Supplement to Harvesting Ants and Trap-Door Spiders

By John Traherne Moggridge and Octavius Pickard-Cambridge

Split into two halves: Harvesting Ants and Trap-door Spiders respectively, this nonfiction textbook is full of straightforward and clear descriptions and diagrams portraying the habits and dwellings of insects and spiders.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sharp Ink
• Release date: Jun 15, 2022
• ISBN: 9788028206291

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John Traherne Moggridge, Octavius Pickard-Cambridge

Supplement to Harvesting Ants and Trap-Door Spiders

Sharp Ink Publishing

2022

Contact: [e-mail]

ISBN 978-80-282-0629-1

Table of Contents

EXPLANATION OF PLATES.

SUPPLEMENT TO HARVESTING ANTS.

SUPPLEMENT TO TRAP-DOOR SPIDERS.

SPECIFIC DESCRIPTIONS OF TRAP-DOOR SPIDERS,

INDEX TO SUPPLEMENT.

EXPLANATION OF PLATES.

Table of Contents

NOTE: Click on Plate images to view larger sized view.

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Plate XIII.

, p. 183, fig. A.—Silk lining of tube of Atypus piceus (Sulz.), taken at Troyes in Champagne, and communicated to me by M. E. Simon; B, drawing of portion of nest of Cyrtauchenius elongatus (Sim.) made after the description of the discoverer, and subject to his (M. E. Simon's) corrections. This is the only illustration in the present work not taken from an actual specimen. These figures are of the natural size.

Plate XIV.

, p. 193.—Diagrams of the known types of trap-door nest. Fig. A, nest of Atypus piceus (Sulz.); B, nest of cork type; B 1, the layers of silk with earth rims of which a cork door is composed; C, single-door unbranched wafer type; D, single-door branched wafer type; E double-door unbranched wafer type; E 1, lower door of the same, of the natural size; F, Hyères double-door branched wafer type; F 1, lower door of the same, of the natural size; G, and G 1, double-door branched cavity wafer type. At G 1 the perfect type is seen, while at G, the descending cavity, the outlines of which are indicated by dotted lines, has been filled up; G 2, lower door of the same of the natural size. (Figs. A, B, C, D, E, F, G and G 1, diagrammatic representations of nest on a reduced scale, Figs. B 1, E 1, F 1 and G 2, of the natural size).

Plate XV.

, p. 198, fig. A.—Nest of Cteniza Californica (Camb.) nearly entire, enclosed in the clayey earth of the bank from which the specimen was taken, the door being artificially represented as being partly open; A 1, door of the same as seen when closed; B, Cteniza Californica (Camb.) from a living specimen; B 1, the same seen in spirits, the legs not represented; B 2, the same seen sideways; (figs. A, A 1, B, B 1 and B 2, are of the natural size); B 3, the eyes, greatly magnified; B 4, the three claws terminating the tarsal joint of the hindmost left leg; B 5, line representing the measured length of the spider excluding the falces and spinners, the uppermost division gives the length of the caput terminating at the half-moon-shaped fovea, the middle division that of the thorax, and the lowest that of the abdomen, while the transverse line gives the breadth of the cephalothorax; B 6, eggs laid by the spider in captivity on the under side of the gauze which covered the box (the position is reversed here) of the natural size; B 7, the same magnified; B 8, another group of eggs, magnified; B 9, a portion of the same still more highly magnified; B 10, lines showing measured lengths of legs of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th pairs, and of palpus, with those of the several joints.

Plate XVI.

, p. 211, fig. A.—Part of the nest of Nemesia Simoni (Camb.) taken at Bordeaux; A 1, N. Simoni (Camb.) from life, of the natural size; A 2, the same seen in spirits, the legs not represented; A 3, the same seen sideways and magnified; A 4, the eyes, magnified; A 5, the thoracic fovea, magnified; A 6, line showing measured length of spider, (see above explanation of fig. B 5, plate XV.); A 7, lines showing measured lengths of legs of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th pairs, and palpus of spider, with those of the several joints. B, cephalothorax and abdomen of another specimen of N. Simoni, in which the proportions are different, taken from life, of the natural size.

