September 12, 2011
Beauty in disguise
About a month and a half ago, I walked past the same shrub I pass every morning and evening and noticed something that I hadn’t ever noticed before; a Black and Yellow Argiope; otherwise known as a Black and Yellow Garden Spider.
The Argiope will not hurt or bite humans unless their web is being messed with; and after looking at this, why would one want to upset such an innocent insect?
Nestled up-side-down on her orb-like web, this Black and Yellow Argiope found a place out of the wind but in the sunlight to catch her prey. About an inch long, she was busy at work on her sticky web to trap any flying insects. Her web took up most of one side of the shrub. It was amazing! Apparently, each night, the Argiope will eat their web and build a new one. I noticed the same web every morning and evening for at least 2 weeks.
After noticing her, about a week and a half later, I noticed there was a sac of eggs on the right side of the web. Over a thousand eggs could be inside!! After laying the eggs, the female Argiope will die. The baby spiders will hatch from their eggs in the fall, but will stay inside the sac for most of the winter. In the spring, the young spiders will go on their own!
Being the most active during the daytime, I hope the Argiope’s predators – birds, some species of wasps, and lizards – leave this web alone so there are thousands of other harmful beautiful spiders to see next year too!
Posted by: 
Sharon Clark
Tagged With:
argiope,
black and yellow argiope,
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