Stats

Lifespan: 1-2 yrs
Size: Large
Diet: Insectivore
Activity: Diurnal
Social: Solitary
Biome: Tropical rainforest
Range: Australia and Southeast Asia
Movement: Climbing
Breeding: Egg-laying
Defense: Camouflage
Status: Uncommon

About

A large orb-weaver spider that holds its eight legs in two pairs to form a bold X-shape — the cross of Saint Andrew — while resting at the centre of its web. Females can reach 24 mm in body length and display striking yellow, black, and silver banding on the abdomen.

Life cycle

1.
egg sac
A silk-wrapped egg sac shelters a clutch of eggs until the young are ready to emerge.
2.
juvenile
A spiderling emerges from the egg sac already in miniature adult form and starts catching prey almost immediately.
3.
subadult
A near-adult arachnid molts through several instars, growing larger and developing mature markings.
4.
adult
Fully grown after its final molt.

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Taxonomy

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Family: Araneidae
Genus: Argiope
Species: Argiope aetherea