Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1882-12-14
SOmeInTnK Ah0nt 9niders.

The destruction of insects by spiders
Is enormous. i have counted $50 in
sects, small and great, hanging en-
tangled in one orb web. In one net in
Paramount Park counted thirty eight
mosquitoes; in another, hung under
bridge at Asbury Park, and out Of
reach, there must have been two or
three times as many. Green head flies
by the legion have been seen in the
webs that fairly enlacc the boat hous5E
at Atlantic City and Cape May. The
very small spiders prey upoG micros-
copic insects like gnats and devour
myriads. A glance at the fields, bushes
and trees on dewy morning in Sep
tember will reveal an innumerable
multitude of webs spread over the
landscape, all occupied by spiders of
various ages, sizes and families, and all
busy destroying the insect pests of
man.
There are several species Of spiders,
divided into two classes, the sedentary
and the wandering spiders. To the
first class belong the orb weaycrs, who
make a circular web the line weaycrs,
whose web is labyrinthian the tube
wcavers, who hang their nests on
walls or rocks or branches Of trees,
and the tunnel weayers, who live in
tunnels cut into the eazth and having
automatic doors ingcniously contriycd
In the wanderers are included the
cetegrades, whose motions are quick
and yiyacious the laterigradcs, who
have queer sideways motion, and the
saltgrades, who jump, and dance and
vault. The dolomcde spider is a
swimmer, and lives on or under water
She builds her nest on a detached
branch Of a tree or bush, which she
makes into tent. The argiopa fas-
ciapa, or banded spider is a silver
yellow and black color.
Spiders are not social creatures.
They are generally, on the contrary, Of
solitary habits. and are mostly canni-
balls, eating each other with great
gusto. They mate In the spring and
autumn, and the mating is often a
trying and dangerous one. They reverse
the order Of nature in one respect. for
the males are infinitely inferior in
every respect 20 the females, and The
latter are well aware Of the fact. Their
courtships are scenes of violence, and
not Of love and peace. The lady looks
with sublime contempt upon the gen
tlcman and keeps him at 4 distance.
He can only approach her by strata
gem, and sometimes she nips off one
Of his legs in her anger and casts"him
adrift cripple. / have seen poor
fellows who have lost four out Of their
eight legs. and still they were attracted
to the opposite sex like moths toa can
die. \ spider will never eat her own
young. but the males will destroy them
when they can. The mother either
goes away or dies soon after the
Matching Of her eggs. which number
about 100 TO each nest. and the little
ones are thrown upon the world almost
"a soon as they sec light There are
several varieties who carry their cggs
in a silk pouch until they are hatchcd |
The tube weavers sometimes care for
their young until they are able to get !
about. and / hai brood Of about sixty
in my yard until the rains destroyed |
them.
Spiders have numerous enemies. and |
much Of their clever nest building Is |
designed for protection against these
inroads. Toads and birds destroy them |
by the thousands. and a little parasite |
called the ichnumen-a small hy--lays |
its eggs in the cocoons Of the spider. |
and when the larvH appears it feeds |
first on the eggs and later un the
young spiders. orb weavers and line |
wcayers desert their eggs when laid. |
and meet their offspring, where they |
live so long. as strangers. Another |
bitter enemy of the spider is the mud |
daubing wasp, which has a process
that might be valuable TO humanity, |
If IL could be discovered. Of keeping a |
supply Of fresh meat. When they |
capture a spider that is not needed for
present use they sting 1t in such
manner that il lives, but has no power |
to move until such time as the captor
is ready to devour It. II is rather q |
singular thing that the wasp in its
babyhood feeds on meat. but in its |
,.ufe IL.