Argiope Aurantia [WORK]
Lemay, F. & Paquin, P. (2022). La répartition géographique d'Argiope trifasciata (Forsskål 1775) et d'Argiope aurantia Lucas 1833 (Araneae: Araneidae) au Québec, et comparaison des sources de données. Hutchinsonia 2: 13-23. -- Show included taxa
argiope aurantia
Most commonly known as the yellow garden spider, Argiope aurantia Lucas is a large orb-weaving spider. Argiope aurantia is also known as the writing spider due to the trademark vertical zig-zag pattern they construct in their webs (Enders 1973). The yellow garden spider is a common species that frequently captures the attention of gardeners due to their zig-zag web, striking black and white (or yellow) pattern, and relatively large size (Figure 1). Although their appearance may cause alarm, this species is relatively harmless and will generally flee rather than attack when disturbed (Enders 1973). Figure 1. Adult female Argiope aurantia (Lucas). Photograph by Dennis Profant. www.bugguide.net.
Argiope aurantia resides in Central and North America and is most common in the eastern portion of its range (Levi 1968). They occur in a variety of habitats such as along edges of water bodies, grassy hillsides (Levi 1968), and woodlands (Fitch 1963). The highest densities of Argiope aurantia occur at edge habitats, or where two different habitats meet (Enders 1973). The yellow garden spider frequently is observed in areas disturbed by human development, such as roadsides, farms, and gardens (Enders 1973).
Juveniles: Juveniles are smaller than adults and differ in color. Unlike the solid black legs found on adults, juvenile Argiope aurantia have orange and black banded legs (Howell and Ellender 1984) (Figure 3). Argiope aurantia have larger webs as they mature; for graphs detailing the web size to spider weight ratio of juvenile spiders please refer to Howell and Ellender (1984). Unfortunately these authors did not outline the length or width of the spiders they sampled, they relied on a weight to indicate spider size.
Juvenile Argiope aurantia disperse away from the location of their egg sac in springtime (Enders 1973). Like many spiders, juvenile Argiope aurantia disperse by catching wind currents on silk they release, commonly known as ballooning. Younger spiders typically balloon vertically and begin to balloon horizontally as they mature due to their increased size. Adults are too large to balloon.
Spiders seen at rest on the hub or center of the web are feeling for vibrations from intruders or prey (Harwood 1974). When prey is caught, the spider waits until they are no longer moving and pull at the radii (silks of the web that project from the center) to find where the prey have been captured (Harwood 1974). The prey is then wrapped in silk during a process called throwing (Harwood 1974). Orthopterans (grasshoppers and crickets) are the most frequent prey item to be wrapped by the throwing method (Figure 5). Alternatively, Argiope aurantia may wrap the prey in another technique called rotational swathing, where the prey is wrapped by the spider rotating and attaching silk to the prey simultaneously (Harwood 1974). The last method is called walking swath, where the spider walks over and around the prey to bind it in silk (Harwood 1974). After the prey is secured, the spider will envenomate them by biting and injecting venom into the prey, killing them and liquefying their internal organs for consumption (Harwood 1974).
Smaller, younger Argiope aurantia are susceptible to attacks from salticid spiders, commonly known as jumping spiders (Tolbert 1975). Due to their large size, adult Argiope aurantia attacks by salticid spiders are often deterred and salticids may even be preyed upon if caught in the web (Tolbert 1975). Mud daubers will commonly prey on Argiope aurantia. In response to their own predators, Argiope aurantia will create up to two barrier webs within their primary orb web. Barrier webs serve as a physical barrier to some predators by preventing easy access onto the web. Barrier webs are placed on the exterior edges of the orb and more importantly serve to alert the spider of any disturbances in the web (Tolbert 1975).
The spider species Argiope aurantia, commonly known as Black and Yellow Garden Spider, belongs to the genus Argiope, in the family Araneidae. Argiope aurantia spiders have been sighted 138 times by contributing members. Based on collected data, the geographic range for Argiope aurantia includes 2 countries and 31 states in the United States. Argiope aurantia is most often sighted outdoors, and during the month of August.
