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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#2382
Black and Yellow Argiope, with prey - Argiope aurantia - female
Copyright © 2004 Troy Bartlett

Black and Yellow Argiope, with prey - Argiope aurantia - Female
Chattahoochee Nat'l Rec Area, Abbots Bridge, Georgia, USA
September 2, 2003
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Contributed by Troy Bartlett on 16 February, 2004 - 1:32pm

silly question
i caught a fly and threw it into the spiders web to watch it in action .. i have one just like this in my yard its body is a little over and inch not including the legs... didnt notice the zigzag in the web but i guess i got a little too close and it switched sides of the web and started rocking towards me.. is this a defense mechanism or was it getting ready to jump at me?
… Tony S. Sorensen, 13 September, 2007 - 10:05am login or register to post comments

 
defense
It is a defense mechanism...if this spider feels threatened it will try to make itself appear larger by rocking itself to vibrate the web. They can bite (not a serious bite), but they're more likely to fall out of their web and run away.
… shanin, 15 September, 2007 - 1:51pm login or register to post comments

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