Bocas del RiCHTER, Beutefang der Radnetzspinne Argijope lohata. ^ The stabilimentum of the A. savignyi web is in Natur und Volk 90: 273-281. form of a cross. But as in A. from Barro argentata WiEHLE, H. 1931. Neue Beitriige zur Kenntnis Colorado Ishmd, it is rarely complete, sometimes a des Fanggewebes der Spinnen aus der Faniilien or one or two bottom branches. diagonal line, just Argiopidae, Uloboridae, Theridiidae. Z. Mor- The silk on the stabilimenta be deposited may phol. Okol. Tiere 22: 349-400. more dense than that of A. argentata ( M. H. Rob- inson, in letter, 1968). (Received 17 Marcii 1967.) Vol. No. 9 352 Bulletin Museum of Comparative Zoology, 136, INDEX 322 \'alicl names are printed in italics. Page numbers Gea, 338 refer to main references, starred page numbers to godmani, Argiope, illustrations. Hentzia, 322 hentzi, Argiope, 340 340 abalosi, Argiope, hirtus, ArgN'opes, 345 Allepeira, 322 ambitoria, Epeira, 338 indistincta, Argiope, 346 amictoria, Epeira, 345 indecissa, Argiope, 340 Araneadae, 320 Integra, Gea, 324, 325 Arancidae, 320 323*, 324 Araneidea, 320 heptagon, Gea, 321*, 324 Araneides, 320 heptagon, Epeira, Aranea, 345 argentata, lineata, Gea, 324 argentata, Argiope, 344 336 345 lohata, Argiope, 329*, argentata, Argiope, 326*, 329*, 333*, 343*, Argiope, 328 maculata, Gea, 325 Argiopes, 328 mammata, Aranea, 345 Argiopidae, 320 maronicus, Argyopes, 345 Argiopinae, 322 marxii, Argiope, 334 Argyope, 328 Mecynogea, 322 Argyopes, 328 Metargyope, 328 argyraspides, Epeira, 340 Miranda, 328 argyraspis, Argiope, 340 multiconcha, Argiope, 338 argyrea, Argiope, 346 nigra, Gea, 325 (unaniia, Argiope, 331*, 338 Gea, 324, 346 aurelia, ArgNope, 340 panamensis, 324, 325 avara, Argyope, 340 partita, Gea, personata, Argiope, 338 324, 325 hiniucronata, Gea, 324 praedicta, Gea, hiaiula, Argiope, 347*, 348 riparia, Argiope, 338 hniriniichi, Argio})e, 329*, 334 riparia, Epeira, 338 350 cophinaria, Argiope, 338 sai igiii/i, Argiope, 347*, 344 cophinaria, Epeira, 338 seminola, Argiope, 340, 324 eopliinaria, Miranda, 338 severinoi, Gea, 340 cuyunii, Argiope, 346 simplex, Argiope, sloanii, Plectana, 345 340 decorata, Gea, 324 stenogastra, Argiope, 340 Epeiridae, 320 sticticalis, .Argiope, 324 Epeirides, 320 subarmata, Gea, 346 ergaster, Gea, 325 subinaronica, Argiope, 345 ergaster, Epeira, 325 suhtilis, ,\rg>()pes, sutrix, Epeira, 338 fasciata, 340 Epeira, transxirsa, Argiope, 340 fascinatrix, 336 Epeira, trilasciata, Aranea, 340 fastnosa, Argiope, 340 trifaseiata, .\rgio)>e, .'526*, 333*, 335*, 340 fenestrinns, Argyopes, 345 filiargentata, Argiope, 346 vestita, Nepliila. 338 liliinlracta, Argiope, 346 345 flavipes, Epeira, 340 waughi, .\rgiope, 340 finrida, Argiope, 327*, 337*, 344 wcbbii, Epeira,