There have been 138 confirmed sightings of Argiope aurantia (Black and Yellow Garden Spider), with the most recent sighting submitted on February 21, 2021 by Spider ID member ktw318. The detailed statistics below may not utilize the complete dataset of 138 sightings because of certain Argiope aurantia sightings reporting incomplete data.
Argiope aurantia has also been sighted in the following states: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin.
The argiope spider (Argiope aurantia) is a common spider throughout much of North America. Other common names for this spider include: the garden spider, the writing spider, the zig-zag spider, and the zipper spider. In many areas, they are a familiar resident of backyards and gardens.
What a surprise for us then, when these spiders (Argiope aurantia) joined our ecosystem at Tenth Acre Farm in Ohio, in the same year that we took out the grass and installed our front yard garden. I suppose they prefer gardens over grass, like many other living beings in the ecosystem!
Check out this site for more information about Argiope aurantia, and to see pictures of the males and baby spiderlings. The babies are fun to find in the springtime when they emerge from the brown egg sac!
More than 250 species of spiders can be found in Maryland and one of the largest and more visible species is the black and yellow garden spider (Argiope aurantia). Also affectionately known as the writing spider, the black and yellow garden spider fashions an intricate zig-zag pattern in the center of its web. This extra weave is known as a stabilimentum. The purpose of the stabilimentum is still not known. Its reflection helps larger animals (like ourselves) see the web to avoid walking through, but it also may help to attract smaller prey.
Thanks for looking, Ogre! It is widespread in much of North American (doesn't do the Rockies or the Great Basin, though). I also believe that the argiopes are seen worldwide. I did try to take an image with the spider on a dampened web. I used a fine mist to spray the web, but that made Argiope skittish and he ran into hiding. I could have, but didn't, take an image of the entire web. But, if that's important to you, PM me with an e-mail address. I know where this guy lives and can go back and get one! ;-) --mark d.
I think this is a Argiope aurantia (black and yellow garden spider), a common garden spider in the U.S. and not harmful to humans. This spider incorporates a dense white zigzag in the center of its orb web. This zigzag feature is a stabilimentum, the purpose of which is not confirmed, but one possibility is to warn birds away from the web. Interestingly stabilimenta are only found in spiders that are active during the day.
These spiders live a kleptoparasitic lifestyle, in this case stealing bits of food from the webs of larger spiders. The individual above can be seen in the upper left corner of this photo in the web of a Garden Spider (Argiope aurantia). While I didn't get a photo, I also noticed this little spider spinning together with his own silk some of the larger strands of the Garden Spider's web.
The yellow garden spider (Argiope aurantia) is called many names including the black and yellow spider, zig-zag spider, and a few names I can't share when the big spiders suddenly "appear" at face-level. I'm using the common name that's been approved by the Entomological Society of America (ESA) for this species. Likewise, it's similarly showy cousin, the whitebacked garden spider (A. trifasciata) is also referred to with many non-approved names such as the descriptive banded garden spider.
These common arachnids, both from a large group called orbweavers, are best known for their spiraling webs found in many gardens.The banded garden spider (Argiope trifasciata) and golden orbweaver (Argiope aurantia) emerge from their egg sacks as small, fully formed web spinners in spring. They start building by creating a bridge from a shrub branch or window frame to another point, and, through complex geometric patterns, they create a sticky insect trap. The spiders eat their webs and rebuild them at night, and start catching insects again the next day.
Few spiders can build an orderly web like the Yellow Garden Spider (Argiope aurantia) of the family Araneidae. They are also called Corn Spider or Writing Spider, where males die after copulation and may sometimes be eaten by the female. Females bear the striking appearance of distinct yellow and black patterns on their abdomen. They may also have white cephalothorax. Look for it in open sunny fields and tall vegetation in North and Central America. Apart from creating distinct circular-shaped webs flooded with zigzags of silk, it also eats the web at night and rebuilds it in the morning or at daylight. 041b061a72