BugFiles Pictures: Writing Spider, Scribbler, Black and Yellow Argiope (Argiope aurantia), 1 by jennableu

jennableu wrote:
I found this spider in my garden last June and posted it all over the web, asked family, etc. and no one could tell me what it was. I am a life long arachnaphob and just recently began to get the whole 'I am much bigger than it attitude' so I was leery but very interested in finding out more about this one.
Since no one could tell me a thing about the spider I kept watching (facinated by it's web making) and noticed it didn't do much so left it be. Boy did it get big! I never took another photograph but it got huge! The body alone on this one grew to an entire inch. I also located four more in my yard and one outside our spare bedroom window. They all got absolutely enormous!
I also have had the opportunity to watch one create and go into a cocoon for the winter and have posted a photo of the cocoon.