[Time and Locality for Collecting.]—The best time to collect spiders is in the early fall, during the months of September and October. The great majority of the species are then mature. Many forms, however, occur in the adult state in late spring and early summer. Numerous species may also be collected during winter, some of these hibernating under stones, the bark of dead trees, etc., and others, more particularly the small forms, under dead leaves and rubbish on the ground in woods. Other species which have hibernated may be found about the earliest flowers in spring. No particular localities can be indicated for the collection of spiders, since they occur in all sorts of places, in wooded or open regions and also in and about dwellings. Many Lycosidæ are found in dry and rocky situations and quite a number in open fields. Thomisidæ may be found on flowers. The Therididæ affect shady places, and many Epeiridæ will be found in similar situations. The Attidæ love the sun and are found very actively engaged in hunting insects on plants and dead leaves. Many species of this family will be found in cases under loose bark in winter. Evergreen trees are also quite good collecting grounds for Attidæ. The Drassidæ are ground spiders and are mostly nocturnal, hiding during the day under leaves and stones; a few forms, however, disport in the hottest sunshine. Some genera are found most frequently near water or in damp places, as Dolomedes and Tetragnatha; others in sandy places, as Micaria, Targalia.
[COLLECTING OTHER ARACHNIDS: MITES, TICKS, SCORPIONS, ETC.]
Other Arachnids—as mites, ticks, scorpions, daddy longlegs or harvest-men—may be collected in the same way as spiders.
Fig. 131.—A Harvest-man
(Phalangium ventricosum).
—From Packard.
The Phalangidæ (Harvest-men) somewhat resemble spiders, and are at once recognized by their extremely long legs. They occur about houses, especially in shady places, under the eaves, etc., and in the woods and fields. They are carnivorous and feed on small insects, especially Aphides. They should be pressed a little when captured to extrude the genital apparatus, if possible, and are best collected in the early fall.
The Phrynidæ are very peculiar looking animals, the anterior legs being very long and slender and the maxillary palpi very large. The genus Thelyphonus is not uncommon in the South, and is known by its oblong body, ending usually with a long, slender, many-jointed filament, from which they are called Whip-tailed Scorpions. T. giganteus is the common species. They occur in moist situations, and are carnivorous, feeding on insects and small animals.
Fig. 132.—False Scorpion
(Chelifer cancroides L.).
—From Packard.
The false scorpions, Chermetidæ, may at once be recognized by their large maxillary palpi, resembling the maxillæ of the true scorpion. They are small insects, rarely exceeding a quarter of an inch in length, and are found in dark shady places and feed upon mites, Psoci, and other small insects. A common species is represented at figure 132.