Garden Spider Shown Wrapping Insect With Web Stock Image

The spider species Argiope aurantia is commonly known as the yellow garden spider, black and yellow garden spider, golden garden spider, writing spider, zigzag spider, hay spider, corn spider, or McKinley spider. It has distinctive yellow and black markings on the abdomen and a mostly white cephalothorax. Its scientific Latin name translates to `gilded silver-face` the genus name Argiope meaning `silver-face`, while the specific epithet aurantia means `gilded`. Males range from 5–9 mm 0.20–0.35 in; females range from 19–28 mm 0.75–1.10 in. These spiders may bite if disturbed or harassed, but the venom is harmless to non-allergic humans, roughly equivalent to a bumblebee sting in intensity. A female abdomen will be black with patches of bright yellow, whereas males have patches of pale yellow coloration.