Family: Araneidae

Scientific Name: Argiope argentata

Size: 12 – 16 mm

Gender: female

Adult female A. argentata have three pairs of lateral lobes on the abdomen. The front half of the abdomen is yellowish while the back half has a triangular pattern that is dark with a few white marks. It is easiest to find adult male A. argentata when they are in the female’s web. Click Here
I find the webs in shrubs especially prickly-pear cactus, located in sunny places but not in trees.(View 3 shows the green egg sac on a cactus.) The zig-zag bands of silk near the hub are called the stabilimentum.
Click to View male

1 – D147 (Laguna Beach, Ca / 29 June 06) | 2 – D148 (Laguna Beach, Ca / 14 July 06) | 3 – D364 (Laguna Beach, Ca / 30 Aug 08)