Banded Garden Spider

Scientific Name: Argiope trifasciata

Order & Family: Araneae / Araneidae

Size: Females: 15-25 mm; Males: 4-5 mm

Banded Garden Spider

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