Hi I'm from Malta, a tiny island south from italy and we have found a very weird spider which is certainly not part of the maltese ecological system since at Malta you don't normally find spiders of this size. It is approximately 3cm long and it is brown as you can see in the pics. It doesn't seem to be dangerous as it only stays on its web waiting for insects to get trapped. In fact it rarely leaves its web. However I really want to know if it can pose any danger. Thanks for your help :)
It looks like a spider of the genus Argiope, and the Lobed Argiope (Argiope lobata) is certainly a part of the ecological system in Malta. A dorsal view is needed for most spider identifications, but you can view the Lobed Argiope here for comparison:
http://www.mepa.org.mt/argiope
http://www.flickr.com/photos/krispit/989600796/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jinxsi/5330188887/
I thought it wasn't since I have never seen a spider like this in Malta. Thanks a lot for your help!!
