Subject: Black and Yellow Argiope female, Argiope aurantia

Location: Upshur County, West Virginia

Stock Number: 5185

Comment: The prey is a dragonfly, the Common Pondhawk, Erythemis simplicicollis.

The Black and Yellow Argiope may or may not be one of the very most common spiders in the United States and Canada, but they are certainly among the most-noticed, given their large size, bright colors, and striking zig-zag pattern in the web.

Their distribution in North America is wide, and they may be found in almost any months where the insects they prey upon are active.