More than "black and yellow argiope spider", we are better referring to the GOLDEN ORB SPIDER (picture), found mostly in a wide area ranging from the south of Canada to Central America. You will find it near shrubs and tall plants and hiding between flowers due to its special colors, and under the sun. |
golden orb spider
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Some spiders roam at night, others wander during the day, but this black and yellow spider never sleeps; whenever an insect is trapped on its web, the golden orb will attack immediately. It lacks a good vision, but it is extremely sensitive to its web vibrations. Males go in search for females (much bigger than them), and when they find one, they lay nearby, build their webs and spend time courting the females.
The body of a male spider may grow as large as nine mm (3/8 inches), and the female’s is much bigger, 28 mm (One and 1/8 inches, as shown in the picture above).
Both have an egg-shaped abdomen, shiny, crispy, with yellow (in some cases orange) stripes over a deep black surface. The cephalothorax is hairy; the legs are black with some portions of a yellowish or reddish tone.
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Females can actually eat preys which double their own size.
black and yellow spider
Eggs are laid inside a cocoon which this species hung from their webs to avoid predation of other insects. However, this turns out to be ineffective to prevent the lost of eggs caused mainly by the flying of birds.
Learn every inside aspect of the black widow spider following the links in the main menu |