![]() ![]() ![]() The second theory is that it alerts predators like birds that the web is there so that they do not fly into it and destroy it.”Ī banded garden spider ( Argiope trifasciata) sits on its web. Arachnologists have two primary theories about it: “The first is that it attracts prey since it reflects light so that insects are tricked to believe that they are flying towards a gap in the vegetation. “The actual use of this is controversial,” said Sewlal. These wide and thick lines are then placed in an X-shape with the middle passing through the hub,” she said. “This species arrange the silk in a zigzag pattern to form a wide thick line. According to Sewlal, this is their most defining characteristic. The silver garden spider’s web is especially likely to have a heavy zigzag pattern, called the stabilimenta. According to the Biology department at the University of California, Irvine, it is often spotted on prickly pear cacti during the autumn months. The silver garden spider lives in warmer regions of North America, such as California and Florida, and is even sometimes found in Argentina. “Their body shape makes them resemble a drop of water clinging to the underside of the web,” said Sewlal, “hence their common name of ‘dew-drop spiders.’” Like other garden spiders, females are significantly larger than males. (Image credit: Elliotte Rusty Harold Shutterstock)Īrgiope argentata, also known as the silver garden spider, has a primarily shiny silver body with brown or orange coloration on the back of its abdomen and brown tones on its underside, according to the San Diego Natural History Museum Field Guide. Its legs are banded in silver, black, and orange colors. Sewlal pointed out that these spiders’ stabilimentum - the zigzagging silk line in the web - "is located vertically through the center of the web."Ī silver garden spider ( Argiope argentata) weaves its web. These spiders can spin truly large webs the Missouri Department of Conservation stated that they can stretch up to 2 feet in diameter. However, if this fails then they will drop to the ground.” And Sewlal said that black and yellow garden spiders can make their bodies look even larger: “When disturbed, they will hold onto the web and vibrate it to appear bigger. Males are typically three-quarters of an inch (almost 2 cm) long. Young spiders’ legs are entirely banded.Īccording to Fairfax County Public Schools, female spiders are larger than males, growing up to a 1.5 inches (4 centimeters) long. Males have brown legs with faded black bands. ![]() Females have yellowish or reddish legs at the base that fade to black. Its eight eyes are arranged in a trapezoid pattern. The University of Michigan Museum of Zoology’s Animal Diversity Web (ADW) noted that this spider’s celothorax (smaller, front section of the body) is covered with shiny silver hairs. “They are quite colorful,” said Sewlal, “with a prominent oval abdomen covered in a black and yellow pattern, hence their common name.” Their abdomen is patterned on top with three-to-four bold black and yellow spots and stripes and, on the bottom, mottled black with two vertical yellow stripes. The species Argiope aurantia has several common names, including black and yellow garden spider, corn spider, writing spider and zipper spider, according to North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension. In Latin, aurantia means “overlaid with gold” - a fitting description for this vibrant spider. Taxonomy/classificationĪccording to the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS), the taxonomy of garden orb-weaver spiders is: Garden spiders will spin webs in plants, in porch overhangs, between trees, and in other outdoor spots. According to the University of Idaho Extension’s Homeowner Guide to Spiders Around the Home and Yard, garden spiders often sit in the center of the web, and when an insect gets stuck, they quickly wrap the prey in silk and bite it, causing the prey to go still. After the sticky lines of silk are placed, this non-sticky silk is cut away.”įlying insects such as flies, bees, grasshoppers, and others get stuck in the stinky silk. “When the web is being constructed, the spider lays out very thin lines of non-sticky silk when it is making the concentric circles, or radii, and uses this to keep the tension of the web. “There are actually two different types of silk used in web construction,” said Sewlal.
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