Skip to main content
Close

Cross Spider

Argiope sp

Photo by HemaShah
Published on Project Noah
Zoom
NominateNominate for Wildlife Photograph of the Month
reportFlag Spotting

-18.6885, 130.329

Field Notes

Description:

Seen in Sydney Australia.Toranga Zoo.

Species ID Suggestions

St. Andrews Cross Spider

Argiope keyserlingi

Comments (12)

Thanks for your valuable feedback Martin. i think that makes a lot of sense. Puzzle solved.
I would not be surprised if the light produces untrue colors because the background is red and the colors are in the shade. This looks like keyserlingi to me. If you agree that visual identification is impossible then Argiope nr. (near) keyserlingi or Argiope poss. keyserlingi is a form of designation that I have sometimes used (for species complexes in some beetles) but it seems cumbersome to me.
Go for it. I don't know if they have any spider experts over there, but it couldn't hurt.
Thomas, maybe I should send this over to the Toranga zoo?
Argiope sp. (note the zigzag silk construction that distinguishes it from Gea sp.), but not necessarily a. keyserlingi. Some features that distinguish species of Argiopinae are only observable with a microscope. It could just as easily be a. picta or (not as likely) a new species entirely- some Argiope species were described as recently as the 1980s. See http://ednieuw.home.xs4all.nl/australian/araneidae/araneidae.html and http://www.arachne.org.au/01_cms/details.asp?ID=2383
Thnx Jellis and Mark. have decided to go with St Andrews Cross Spider. Light could be a factor.
http://www.spiderzrule.com/banded.htm
Mark ,as you scroll thru this link,the blue thorax seems to be a reality. The colors ,blue and green and yellow and black are found on the abdomens but not all the colors on the same spider. A color here and there.
I must admit the timber seems a natural color.. maybe flash or background lighting?
I have seen hundreds of these Hema and never any with blues or greens. Are you confident the colors are true? :)
Please consider adding this spotting to the Animal Architecture mission at http://www.projectnoah.org/missions/8082378
Photographed
PublishedDecember 25, 2015

Accelerate our Mission to Photograph 
Every Species in the World!

Image
Butterflies icon

Wildlife Community

Wildlife Community

Join a worldwide community passionate about wildlife and nature!

Join Project Noah

Nature School

Nature School

Transform your green space into a curiosity-creating nature classroom!

Visit Nature School

Wildlife Game

Wildlife Game

Defend wildlife throughout the jungle in thrilling nature game!

Play Baboon