My new argiope

[WayneT]

My nephew captured this little guy for me...he overheard me telling someone I wanted to get a few of these. Pics turned out pretty good, so thought I'd post them over here.

I've seen people asking about "bananna spiders" and I was wondering if this is what they were talking about. It's still a little early for them, but I can get these all over the place down here. I've heard the locals call these bananna spiders before.

 

[Socrates]

Neat spider! How big is it? What are you keeping it in, and what are you feeding it? What is that zigzag thing in the web?

I wonder if we have them up here too? Certainly never seen any spider with those cool colors in Jersey yet, perhaps I should start looking?

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Wendy
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[Brian S]

Nice pic Wayne. I think they are called Black & Yellow Argiope or garden spider. They are also common here in Missouri. There is 2 out in our garden

 

[Brian S]

Update: According to the book Spiders and their kin it is A. aurantia.

 

[jsloan]

I wonder if we have them up here too? Certainly never seen any spider with those cool colors in Jersey yet, perhaps I should start looking?

They are definitely in Jersey. You can find them at this time of the year in open fields of grass, among goldenrod, and other flowers. Look for the webs to be a couple of feet off the ground with the spider sitting in the center during the day.

They are easily recognizable. Their coloring is distinctive, and they are relatively large: body about 3/4" or more and leg span of about 1-1/2" inches. If you do find one throw a grasshopper into it's web and watch the spider wrap it up! It's something to see.

 

[Wade]

I've never heard of Argiope being reffered to as 'banana spiders'. Usually, you see this common name associated with the Ctenidae, more often called wandering spiders. The name 'banana spider' came from the fact that wandering spiders occasionally turn up in produce shippents from South America.

Nephila clavipes is also occasionally called 'banana spider' but for a different reason, the elongated yellow abdomen. This common name seems to be especially commonly used in Florida. Most other places they are known as the golden silk overweaver, because the web has a golden sheen to it.

Although Argipoe and Nephila are both large orb weavers, the webs are easy to tell apart. Argiope always has the trademark zigzags, called stablimentum, which Nephila does not. The exact function of the stablimentum has been discussed for years, some theories suggest it warns birds not to fly into it, it helps stabilize the web, it tricks insects into flying into it by giving the impression of a giant flower,among others. No one knows for sure.

Wade

 

[mouse]

i foun a pic of this one online...it it soo cool,i want one
dianne

 

[mouse]

is it just me or does it look as if both types wear "skull-masks"?

 

[Brian S]

is it just me or does it look as if both types wear "skull-masks"?

hehehe I never noticed that before but yes it does

 

[MilkmanWes]

The spiders I have always thought of as Banana Spiders weave that distinctive zig zag patch in the center of their webs. Do other spiders do that also?

 

[WayneT]

Neat spider! How big is it? What are you keeping it in, and what are you feeding it? What is that zigzag thing in the web?

I wonder if we have them up here too? Certainly never seen any spider with those cool colors in Jersey yet, perhaps I should start looking?

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Wendy
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Thanks Wendy! I'm sure you have them in Joisee! Look out back or in you neighbor's garden. This one isn't that big, a little over an inch, but here in a few weeks, there will be huge ones all over. I don't think they live but for a season, tho.
Best I can tell, that zig-zag thing is like a set of shock-absorbers, for bigger things that fly into it's web.

 

[WayneT]

is it just me or does it look as if both types wear "skull-masks"?

Dianne if that's the spider you were talking about...I'll go investigate. That is an AWESOME looking spider, and YES it looks like a skull. THAT is cool!

 

[tma]

I have 100's of Nephila clavipes (banana/golden silk spiders) around my house(like in the picture mouse posted).
One female has been busy eating and has now grown to about 5+ inches with about 6 tiny males surrounding her

I also have a few of the Argiope spiders around the house. They all seem to make that vertical zig-zag design in their web. -pretty cool little spider

thomas

 

[mouse]

tma
is there any way of keeping those as a pet..if yes how long do they usually live?
thanks
dianne

 

[tma]

Hi Diane,
I would guess you could but they usually make a pretty big web. That one female that's over 5 inches has about a 4 foot web and extending out to 6 feet in some places.
Where I live they seem to thrive in the summer, where it's about 78-90+ in the shade and very high humidity.
They do die out in the late fall/winter maybe because the cold?
I would say their diet consists of anything from moths, mosquitos, flies to small crickets.

I'll try and get a picture of her today with her male friends and a ruler by her.

thomas

 

[WayneT]

Thanks to everyone for the info. I'm a little out of my element here! Hey Thomas, if there's any extra around, I'd love one!

 

[MizM]

Kewl spider!! I like the way it positions it's legs!! Me, I'm always trying to get RID of our local spiders... need any black widows to come to Oklahoma for a visit? Well, actually, they can stay INDEFINTELY... ewwwww.

 

[Lochala]

I don't think they live but for a season, tho.

They usually die with the first hard frost but i've kept my sexy beast inside for 5+ years and shes still going strong.

 

[Lochala]

Kewl spider!! I like the way it positions it's legs!! Me, I'm always trying to get RID of our local spiders... need any black widows to come to Oklahoma for a visit? Well, actually, they can stay INDEFINTELY... ewwwww.

MizM, you're wicked. ;P

 

[Wade]

The spiders I have always thought of as Banana Spiders weave that distinctive zig zag patch in the center of their webs. Do other spiders do that also?

AFAIK, the zig zag is unigue to Argiope.

Wade