[Illustration: FIG. 256. Web of young Theridium tepidariorum in a corner of a trellis. A little less than the real size. The spider stood in the close part near the middle.] The Theridiums are small soft-bodied spiders, making large and loose webs without any large flat sheet of silk, but only a slightly closer portion where the spider stands, or a nest or tent connected with the web. _Theridium tepidariorum_ (fig. 258) and _rupicola_ (fig. 261) live in houses or among rocks, making large loose webs, in which the spider often stands without any covering. They have the abdomen high in front and tapering a little toward the spinnerets. _Theridium globosum_ (fig. 262) has the abdomen of the same shape. The other species are all small and have the abdomen round and brightly colored. They live in more open places on plants, where they make nests in which they are partly hidden, and carry their webs over the neighboring leaves and twigs (figs. 253, 254). [Illustration: FIG. 257. Web of young Theridium tepidariorum in a crack of a rock. Half the real size. The spider stood in the middle under the closely woven part.] $Theridium tepidariorum.$--This is one of the most common house spiders, and is often found in its webs among rocks, but seldom on plants. The females (fig. 258) measure sometimes over a quarter of an inch in length, but may mature much smaller. The legs of the first pair are nearly three times the length of the body. The male (fig. 259) is shorter and has longer legs. The color varies from dirty white to almost black. The cephalothorax is yellow brown, and the legs light yellow, with brown or gray rings at the ends and the middle of the joints. In the males the legs are orange brown, darker at the ends of the joints. The abdomen is high in front and narrows toward the spinnerets. In dark and well-marked specimens the abdomen has, on the hinder part, six transverse black marks curved upward, thicker in the middle, and partly connected by black spots at the ends (fig. 260). These marks are most sharply defined on the hinder edge, where they are bordered by silver white. The upper mark often forms a conspicuous black and white spot in the center of the abdomen. In light individuals all the markings are smaller and less definite. [Illustration: FIGS. 258, 259, 260. Theridium tepidariorum.--258, female. 259, male. 260, abdomen of female seen from behind.]