Insects Associated with Spider Nests*

Abstract

Insects may be associated with spiders in a variety of ways. Some are external parasites on the spiders themselves, the larvaeclinging to the bodies and deriving nourishment there-from; some are internal parasites, living within the bodies of the spiders; others lay their eggs in the freshly made nests of the spiders, and the larvrae, when hatched, feed indiscriminately upon the eggs, then pupate and remain in the cocoon, being protected by it until they reach the adult stage; another type is the egg parasite, where the insect egg is laid within the egg capsule of the spider and there obtains enough nourishment from this one egg to supply its needs until it becomes adult; still other insects wander around from nest to nest feeding on the contents of various nests, but not remaining in any one nest in particular and not pupating in the nest, but near to it; this sort being predatory on the young spiders. The original observations recorded in this paper deal only with those insects which are associated in some way with the egg cocoons of the spiders. Since Dr. L. O. Howard's work in 1890–92, only scattered items have been added to our knowledge of this subject. The present paper is an attempt to bring together these items and to add to them the result of recent observations made by the writer.