| Argiope argentata | |
|---|---|
| A. argentata, dorsal view | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Family: | Araneidae |
| Genus: | Argiope |
| Species: | A. argentata |
| Binomial name | |
| Argiope argentata (Fabricius, 1775) |
|
| Synonyms | |
|
Aranea argentata |
|
Argiope argentata is a member of the Argiope genus of spiders and is also known as the Silver Argiope.
Contents |
As with most members of the Argiope genus the female of the species tends to be much larger than the male. The body of Argiope argentata tends to be primarily silver with brown and orange colorations further back on the abdomen on the top, with a primarily brown underbelly. The legs have bands of orange, black and silver. The female can be up to 35mm in length whereas the male tends to be 20mm or less.
Argiope argentata is found from southern California to Florida extending down as far as Argentina, though preferring to stay in warmer, dryer areas. They can often be found on prickly pears in the fall.
The bite can be stingy and itchy during the first approximate hour, then the pain usually passes away. However, it may have several health repercussions on children, seniors and physically weak people.