
Comments & ID Thoughts
Argiope aurantia - interesting picture showing a Katydid meal
- Submitted by:
- Submitted: Sep 28, 2023
- Photographed: Sep 28, 2023
- Spider: Argiope aurantia (Black and Yellow Garden Spider)
- Location: Pelham, Alabama, United States
- Spotted Outdoors: Man-made structure (building wall, fences, etc.),Low foliage (shrubs, herbs, garden, excluding flowers)
- Found in web?: Yes
- Attributes: Lateral, Webs, Prey
Thank you for the great photo! I like the “with prey” photos to see what each species eats and how they wrap the prey. In your photo she has made a stabilimentum ( “decorative” webbing), the zig zag webbing that encloses and disquises the prey in her web. It follows the length of the katydid. I haven’t seen this in an Obweaver photo before. I don’t know if the purpose is to make her web less noticeable due to the big bug, web repair, or to hide the prey for animals that might steal it, or some other reason. There… Read more »