ARACHNIDA > ARANEAE > Araneidae > Argiope

The previous two accounts for this family each dealt with specific genera, and this page is no different except that this particular genus only includes a single species, the rather splendid Wasp Spider, Argiope bruennichi.

This very impressive and distinctive spider was on my target list of species that I wanted to see even before I started giving proper attention to spiders. It's a relatively common, albeit regional, species that can be found during the warmer summer months in areas of unmanaged rough grassland such as that at Hartland Moor, which is a known Dorset location for the species and the place where I excitedly found my first one. I'm pleased to say that I've seen a few more since then.

Seeing though is one thing, but trying to get a photo can be tricky at times as their webs are spun very low in vegetation, often just off the ground, so you need to be a bit of a contortionist especially if you're trying to lay down amongst heather or dwarf gorse. The black, yellow and white transverse banded females construct large orb webs where they will patiently sit waiting for prey, which is more often or not an unsuspecting grasshopper. A few of the webs I've seen include a zigzag band of silk (can just be seen in photos 3-5) that, to me, looks as though it acts as a tensioning mechanism of some sort. I believe it's a peculiarity of Argiope species, usually described as a decoration rather than a functional addition. It may have different uses, but given that it's called the stabilimentum, suggests that its main function must be to do with stabilising the web.      

The females are large and conspicuous with a body size of around 11-15mm and you only have to look at them to see that they're called wasp spiders due to their appearance rather than any relationship to their prey as with the Pompilidae spider wasps (wasp spider v spider wasp, an important differentiation). The males are tiny by comparison, averaging just 4mm, with little resemblance to the females, being pale brown with some darker vague markings and no cross banding. I haven't seen one and understand that they don't live very long, probably no more than a few weeks, not helped by the fact that the females often eat them after mating. Females on the other hand may survive right through the summer and early autumn.

The final photo below is an egg-sac; a large, mottled-brown, pot-shaped structure that the female will construct somewhat higher off the ground than their web. This one was in a gorse bush on my local heath and was virtually at eye-height.

It's interesting to note that I've encountered Argiope bruennichi a few times on heathland and have found a couple of webs strung between heather rather than within areas of coarse grass. The preferred habitat for the species is listed as coastal chalk grassland, open rough grassland, wasteland and roadside verges with an emphasis that the general area needs to be unmanaged. The 'Spider Recording Scheme' provides good broad habitat data that shows very few observations associated with heathland, heather or gorse.

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Updated, Nov.23 (v.2)