Nearctic States & Provinces: NS ON QC CA CO CT IA KS KY LA MI MO NH NC OK SC TX
Collection Locales Mapped by Year Collected:
The Nearctic Spider Database, http://www.canadianarachnology.org/data/spiders/15350
Argiope aurantia Lucas, 1833
yellow garden spider
FAMILY: ARANEIDAE Simon, 1895
Genus: Argiope Audouin, 1826
Species: Argiope aurantia Lucas, 1833
Author of this page: Shorthouse, David P. (Page complete and awaiting review)
Common Names
Family Common Name:
orbweavers
Genus Common Name:
garden orbweavers
Species Common Name:
yellow garden spider
Distribution
Global Distribution: Canada to Costa Rica
Nearctic States & Provinces:
NS ON QC CA CO CT IA KS KY LA MI MO NH NC OK SC TX
Collection Locales Mapped by Year Collected:
Natural History, Phenology & Image(s)
Feeding Guild:‡
orb weavers
‡Feeding guild when noted defined by Uetz, G. W., J. Halaj, and A. B. Cady. 1999. Guild structure of spiders in major crops. Journal of Arachnology 27:270-280.
Recorded Habitats:
The web is built among goldenrod or other high herbs, in open sunny fields, meadows or flower gardens.
Life & Natural History:
This is an annual species; males are mature in July and August and females from August to October. Eggs are laid in autumn and the sac is papery, round and suspended among fallen leaves. Young winter in the cocoon and emerge in the spring (Dondale et al., 2003).
Seasonality of Specimen Records:
Image(s) of Habitus:
Credit: Holmberg, Robert
Details About Males
Description:
Carapace brownish, covered with white setae. Sternum black with white median longitudinal band. Legs brownish. Abdomen black on dorsal surface with indistinct paired yellowish white longitudinal bands. Venter is black with paired indistinct longitudinal bands.
Male Dimensions:
A+B = 5.77 mm
A = 2.8 mm
C = 1.97 mm
Image of External Male Genitalia:
(image not yet available)
Details About Females
Description:
Carapace yellowish-white with brown markings and with silvery setae. Sternum as in male. Abdomen with paired lobes at anterior end, black with conspicuous paired yellow spots, venter black with white margins and 3-4 pairs of white spots.
Female Dimensions:
A+B = 17.13 mm
A = 5.68 mm
C = 4.49 mm
Image of Epigynum:
(image not yet available)
Descriptions Source:
Dondale, C. D., J. H. Redner, P. Paquin & H. W. Levi. 2003. The insects and arachnids of Canada. Part 23. The orb-weaving spiders of Canada and Alaska (Araneae: Uloboridae, Tetragnathidae, Araneidae, Theridiosomatidae). NRC Research Press, Ottawa, 371 pp.
Synonyms and Chresonyms†
| Argiope aurantia Lucas 1833 |
| Nephila vestita C. L. Koch 1838 |
| Epeira aurantia Lucas 1840 |
| Epeira ambitoria Walckenaer 1842 |
| Epeira cophinaria Walckenaer 1842 |
| Epeira riparia Hentz 1847 |
| Epeira sutrix Hentz 1847 |
| Argiope riparia McCook 1882 |
| Argiope riparia Emerton 1884 |
| Argiope riparia multiconcha Treat 1887 |
| Argiope cophinaria Marx 1890 |
| Argiope personata O. P.-Cambridge 1893 |
| Argiope cophinaria McCook 1894 |
| Argiope aurantia Simon 1895 |
| Argiope godmani O. P.-Cambridge 1898 |
| Argiope riparia Emerton 1902 |
| Miranda cophinaria F. O. P.-Cambridge 1903 |
| Argiope aurantia Kaston 1948 |
| Argiope aurantia Cloudsley-Thompson 1956 |
| Argiope aurantia Levi 1968 |
| Argiope aurantia Breene et al. 1993 |
| Argiope aurantia Dondale et al. 2003 |
| Argiope aurantia Paquin & Dupérré 2003 |
| Argiope aurantia Levi 2004 |
Taxonomic References†
Breene, R. G., D. A. Dean, M. Nyffeler & G. B. Edwards. 1993. Biology, Predation Ecology, and Significance of Spiders in Texas Cotton Ecosystems with a Key to Species. Texas Agriculture Experiment Station, College Station, 115 pp.
Cambridge, F. O. P.-. 1903. Arachnida - Araneida and Opiliones. In Biologia Centrali-Americana, Zoology. London, 2: 425-464.
Cambridge, O. P.-. 1898. Arachnida. Araneida. In Biologia Centrali-Americana, Zoology. London, 1: 233-288.
