Yellow Garden Spider
Argiope aurantia
Oct. 23, 2016
 


  I've come to expect seeing various butterflies, moths, caterpillars, bees, wasps, and birds at the Snetsinger Butterfly Garden (in State College, PA), but it was quite a surprise coming across a large spider (about the size of the first joint of a person's finger).
 
Yellow garden spider: top
 
  The spider is a yellow garden spider (Argiope aurantia), also known as a black and yellow garden spider or a golden garden spider. Whatever the name, she is quite striking.
 
Argiope aurantia: side
 
  The female is the web spinner, although the male yellow garden spider spins a simple web (and doesn't have the remarkable colors).
 
Yellow garden spider: tum
 
  The yellow garden spider remained in the same location for about ten days - before, I suppose, trying her luck in a different part of the butterfly garden.

Photo note: I used the Pentax K3, with the SMC-A* 200mm macro lens, during the first half of October 2016, for these photos taken at the Snetsinger Butterfly Garden, State College, Pennsylvania.



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