Black & Yellow Argiope (Argiope aurantia)Probably the most common orb-shaped web spider in North America. Other common names include Yellow Garden Spider, Golden Orb-weaver, Yellow Garden Orbweaver and Writing Spider.
A. aurantia range throughout most of temperate NA, south through Mexico and into Costa Rica. The black and yellow color pattern can vary considerably between individuals.
Like most orbweavers, these spiders first appear and begin constructing webs in the spring. However, they are often not noticed until fall when they and their webs are much larger and conspicuous. The Argiopes you see are almost always females. They are considerably larger than males. Males spend most of their lives wandering in search of a receptive female and spend little time on the web once she is found. If they are fortunate enough to escape becoming a post-mating protein supplement for the female, they die shortly after breeding anyway.
These orbweavers almost always construct a conspicuous white zigzag pattern (stabilimentum) into their webs. It is a distinctive characteristic of this species. Juveniles often enlarge the zigzag into something of an oval. Some believe this helps camouflage the young spider. You sometimes see the web of Argiopes vibrating rapidly back and forth. It doesn't look as if the spider is causing the vibration, but she is. She uses the vibration to check for prey in her web.
Black & Yellow Argiope (Argiope aurantia)
