Argiope aurantia

The spider species Argiope aurantia is commonly known as the yellow garden spider,Pictures of yellow garden spider A. aurantia (free for noncommercial use)Weber, Larry (2003). Spiders of the North Woods. Duluth, MN: Kollath-Stensons. pp. 76–77. black and yellow garden spider,Black and Yellow Garden Spider - Argiope aurantia Creative Commons Licensed golden garden spider,Eaton, E. R. & K. Kaufman (2007). Kaufman Field Guide to Insects of North America. New York: Houghton Mifflin. p. 22. writing spider, zigzag spider, zipper spider, black and yellow argiope, corn spider, Steeler spider, or McKinley spider. The species was first described by Hippolyte Lucas in 1833. It is common to the contiguous United States, Hawaii, southern Canada, Mexico, and Central America. It has distinctive yellow and black markings on the abdomen and a mostly white cephalothorax. Its scientific Latin name translates to "gilded silver-face" (the genus name Argiope meaning "silver-face", while the specific epithet aurantia means "gilded"). The body length of males range from 5 -; females range from 19 -. These spiders may bite if disturbed or harassed, but the venom is harmless to non-allergic humans, roughly equivalent to a bumblebee sting in intensity.

No narrative description available for this taxon yet.