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Banded garden spider (Argiope trifasciata, Forskål) hatchlings, Justin, Texas Report and Photographs Courtesy of Stephen M., 28 July 2007 Editor's Notes by Jerry Cates
Stephen Wrote: Jerry---I went out today to get photos of the underside of the banded garden spider, but she was not out where I could see her. I did get several pictures of her babies and attached one for you. While there I noticed, about 20 feet away in a tree, a huge yellow garden spider. You already have several others posted of this species, but I got great shots of the underside and frontal and direct for the eyes. If you wish, I'll send them on. I am looking for other types to send you as well---Steve [Editor's Note: Justin, Texas, is between Fort Worth and Denton, just west of Interstate 35W]
Editor's Notes: The basic background coloration of the abdomen of mature banded garden spiders (Argiope trifasciata) is yellow, though that color is masked by the lateral silver and black marks that cover the abdomens of mature specimens. In the juvenile the yellow background is uncluttered by those marks and thus predominates. These hatchlings have lighter-colored carapaces and sternums, blackened faces and spinnerets, and some have a black stripe that extends upward from the spinnerets onto a portion of the dorsal abdomen.
The hatchling shown above has small, unremarkable pedipalps, but in this stage of development that does not indicate the spider's sex. As the spiderling matures, the pedipalps of the male will enlarge, while those of the female will remain much the same as in the hatchling. Note the black margin of the sternum, and the posterior black mark on the tail
In the hatchling the carapace is covered with coarse silvery hairs, and the abdomen sports a dense covering of short silvery hairs. In some of these hatchlings the legs are unmarked, while in others the tips are darkened.
Note that in the chelicerae, or mouthparts, are pale, colored much like the pale coloration of the carapace, while the eyes and surrounding areas are black.
Many thanks to Stephen for these excellent photos!!! ---------------------------------------------- Please contact us about your personal experiences, if you have been bitten by a brown recluse, black widow, or any other spider, including jumping spiders and garden spiders (the bites of which typically produce a transitory inflammation, but resolve within a few days without medical attention), whether recently or in the past thirty years, anywhere in the world. For example, the bite of a species of garden spider, the golden orb spider of Australia [Nephila edulis] typically is unremarkable, but on occasion produces medically significant secondary infections; the frequency and nature of bites experienced from that species of spider is also a part of this study. One object of this study is to collect data that might relate to a mysterious series of spider-related infections, involving a special pathogen, that took place in the United States and in Australia between 1977 and 2006. Although only fifteen such infections were reported to medical establishments, seven appear to be associated with spider bites. Some authorities suggest that the number of actual infections of this type that occurred in the U.S. and Australia during the past thirty years is much larger, but that they have been underreported. Underreporting of specific kinds of infections can occur, either because the persons infected chose not to seek medical assistance, or the medical establishments misdiagnosed the infections as being caused by other infectious agents. We are seeking to establish an estimate of the number of human spider bites that occur each year by these and similar spiders, whether the bite resulted in injury to the human or not. Next, we hope to establish the number of instances where the bite (1) became inflamed and/or infected, then resolved without medical intervention, or (2) infected, ulcerated, or led to a generalized sickness, and required medical intervention. ---------------------------------------------- Back to: Texas Spiders Back to: Bugsinthenews |
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