Black and Yellow Garden Spider (Argiope australis), female, Silvermine, Table Mountain National Park, South Africa

Description

The Black and Yellow Garden Spider (Argiope australis) is a common spider found in in the fynbos and is a member of the orb-web group of spiders. The larger female has a yellow and black scalloped abdomen. These spiders are harmless to man. They construct large wheel-like webs (orbs). As a diurnal species they continually repair their webs, using them for a number of days. The webs, mainly stretched across bushes, are normally built within one metre of the ground. The webs occupy the aerial passage amongst vegetation in the path of flying insects. The spider sits on the web waiting for prey to get trapped.