Argiope trifasciata
Females and Males
I was sitting in my car on Antelope Island when I
saw something long and silver shining in the
middle of some bushes. It looked metallic, so I
had to go see what it was. It was this female
glowing in hot noon sun. Notice she's missing
a couple of legs. © Carol Davis 7-26-2020
As I walked toward the bush I accidentally flushed out a grasshopper
that made a beeline toward the female's web and the spider moved so
quickly, I thought she was frightened by me. Instead, she caught
the grasshopper mid-flight and lightly wrapped it and was back
in the center of her web within a few seconds. I'd never seen one
move that fast. Immediately the males started to move in
but they didn't get really close until she went back for
her prey. © Carol Davis 7-26-2020
The top male definitely had the advantage and pushed
the other male away any time it came close. When I
left, the dominant male had actually moved in on the
food for a little snack. He hadn't approached her for
mating prior to my departure. ©Carol Davis 7-26-2020
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