Banded Garden Spider
Scientific Name: Argiope trifasciata
Order & Family: Araneae / Araneidae
Size: Females: 15-25 mm; Males: 4-5 mm

Natural Habitat
Sun-drenched fields, tall grass, gardens, and meadows across North and South America
Diet & Feeding
Carnivorous; feeds on flying insects such as grasshoppers, flies, moths, and wasps caught in its web
Behavior Patterns
Diurnal web-builders that create large orb webs with a distinctive zigzag silk pattern called a stabilimentum. They sit head-down in the center of the web waiting for prey.
Risks & Benefits
Benefits the ecosystem by controlling pest populations. Generally harmless to humans; they are non-aggressive and their venom is not medically significant, though a bite may cause mild swelling.
Identified on: 6/6/2026