The Common Spiders of the United StatesEmerton, J. H. (James Henry)
Science
The Common Spiders of the United States
Emerton, J. H. (James Henry)
Spiders -- United States
[Illustration: FIGS. 140, 141. Dendryphantes militaris.--140, female.
141, male. Both enlarged six times.]
$Dendryphantes militaris.$--This spider resembles in many ways the next
species, _Dendryphantes æstivalis_, but is one-half larger and has a
shorter and wider cephalothorax. The general color is brown, covered
with gray and black hairs. The abdomen of the female is brown, with
white at the front end and four pairs of oblique white marks in the
middle and four at the sides (fig. 140). In the male the cephalothorax
has a white band on each side under the eyes and a white band around the
abdomen, with a dark middle area (fig. 141). The dark parts of the legs
and cephalothorax are darker than the same parts in the female. The
palpi are slender in both sexes, and in the male the palpal organs are
small for so large a spider. The mandibles of the male are widened at
the end and have a strong projection with two teeth on the inner
corners.
[Illustration: FIGS. 142, 143, 144. Dendryphantes æstivalis.--142, male.
143, dark variety of female. 144, light variety of female. All enlarged
six times.]
$Dendryphantes æstivalis.$--One of the most common Attidæ, on all kinds
of bushes and small trees, and one of the most variable in size and
color. Large females are from a fifth to a quarter of an inch long, and
the males are smaller. The females are of two varieties, which run into
each other. The light variety (fig. 144) has the light parts white or
light yellow and the dark parts dark brown covered with white hairs and
scales. The cephalothorax is dark brown, thinly covered with scales, so
that the dark color shows between them in places. The legs are light
yellow and translucent, indistinctly ringed with brown at the base and,
near the tip of each joint, all covered with greenish white hairs. The
palpi are light and without rings except on the femur and patella. The
abdomen is brighter yellow than the thorax, with four pairs of purplish
brown spots, the second pair largest, connected with a paler brown
middle marking. The abdomen has beneath a purple brown stripe in the
middle and oblique brown marks at the sides. Sternum, maxillæ, and
mandibles light brown. The dark variety (fig. 143) is generally smaller
and covered with longer hairs and scales. The legs and palpi are more
distinctly ringed with brown. The dark spots on the abdomen are larger
and more closely connected, so that the markings appear as light spots
on a dark ground.
In alcohol they become bright red and afterward fade to a dull red color
that remains for a long time, both varieties in this condition looking
much alike.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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