Arachnid
Common Garden Orbweb Spider
Argiope australisAlso known as African Garden Orb Spider, Southern Yellow Garden Spider
Common garden orbweb spiders weave large wheel-shaped webs adorned with bright white silk zigzags known as stabilimenta. Females rest head-down at the web center with their legs aligned in pairs, forming a striking X-shape against their yellow and black patterned bodies. These conspicuous weavers capture flying insects across sunlit garden glades and sub-Saharan shrublands.
Web-builderDiurnalPatterned
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Diet & preyFlies, Bees, Grasshoppers
Predators
- Birds
- Lizards
- Spider-hunting wasps
ThreatsPesticide spraying, habitat destruction, and direct clearing of webs
HabitatsGardens, savannah, woodlands, coastal thickets, and suburban shrublands
Life span1–2 years
Classification
- OrderAraneae
- FamilyAraneidae
- GenusArgiope
- SpeciesArgiope australis
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskVery high
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is very high
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Observation: Look for large circular webs strung between shrubs in sunny garden spots.
- Web etiquette: Avoid disturbing the web or the distinctive silk zigzag at the center.
- Coexistence: Allow these harmless spiders to persist in gardens as natural pest control.
Ecological Neighbor Peter Webb / CC BY 4.0 · cc-by
Image unavailablePredator Close Relative 
Close Relative (c) David Sandler, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by David Sandler · cc-by
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