Plate XVII.

, p. 215, fig. A.—Part of the nest of N. suffusa (Camb.) taken at Montpellier; A 1, N. suffusa (Camb.) from life, of the natural size; A 2, the same in spirits, seen sideways and magnified, the legs not represented; A 3, another view of the same; A 4, the eyes, magnified; A 5, length of spider (see above, fig. B 5, plate XV.); A 6, measurements of legs and palpus; B, N. meridionalis (Costa and Sim.), male, from a specimen in spirits, of the natural size, legs not represented; B 1, the same magnified; B 2, the eyes, magnified; B 3, radial and digital joints of the left palpus with bulb, magnified; B 4, another view of the same, magnified; B 5, back view of the same, magnified, but less highly; B 6, length of spider (see above, fig. B 5, plate XV.); C, N. meridionalis (Costa and Sim.) female, from a specimen in spirit of wine, of the natural size, legs not represented; C 1, eyes of the same, magnified; C 2, length of spider. These two specimens (male and female) were collected in Corsica, and named by M. E. Simon, who kindly presented them to me; they are now in the possession of the Rev. O. Pickard-Cambridge.

Plate XVIII.

, p. 225, fig. A.—Part of nest of N. congener (Camb.) taken at Hyères; A 1, lower door of this nest viewed from above, of the natural size; A 2, side view of the same; A 3, N. congener (Camb.) taken from life, of the natural size; A 4, side view of the same, enlarged to twice the natural size, the legs not represented; A 5, cephalothorax and falces from specimen in spirits, magnified;108 A 6, the eyes, magnified; A 7, femur, patella (or genual joint) and tibia of leg of third pair, showing the three spines on the outer side of the patella, magnified. B, lower door from a smaller and younger nest, viewed from above, of the natural size; B 1, the same viewed sideways.

[108] While these pages were passing through the press (Hyères, Oct. '74), I have had an opportunity of examining 17 additional specimens of N. congener. I learn from this that the pattern represented on the caput in fig. A 5, does not accord with that in the majority of adult specimens, being usually less defined and composed of three converging bands. Mr. Pickard-Cambridge's description (p. 293 below) is, however, quite correct. I may mention that three spines were present on the patella (genual joint) of legs III in 16 specimens, the 17th specimen having but a single spine.

Plate XIX.

, p. 229, fig. A.—Nest of a young specimen of N. Manderstjernæ (Ausserer = N. meridionalis Camb., in Ants and Spiders, p. 101) from Mentone, showing the descending cavity, with the lower door pushed across, so as to close the main tube and join the cavity; A 1, upper portion of the same, showing the lower door closing the branch. B, N. cæmentaria (Latr.) from a living specimen taken at Montpellier; B 1, the same seen in spirits of wine, legs not represented; B 2, the eyes, magnified; B 3, one of the two larger claws; and B 4, the small claw of the tarsus of one of the hindmost legs; B 5, length of spider; B 6, measurements of legs and palpus. C, the eyes of N. Moggridgii (Camb.) (= N. cæmentaria, Camb., in Ants and Spiders, p. 92), magnified. D, N. incerta (Camb.), male, from a specimen preserved in spirits, collected at Digne in the Basses Alpes, by M. E. Simon, who kindly lent me the specimen for examination, represented of twice the natural size, and without the legs; D 1, another view of the same; D 2, radial and digital joints of the palpus and palpal bulb, magnified; D 3, back view of the same; D 4, the eyes magnified. E, eyes of N. dubia (Camb.), male (= N. cæmentaria, Sim.), from a specimen in spirits, collected in the Pyrénées Orientales, communicated by M. Simon, magnified; E 1, radial and digital joints of the palpus with palpal bulb of the same, magnified; E 2, another view of the same.

Plate XX.

