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Argiope trifasciata
These spiders are very common around Midwestern farmland. This particular photo was taken on a farm in eastern Indiana. She spun her web in tall weeds near a grassy open area.
They spin their webs anywhere there are tall grasses and weeds.
As a kid I handled these spiders many times, letting them crawl around on my hands. I was never bitten. It's not common that these spiders will bite a human unless it is a female with an egg cocoon in the web (ref. http://ento.psu.edu/extension/factsheets...).
Thanks for your help with identifying this spider, Scott! It is definitely of the Argiope genus, but I think this one appears to be of the species trifasciata. The body on this one is not as bulbous and the black marking is not as pronounced as the aurantia.
Spotted on Sep 28, 2008
Submitted on Jul 11, 2011
