This weekend a fellow photographer (Christy T.) pointed out some really interesting looking spiders while we were at Huntley Meadows Park in Alexandria, VA. They were very colorful and big (at least they seemed really big, especially when looking through a telephoto lens). I had walked by the area where they were located (and there were probably at least ten of them), but had not noticed them until she prompted me to look more closely.
The spider (Argiope aurantia) goes by many different names including Black and Yellow Argiope, Yellow Garden Orbweaver, Writing Spider, and Yellow Garden Spider, according to BugGuide. These spiders had large webs with a very distinctive zigzag pattern in the center, which I learned from Wikipedia is called a stabilimentum. (I’m still going through my shots from yesterday when I returned to visit the spiders and may post a shot showing the zigzag pattern in a later post). Nobody seems to know for sure why they make that zigzag pattern, perhaps for camouflage or to attract prey.
One of the other really cool things about this spider is that it oscillates the web really vigorously when it feels threatened. My fellow photographer demonstrated this when she touched a web with a tripod’s leg (she did not want to get any closer). It was amazing to see the elasticity of the web as the spider moved—it reminded me of a slingshot being pulled back.
These spiders seem to catch some pretty big prey. There were grasshoppers in some of the webs and in the photo below the spider has captured a cicada. The Wikipedia article notes that the spider kills the prey by injecting its venom and then wraps it in a cocoon of silk for later consumption (typically 1–4 hours later). I think the spider in the photo may be in the process of wrapping up the cicada.
I continue to be amazed by the fascinating things that are in front of me that I have never seen before. It’s clear to me that my photographic journey is causing me to see the world differently, more attentively. That’s a good thing.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Either that is a really big spider, or a small cicada. Either way, still impressive.
Sources on the internet say the female yellow garden orbweaver can be up to 3 inches long from leg tip to leg tip. That’s pretty big for a spider.
I’ve recently been taking photos of these too. I read that the zig zag part of the web is made by the male, but I’m not sure how accurate that information is. If you can stand reading any more about spiders, here is the website that says that: http://www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/black_and_yellow_argiope.htm
If I understand it right, there may be two zigzag parts of an orbweaver web. The center one is made by the female and at the outer edge there may be another one made by the male, who is a whole lot smaller than the female. I was going over some shots and saw a small spider on the periphery and wondered what he was doing there. I’ll have to look to see if there is a zigzag part near him.
I LOVE spider photos… they are very interesting- usually very detailed colouring and their webs are so lovely! This is a great shot.
I’m not sure it qualifies as a “great shot,” but thanks for the compliment. Certainly it is an interesting one, though. I went back to see those spiders and have some more shots that I hope to post later.