, p. 254, fig. A, Cteniza Moggridgii (Camb.), male (= Ct. fodiens, Camb., in Ants and Spiders, p. 89), from a living specimen taken at Mentone, of the natural size; A 1, the same seen sideways, the legs not represented; A 2, cephalothorax and falces of the same; A 3, the eyes; A 4, radial and digital joints and the palpal bulb; A 5, another view of the same; A 6, one of the two large claws, and A 7, the small claw of the tarsus of one of the legs of the hindmost pair; A 8, length of the spider and breadth of the cephalothorax; A 9, measurements of legs and palpus. (Figs. A 1, A 2, A 3, A 4, A 5, A 6, and A 7, are all magnified.) B, N. Manderstjernæ (Ausserer), male (= N. meridionalis, Camb., in Ants and Spiders, p. 101), from a living specimen taken at Mentone, of the natural size; B 1, the same seen in spirits and magnified to twice the natural size; B 2, the same viewed sideways; B 3, the eyes; B 4, tibia, metatarsus and tarsus of the right leg of the first pair showing the spine and process on the under and inner side of the enlarged tibia; B 5, right leg of the third pair showing the three short spines on the patella; B 6, one of the two large claws, and B 7, the small claw of the tarsus of one of the legs of the hindmost pair; B 8, radial and digital joints of palpus with palpal bulb; B 9, another view of the same; B 10, back view of the same (figs. B 1 to B 10, all magnified); B 11, measurements of legs and palpus. C, tibia, metatarsus and tarsus of right leg of N. Manderstjernæ (Ausserer), male, viewed from the under side and magnified, drawn from the original specimen belonging to Dr. L. Koch, collected at Nice, and described as N. Manderstjernæ by Professor Ausserer. My best thanks are due to Dr. L. Koch for having enabled me to examine this valuable specimen. [In fig. C, the curved spine should bend towards, and not away from, the process on its right and inner side.]

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LIST OF SPIDERS DESCRIBED.

SUPPLEMENT

TO

HARVESTING ANTS.

Table of Contents

During the short time which has elapsed since Harvesting Ants and Trap-door Spiders left the printer's hands, fresh material has rapidly accumulated, and an assiduous search after these creatures, and the continued study of their works and ways, has met with ample reward and encouragement.

It was my wish, when originally publishing these observations, many of which were due to the active co-operation of friends, to invite my readers to take part with me in my pleasure and pursuits, so that we should from that time work together, and, by communicating our discoveries to each other, increase our knowledge, and at the same time enlarge the field of our research. My intention was that we should leave to others the necessary work of collection, preservation, and arrangement, and that, while our fellow naturalists pin specimens into classified cabinets, and devote long hours to the description of peculiarities of form and colour, we should undertake the lighter task of complementing their labours by observing and recording the habits and conditions of existence of the creatures themselves.

Looked at in this light, the present pages and those of the preceding work may be regarded as so many drawers in our Cabinet of Habits, and though, as we open drawer after drawer, many gaps and blank spaces remind us how much remains to be done in order to complete the collection, yet the interest and suggestiveness of the specimen-facts already secured, should encourage and direct us onwards. There have not been wanting instances in which my readers have associated themselves with me in the way indicated, and it is with pleasure, when reviewing the entire work, that I recall how many of its most interesting features are due to the researches and assistance of friends,109 and commemorate at once their discoveries and unfailing kindness. I had certainly expected that before this time some new species of harvesting ants would have been discovered, either on the Riviera, where attention has been especially called to the subject, or in other parts of Europe, where dissimilar conditions might have been expected to be associated with a different fauna; but this has hitherto not been the case.

[109] To all who have rendered me this valuable help I tender my cordial thanks. I am under very special obligations to Mr. Pickard-Cambridge, for descriptions of spiders, and to Mr. F. Smith for the names of the Ants; assistance which I should have found it almost impossible to dispense with or to replace.

One might naturally suppose that if harvesting ants were discovered in localities very widely distant from each other, they would prove to belong to different species, but thus far, both in Europe and Northern Africa, it is the same two well-known species of Atta barbara and A. structor that constantly reappear.

For instance, I have recently learned that harvesting ants are found at Cadenabbia on the lake of Como, and at Montpellier in Southern France; but on examination, the ants from the former place are clearly seen to belong to the species structor, and those from Montpellier to the two species structor and barbara.

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