Argiope aetherea

Argiope aetherea is a common, large orb-web spider (family Araneidae). Like other species of Argiope, it is commonly known as the St Andrew's Cross spider, due to the characteristic cross-shaped web decorations female spiders often include in their webs. A. aetherea is similar in appearance to A. keyserlingi, however female A. aetherea are generally larger than A. keyserlingi.[2] Like most orb-web spiders, A. aetherea shows considerable sexual size dimorphism, with females being many times larger than males.

Argiope aetherea
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Araneomorphae
Family: Araneidae
Genus: Argiope
Species:
A. aetherea
Binomial name
Argiope aetherea
Synonyms[1]
  • Epeira aetherea Walckenaer, 1841
  • Argiope regalis L. Koch, 1871
  • Argiope variabilis Bradley, 1876
  • Argiope lunata Bradley, 1876
  • Argiope brownii O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1877
  • Argiope verecunda Thorell, 1878
  • Argiope aetherea (Walckenaer, 1841)
  • Argiope friedericii Strand, 1911
  • Argiope wolfi Strand, 1911
  • Argiope maerens Kulczyński, 1911
  • Argiope udjirica Strand, 1911
  • Argiope wogeonicola Strand, 1913
  • Gea rotunda Hogg, 1915
  • Argiope novae-pommeraniae Strand, 1915

Distribution

Argiope aetherea is found from China to Australia.[1]

Subspecies

There exists a subspecies from New Guinea:

  • Argiope aetherea annulipes Thorell, 1881
  • Argiope aetherea with cross shaped web decoration
  • Argiope aetherea (female, ventral)
  • Female, dorsal
  • Same spider, ventral
  • Argiope aetherea

References
  1. "Taxon details Argiope aetherea (Walckenaer, 1841)", World Spider Catalog, Natural History Museum Bern, retrieved 2016-05-07
  2. Levi H. W. (1983). "The Orb-Weaver Genera Argiope, Gea, and Neogea from the Western Pacific Region (Araneae: Araneidae, Argiopinae)" (PDF). MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY. Harvard University. Retrieved 2017-11-26.
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