Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada
Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Chelicerates (Chelicerata) » Arachnids (Arachnida) » Spiders (Araneae) » True Spiders (Araneomorphae) » Entelegynae » Orb Weavers (Araneidae) » Garden Orbweavers (Argiope) » Black and Yellow Argiope (Argiope aurantia)
Photo#66625
Black and Yellow Garden Spider - Argiope aurantia - female
Copyright © 2006 Toast Vinson

Black and Yellow Garden Spider - Argiope aurantia - Female
Trinity County, Texas, USA
July 5, 2006
I determined the species using Thomas Eisner's "For Love of Insects" (fascinating book!), and I used BugGuide.net to identify her as a female.

Similar to other bug enthusiasts on this website, I sometimes observe Argiopes shake their web, especially when I draw close (usually within 3 feet). Eisner says this is a defensive behavior: "...[the spider] engages in a bobbing action...making itself a blurred target that is hard to grasp" (Eisner, 227).
Contributed by Toast Vinson on 26 July, 2006 - 1:57am

Disclaimer: Dedicated naturalists volunteer their time and resources here to provide this service. We strive to provide accurate information, but we are mostly just amateurs attempting to make sense of a diverse natural world. If you need expert professional advice, contact your local extension office.

Contributors own the copyright to and are solely responsible for contributed content.
Click the contributor's name for licensing and usage information.
Everything else copyright © 2003-2024 Iowa State University, unless otherwise noted.

Bugguide is hosted by:

Plant Pathology, Entomology and Microbiology at Iowa State University logo