
Comments & ID Thoughts
Definitely in the Argiope genus. Located in Virginia so a Yellow Garden Spider seems like the best bet but I personally think it looks more like a Wasp Spider. Thing is I haven’t been able to find any info on sightings of Wasp Spiders in Virginia. Could also be a Banded Garden Spider but I still think it favors the Wasp Spider more. Anyone have any ideas on which it is?
- Submitted by:
- Submitted: Sep 12, 2018
- Photographed: Sep 12, 2018
- Spider: Argiope trifasciata (Banded Garden Spider)
- Location: Glade Spring, Virginia, United States
- Spotted Outdoors: On Flower,Low foliage (shrubs, herbs, garden, excluding flowers),Open field, pasture, prairie, grassland
- Found in web?: Yes
- Attributes: Dorsal
Hi, I think she’s probably Argiope trifasciata. Argiope aurantia has longer bands of colors on the legs and looks like it has spots on the abdomen. Wasp spiders are less likely in your area and they seem to position their four anterior legs more splayed out. Your spider has markings at the posterior that are typical on A. trifasciata. It looks like a set of little black lines, longitudinal. They’re faint, but they are there. All of them are orbweavers and the females position themselves with their head down in the center of the web. I think they do that… Read more »