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Comments & ID Thoughts
This was taken in Harare, Zimbabwe. We get Golden Orb spiders there that sit in a similar position in their webs, but the spider itself is very unfamiliar. It has horns on its abdomen and there’s a peculiar sac that looks like a caterpillar cocoon on the wall next to it.
- Submitted by:
- Submitted: Nov 18, 2023
- Photographed: Nov 18, 2023
- Spider: Argiope (Garden Orb-weavers)
- Location: Harare, Zimbabwe
- Spotted Outdoors: Man-made structure (building wall, fences, etc.),Low foliage (shrubs, herbs, garden, excluding flowers)
- Found in web?: Yes
- Attributes:
Help identify this spider
Aug 4, 2023
Aug 4, 2023
Cocconato, 
Argiope aurantia common yellow garden spider. Yellow garden spiders often build webs in areas adjacent to open sunny fields where they stay concealed and protected from the wind. The spider can also be found along the eaves of houses and outbuildings or in any tall vegetation where they can securely stretch a web. They are semi aggressive and their bite is non venomous but will hurt much. I hope this helps
You are correct with the genus but this is an African Argiope – It is either A. flavipalpis or A. levii – Both are present in Zimbabwe and I think you would need a microscope to tell them apart https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argiope_flavipalpis
Its a beautiful picture. Its likely the cocoon is an egg sac.
Thanks! Very helpful. Frustrating I could load more than 1 pic to a post or I’d have added the sac too. Can’t take credit for the pic – that was my sister! She’s very talented and not as afraid of them as I am. Not sure about a microscope since the last comment said painful bites
Although Argiopes are not aggressive they certainly are capable of a painful bite… in self defense …if mishandled. You are better off admiring it and leaving it alone.
You can load the sac as another single picture. Just say in the description that it is a 2nd picture. It would be interesting to see it.
Good idea! Just loaded it. Will be curious to see what you think. It may be unrelated.