Came across this scary beast in the garden.

[Cabinetman]

Measures about 2” leg to leg and it can give a sting like a bee. Not going to get that close, not too keen on Spiders tbh, especially ones like this!
Argiope Aurantia. The zigzag white stuff is special silk that it weaves to deter birds from wrecking its web.

 

[duke]

Wow, something you might find in a rain forest. Isn't nature beautiful.

 

[Accipiter]

Mmmm... nice find in your garden Ian - a friend more than a foe according to most of the information on Argiope Aurantia. I looked it up - so thanks for sharing the photos and naming it . Quite widespread from Southern Canada down to Costa Rica it seems.

 

[Phil]

Nice find, take care of it, deals with flies and mozzies.

 

[Lons]

My wife would completely freak out if she saw that, it's bad enough with the harmless ones we get here in Northumberland.
Not good for her at the minute as it's large spider time and daddy long legs (crane flies) which she sees as spiders with wings.

 

[Cabinetman]

Yes, after reading up on it I decided I wasn’t going to move it to the woods next door, I’m prime eating for mozzies so it can stay and eat as much as it wants.

 

[Accipiter]

Following on... this came up in my notifications (copied and pasted part of here):
A fully grown female wasp spider (Argiope bruennichi) has been officially spotted in Cheshire, Northern England for the first time. Stumbled upon by conservationists from Chester Zoo in a rewilded field, this striking arachnid is making headlines as a clear indicator of how global heating is reshaping regional ecosystems. [1]
















Why It’s a Big Deal: A "Climate Refugee"
The wasp spider is native to mainland Europe, North Africa, and parts of Asia. It first arrived on the southern coast of England in the 1920s but has traditionally been restricted to the warmer south.

Because these spiders require at least three months of warm summer weather and mild winters to successfully breed, scientists from organizations like the Cheshire Wildlife Trust view this northern migration as a textbook example of "climate refugees". As temperatures rise, the species is pushing more than 100 miles past its historic territory to find comfortable habitats...

 

[Cabinetman]

Looks potentially dangerous but does it sting?
Interesting that in the middle pic it’s woven a zigzag to deter birds exactly the same as my one in the US, probably a member of the same online community lol.

 

[Accipiter]

That's what brought me to post to your thread Ian. Seems identical... even the zigzag to the web was mentioned. Only difference was the second name given in the scientific name - bruennichi - and not aurantia. And being found in Cheshire. Didn't want to post the full text but it was an article taken from The Guardian newspaper (link in Google but didn't copy across).

 

[Cabinetman]

That's what brought me to post to your thread Ian. Seems identical... even the zigzag to the web was mentioned. Only difference was the second name given in the scientific name - bruennichi - and not aurantia. And being found in Cheshire. Didn't want to post the full text but it was an article taken from The Guardian newspaper (link in Google but didn't copy across).

Thanks, that’s interesting I shall have to dig and see what the connection could be.
Ian

 

[Accipiter]

Thanks, that’s interesting I shall have to dig and see what the connection could be.
Ian

Ian, did a Google AI and it came up with this... and it would seem there are members of the Argiope genus (question from Google at the end):

AI Overview
Argiope aurantia and Argiope bruennichi are closely related "cousin" species belonging to the same genus, Argiope. They are large, striking, and beneficial orb-weaver spiders known for their vivid coloring, extreme sexual dimorphism, and distinct web structures. [1, 2, 3]
The key similarities and differences between the two species can be directly compared below:

Feature	Argiope aurantia	Argiope bruennichi
Common Names	Black and yellow garden spider, Writing spider, Zipper spider	Wasp spider
Native Range	North America (widespread across the US, southern Canada, and Central America)	Europe, North Africa, and parts of Asia
Abdomen Appearance	Broad and egg-shaped; mostly black with bold, irregular yellow patches	Elongated; covered in transverse, parallel yellow, black, and white stripes resembling a wasp
Web Decoration	Spins a thick, prominent vertical zigzag pattern (stabilimentum) down the center	Spins a similar vertical zigzag band, but usually builds its web much lower to the ground in long grass
Mating Behavior	Males experience spontaneous programmed death immediately upon inserting their second mating organ	Males are frequently cannibalized by the female (up to 80% of the time) if they do not escape quickly

Shared Biological Traits

• • The "Writing" Web: Both species construct a heavy, visible silk decoration in their webs called a stabilimentum. Biologists believe this serves to make the spider look larger to predators, prevents birds from accidentally flying through and destroying the web, or acts as a UV-reflecting sensory trap to lure insect prey. [1, 2, 3, 4]
  • Extreme Size Differences: In both species, the females are massive (often reaching a body length of 20–30mm), while the males are tiny, drab brown, and dwarfed by their mates. [1, 2, 3]
  • Harmless to Humans: While their size can be intimidating, neither spider is aggressive. On the rare occasion they do bite, their venom is medically insignificant to humans, causing mild localized pain comparable to a bee or wasp sting. [1, 2, 3]

Would you like to know more about how web decorations differ across other members of the Argiope genus, or are you looking to identify a specific spider you recently found? [1]