Signature Spider (subadult)
Argiope luzona
15.456, 119.92
Field Notes
Description:
This Signature Spider (Argiope luzona) is a subadult and its gender is undetermined. I cannot tell if this is male or female because the palps are not visible in my photo and the cephalothorax is not yet fully developed. If I could see the palps and they were enlarged, that would indicate that this is a male. At the time of this picture, the spider looks like it could be a female, but after its next moult, the cephalothorax might become bigger, in relation to the abdomen and that would confirm this to be a male.
Habitat:
This Signature Spider was spotted in the front yard of the rice mill, on its web attached to the leaf of a Blushing Philodendron (Philodendron erubescens). This is a climbing plant which has grown around the trunk of a Mango Tree, from the ground all the way up to the canopy. This Mango Tree and its climbing plant have been a great attraction for Argiope luzona spiders for many years. There are almost always one or two of these spiders living there. The juveniles tend to make their webs on the upper surfaces of the leaves and the adults always suspend their webs between the stems of the leaves.
Notes:
This young Signature Spider has created a web decoration which is known as a "Discoid Stabilimentum".
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