Black and Yellow Garden Spider (Argiope aurantia)

The black and yellow garden argiope, also known to some people as the banana spider, is a commonly encountered arachnid species in North America. This orb weaver can be found in open woods, fields, edges, meadows and gardens, or basically in habitats with herbaceaus plants, and fewer shrubs or trees. It ranges throughout much of America, Mexico and southern Canada.

Though it is harmless to humans, its relatively large body size (up to one inch/2.5 cm), can cause a startle upon encounter. Females, such as the one in today's photo, grow much larger than males. The web of the female can be up to two feet in diameter and is sometimes rebuilt every evening. It contains a zig-zag pattern down the center that helps disguise the spider's presence, adds stability to the design and might even entice insects to fly toward it. The garden spider typically sits in the middle of the web with its legs held in pairs (appearing to have four instead of eight) and head facing downward awaiting prey. Prey consists primarily of flying and jumping insects (such as flies, moths and grasshoppers) that get entangled in the sticky silk. Predators include birds, mud dauber wasps, small mammals, frogs and lizards. Mating occurs in the late summer and the young hatch in the fall. They reside in their egg sac throughout winter and disperse in the spring. Spiders serve an invaluable role in our ecosystem removing millions of tons of insects each year.

Today's photo was taken by Ben Jellen, WPC's Endangered Species Biologist/Herpetologist.

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