Cambridge, O. P.-. 1893. Arachnida. Araneida. In Biologia Centrali-Americana, Zoology. London, 1: 105-120.
Cloudsley-Thompson, J. L. 1956. Notes on Arachnida, 26.-Argiope bruennichi (Scop.) in Britain. Entomologist's mon. Mag. 92: 74.
Dondale, C. D., J. H. Redner, P. Paquin & H. W. Levi. 2003. The insects and arachnids of Canada. Part 23. The orb-weaving spiders of Canada and Alaska (Araneae: Uloboridae, Tetragnathidae, Araneidae, Theridiosomatidae). NRC Research Press, Ottawa, 371 pp.
Emerton, J. H. 1902. The common spiders of the United States. Boston, pp. 1-225.
Emerton, J. H. 1884. New England spiders of the family Epeiridae. Trans. Conn. Acad. Arts Sci. 6: 295-342.
Hentz, N. M. 1847. Descriptions and figures of the araneides of the United States. Boston J. nat. Hist. 5: 443-478.
Kaston, B. J. 1948. Spiders of Connecticut. Bull. Conn. St. geol. nat. Hist. Surv. 70: 1-874.
Koch, C. L. 1838. Die Arachniden. Nürnberg, Vierter Band, pp. 109-144, Funfter Band, pp. 1-124.
Levi, H. W. 2004. Comments and new records for the American genera Gea and Argiope with the description of new species (Araneae: Araneidae). Bull. Mus. comp. Zool. Harv. 158: 47-65.
Levi, H. W. 1968. The spider genera Gea and Argiope in America (Araneae: Araneidae). Bull. Mus. comp. Zool. Harv. 136: 319-352.
Lucas, H. 1840. Histoire naturelle des animaux articules, Annelides, Crustaces, Arachnides, Myriapodes et Insectes. Paris, 1: 334-467.
Lucas, H. 1833. Description d'une espece nouvelle d'Arachnide appartenant au genre Argyope de Savigny. Ann. Soc. ent. Fr. 2: 86-88.
Marx, G. 1890. Catalogue of the described Araneae of temperate North America. Proc. U. S. nat. Mus. 12: 497-594.
McCook, H. C. 1894. American spiders and their spinningwork. Philadelphia, 3: 1-285.
McCook, H., C. 1882. Snares of orb weaving spiders. Proc. Acad. nat. Sci. Philad. 1882: 254-257.
Paquin, P. & N. Dupérré. 2003. Guide d'identification des araignées de Québec. Fabreries, Suppl. 11 1-251.
Simon, E. 1895. Histoire naturelle des araignées. Paris, 1: 761-1084.
Treat, M. 1887. Argiope riparia var. multiconcha. Amer. Natural. 21: 1122.
Walckenaer, C. A. 1842. Histoire naturelle des Insects. Aptères. Paris, 2: 1-549.
†Nomenclature and taxonomic references from the World Spider Catalog accessible at http://research.amnh.org/entomology/spiders/catalog/ARANEIDAE.html
Natural History References
Dondale, C. D., J. H. Redner, P. Paquin & H. W. Levi. 2003. The insects and arachnids of Canada. Part 23. The orb-weaving spiders of Canada and Alaska (Araneae: Uloboridae, Tetragnathidae, Araneidae, Theridiosomatidae). NRC Research Press, Ottawa, 371 pp.
Other Nearctic Members of Genus Argiope Audouin, 1826‡‡
A. appensa (Walckenaer, 1842) ...............Hawaii, Taiwan to New Guinea
A. argentata (Fabricius, 1775) ...............USA to Argentina
A. blanda O. P.-Cambridge, 1898 ...............USA to Costa Rica
A. bruennichi (Scopoli, 1772) ...............Palearctic
A. florida Chamberlin & Ivie, 1944 ...............USA
A. trifasciata (Forsskål, 1775) ...............Cosmopolitan (except Europe)
A. trifasciata kauaiensis Simon, 1900 ...............Hawaii
‡‡May also include species with Palearctic distribution
Page Reference:
Shorthouse, David P. submitted. Taxonomic and natural history description of FAM: ARANEIDAE, Argiope aurantia Lucas, 1833.
In: The Nearctic Spider Database. David P. Shorthouse (editor). World Wide Web electronic publication. Direct link: http://www.canadianarachnology.org/data/spiders/15350 (Accessed: 7/8/2008 11:47:19 PM).
Author Email Address: dshorthouse@eol.org
Text Last Modified: 2006-03-22T07:57:03Z