Species Argiope trifasciata - Banded Argiope

Banded Garden Orbweaver

Banded Argiope

See the World Spider Catalog.

Argiope trifasciata (Forsskål, 1775) (or Forskål (1))

Body length 15-25 mm (female), 4-6 mm (male)

Pale yellow, carapace has silver hairs, abdomen is striped in silver, yellow, and black. Abdomen is more rounded (tapered rearward) than in Argiope aurantia, does not have notches and humps as in that species. Legs are spotted. Stabilimentum of web is similar to that of Argiope aurantia, but less prominent. On ventral views, if there are yellow lobes or dots surrounding the central yellow stripe on the sternum, it is A. trifasciata (refer to image of sternum below). However, those lobes/dots are not always present.

Females:

Male:

Juveniles:

Egg Sacs

Male Palp:

Throughout United States and southern Canada. World Spider Catalog gives distribution as "North, Central and South America. Introduced to Africa, Portugal to Israel, Iran, China, Japan, Australia (Tasmania), Pacific Is."

Open areas, old fields, etc. with tall grass. Webs tend to be more hidden than those of aurantia, and the preferred habitat is said to be drier.

mostly: July-Nov (BG data)

Egg sac may contain more than 1000 eggs. It is about 18 mm in diameter and is shaped like a cup or a kettledrum, not spherical, as is that of Argiope aurantia.

Kaston, p. 139, fig. 346 (2)

Marshall and Edwards, pp. 40-41, color photo (3)

Jackman, p. 76, plate P10 (4)