Member Photos: Yellow Garden Spider

 Certified Master Naturalist, Ed Coleman, sends this photo of an interesting spider

Argiope aurantia, known as the yellow garden spider or black and yellow garden spider are large orb-weaving arachnids whose circular webs are characterized by a vertical zigzag pattern of thick silk called a stabilimentum.  Most spiders have two claws on each foot, but orb weavers have an additional claw to help them spin complex webs.  The yellow garden spider kills its entangled prey, usually flying insects, by injecting venom and then wraps the prey in a cocoon of silk to consume at will.   Females are easily identified as they are three times larger than males and have vibrant bands of yellow and black on their carapace and silver hairs on their top frontal exoskeleton, whereas males are brown.  Translated from Latin, Argiope aurantia means gilded silver face.  Pictured here is a female yellow garden spider with her prey, an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus).  Note the silver face from which the spider derives its name.  

Photo by Ed Coleman