Yellow garden spider (Argiope aurantia) adult female

Report and Photographs Courtesy of Maxine DM, Tyler, Texas, 15 July 2007

Maxine Wrote:

Jerry--I found this in my backyard this morning. It has made its home between two dead mimosa trees. I don’t know what type of spider it is, and I really don’t think I’ve seen one before.

Editor's Notes: Maxine is a good photographer, and evidently has a good camera to boot. Of course, the yellow garden spider (Argiope aurantia) is also quite photogenic.  We should expect to see this species in great numbers this year, owing to all the rainfall we've had. That rainfall has set the stage for large numbers of flying insects, like crickets and grasshoppers, to emerge during the summer and early fall months.  They will then feed these spiders in such bounty that they will likely become quite large.