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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). |
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| 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. |
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| The female is the web spinner, although the male yellow garden spider spins a simple web (and doesn't have the remarkable colors). |
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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. |