Black-and-yellow Garden Spider

Friday, August 12, 2011

Black-and-yellow Garden Spider, Argiope aurantia.

I photographed this big, beautiful female yesterday. The appearance of these orbweavers and their large webs is a sure sign that summer is waning. Black-and-yellow garden spiders will be with us until the first killing frosts of fall. The male was nearby; he is but a fraction of the female's size and must tread cautiously when approaching her to mate. Garden spider are harmless enough to us, though, and valuable cogs in the food chain. It's best to just leave them be.

2 comments:

Beyond My Garden said...: I haven't seen any yet but I do like them, taking care not to bother the webs.
nellie; August 12, 2011 9:35 PM
JSK said...: It's interesting that you know them as a sign of summer waning. Until the last couple of years when we've been under a bad drought, I'd see quite a number of these spiders relatively early in the year and follow spiders and their webs throughout the summer into the fall. I've really missed them. I only saw a couple in the Fall last year.; August 13, 2011 10:22 AM

About the photos, and permission to use

Unless specifically noted, all photos used on this blog are by Jim McCormac, and are my property. If you are interested in the use of any of these photos, please contact me at ambrosia AT columbus DOT rr DOT com. I am generally fine with loaning photos for educational or non-commercial uses, but please ask! It is a bit disconcerting - and annoying - to see one's photos appear without credit elsewhere on the Internet.

Many of the photos used on this blog were shot with a Panasonic FZ50, which is a high-end point and shoot and an awesome camera. That model has been discontinued. While I still love my Panasonic and will use it until it gives up the ghost, more of my shots are now taken with a Nikon D7000, often with a 105 mm macro lens. For birds, I clip a 300 mm Tamron lens to the Nikon - that's the biggest lens currently in my arsenal.

Ohio Birds and Biodiversity

Friday, August 12, 2011