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
$Pholcus cornutus.$--A small species from the southern states, with a
body about a tenth of an inch long and the legs from half to
three-quarters of an inch. The abdomen is humped on the back and short
on the under side, so that seen from the side it is nearly triangular
(fig. 309). The cephalothorax is as wide as long and nearly circular.
The head is small and marked by a shallow groove on each side. In front
it is higher than wide and inclined a little forward toward the
mandibles. The eyes (fig. 310) are raised a little from the head, three
large eyes almost touching each other in a group on each side, and a
small pair between them just above the lower eyes of the larger groups.
The mandibles are three-quarters as high as the head, with a small tooth
on the inner corners and, in the males, a long curved horn projecting
forward near the base of each mandible (fig. 311). The legs are very
slender and transparent, slightly colored brown, with darker rings at
the ends of the femur and tibia. There is a dark mark around the eyes
and head, forming behind them a middle line that widens toward the
hinder end of the cephalothorax. The abdomen is gray, marked on the
upper side with three or four pairs of darker spots and behind with
lighter spots, somewhat like _Theridium tepidariorum_.
[Illustration: FIGS. 312, 313. Scytodes thoracica.--312, female enlarged
eight times. 313, Side of cephalothorax.]
$Scytodes thoracica.$--This is a very peculiar spider, probably imported
from Europe, and found in cellars and closets. It is about quarter of an
inch long when full grown. The cephalothorax and abdomen are both round
and nearly of the same size. The cephalothorax is low and narrow in
front and slopes upward to the highest point opposite the third legs
(fig. 313), and from there falls abruptly behind. The eyes are six in
number, in three pairs, the middle pair lowest and the lateral pairs
wide apart at the sides of the head (fig. 312). The front of the head
below the eyes projects forward beyond the mandibles. The legs are
slender and tapering, the tarsus and metatarsus not more than half as
thick as the tibia. The color is pale yellow or white, with black or
gray spots, in a regular pattern on the cephalothorax and abdomen, and
in rings on the legs.
[Illustration: FIGS. 314, 315. Mimetus interfector, enlarged four times,
showing markings of two different individuals.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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