Help Identify Spider

Hi all,
I came across this spider on my patio, while it was creating its web. It was spinning the web from a line that I imagine it had dropped from a tree overhead. The back side had light green and yellow flecks on it, and it appeared to have a white-ish colored back side and brown legs. At first, I thought it might be a type of crab or flower spider, but thought that might not be the case because it was spinning a web, and had trapped a moth in the web? I'm in South Florida, and the spider is spinning the web above a jasmine bush which borders my butterfly garden. Thank you!

Additional Pictures

Is it an Argiope?
http://www.nps.gov/long/naturescience/insects.htm
Scroll down, 6th photo down. It's hard to tell from yours, I can only see body shape :)

Can you put a piece of paper behind it and take another pic? It really is almost impossibly to tell from those what it is.

I don't think its an Argiope... it was white, with tan legs and the body had light green and yellow markings on the white. If I wasn't scared of it, I'd get closer.. no way would I put paper by it! :)

Well, it is an orb weaver, so not likely to jump on you. But I can understand, some people just have an aversion from getting that close to a spider, especially a big one.

Around here we have common orb weavers - large brown with some body markings- they weave in the evening and hide during the day.
You mgiht try shining a flashlight on the spider for a photo, it is hard to get them lit well in the night shot..

Mine are these
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1215346/

This message was edited Aug 23, 2011 11:18 AM

Sallyg it may be similar to the one you posted. It shifted a touch with its web tonight, which was completely gone this morning so I am guessing it is an orb weaver. Just to confirm, I'm posting 2 more images I took this evening.. 1 is from the side (angle of its new web) and the next is from the underside of its body.

Here's the other shot

Definitely an Orb Weaver. It bears a resemblance to Sally's spider, perhaps, a lighter phase? I'm fairly certain it's one of the Spotted Orbs.

You did reduce some glare with your new pics, but you are way too far away for a proper identification. Try to take a picture with the spider taking up as much of the frame as your camera (and the spider) will allow. There is nothing to fear from this spider. That being said, it likely belongs to the genus Neoscona or Araneus. Further ID can be hard even with a close-up picture, and with some individuals, it is difficult even with specimens in hand.