I have a couple of photos of a female Argiope spider and I have a couple of names for this species but to be sure which one it is I need to hear what you true arachnid knowledge individuals think/know it is.
The body is 2cm long, maybe 2½. My brother has seen a couple of this one in the same mile size area before but never this big a specimen.
They are found south of Alicante, close to mountain area, in very arid areas among cacti plants and scorching sun.
Thankful for any help.
This appears to be a banded argiope, Argiope trifasciata - see http://tinyurl.com/ybsgno9 for details. Another similar species, Argiope bruennichi (see http://tinyurl.com/ybnubqa) also can be found in that area.
That is a striking spider....I really like the Argiopes.
Thank you so much suunto.
You have confirmed what I thought it to be and what others in an arachnid forum have also now told me, Argiope trifasciata. I was not sure as wiki says it does not exist in Europe, but wiki is wrong as it sometimes is.
Great Iberian site you gave me too. It's now part of my bookmarks.
I'm not sure what kind of writing spider this is, but from posts it is a common one. My spider is black and yellow and makes a verticle zig-zag line in its web. It's pretty and I never bother it. This is the second one I've spotted in my garden close the the house. My question is this: my cat seems to have developed an unusual fascination with a writing spider who is residing by my deck. She never messes with it, only passes by going through the deck railing, never disturbing the spider. Do I need to worry? This spider is getting huge! It's been around for about 4 weeks now! Suzanne
Suzanne, your spider could be Argiope aurantia, a very common and widespread species that goes by a variety of common names - see http://tinyurl.com/nx7o67 for details. It will not harm your cat.
