Argiope spider: is the striped beauty dangerous?

The wasp spider is named so not only because of its black and yellow stripes. His waist is just as small and he can fly! Not on the wings, of course, on the threads of the web, which are picked up by the wind.

A little information:
The official name of the wasp spider is Argiope Bruennichi:
Argiope is a nymph from ancient Greek myths (250 years ago it was fashionable to name insects after mythological heroes);
Brünnich is the name of a Danish zoologist who published a major book on insectology in the late 1700s (full name: Morten Trane Brünnich).

Bitten by a spider - what to do before the ambulance arrives

These representatives of the order of arthropods can attack adults and children, both in the house and in open areas.
The bites of many spiders will not cause any significant harm to a person - slight redness on the skin will disappear within a day. But after an attack by a karakurt or hermit, a severe allergic reaction, swelling of the larynx and respiratory arrest can develop. It depends on the type of arthropod what to do if bitten by a spider, what first aid to provide to a person.

Even if there are no symptoms, the victim should be quickly taken to the nearest hospital facility.

Spiders attack humans not only in open areas, but also in residential areas

The effect of poison on the human body

The damage caused to human health depends on the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the poison released by spiders during bites. The larger the specimen, the greater the danger it poses to humans.

Small arthropods are often simply not able to bite through the skin or produce the amount of poison that can harm an adult or baby. But such a statement is true only for representatives of one species. Tarantulas are larger than karakurts, but their bites do not cause significant harm to humans.

But after an attack by a recluse spider, a fatal outcome is quite possible. Depending on the effect of toxic compounds, scientists distinguish two types of poison:

neurotoxic, affecting the central and peripheral nervous system;
hemolytic, destroying red blood cells after penetration into the bloodstream.

Karakurt and brown recluse spiders are the most dangerous arthropod species living in our country. And tourists and experienced travelers can become victims of attacks by other arthropods in any corner of the planet.

Symptoms

The bites of many, even extremely dangerous spiders, are completely painless. A person mistakes a slight swelling or redness on the skin for a scratch and does not take any action.

And the symptoms of general intoxication of the body that developed within a few hours are very similar to the signs of any bacterial or viral infection.

Such a clinical picture of jointed bites can mislead not only the victim, but also diagnosticians.

: Almost all spiders are predators. Having lured the victim with a shiny web, they injected it with a paralyzing poison. And when attacking a person, spiders use this method only to protect their own life.

There are several indirect signs that help a person distinguish a scratch or small wound from a spider bite. After an arthropod attack, the following symptoms occur:

the bite area gradually swells, and in some cases a pink or red erythema similar to a thin ring forms;
after a few minutes or hours, pain occurs in the limbs, tremors or convulsions may occur;
swelling of various localizations develops: at the site of the bite, the upper half of the body or the face;
heart rate increases, lack of air is felt;
Blood pressure may rise and then drop to life-threatening levels.

If the victim is predisposed to developing allergic reactions, then large or small red spots form on the skin. They are very itchy and quickly spread throughout the body. Such symptoms of a spider bite can vary significantly depending on the species of the spider.

After a spider bite, the skin turns red and begins to swell quickly

Recluse spider bite

Despite the fact that this type of arthropod is not large in size, its bite is deadly even for a strong, healthy man. The recluse spider pierces the skin in such a way that a person does not experience the slightest discomfort. The poison enters the systemic bloodstream and gradually spreads throughout the body. What does a spider bite look like:

the bite site swells;
the size of the swelling rapidly increases;
large ulcers form.

If this area of skin is not treated with antiseptic agents, then after a while the soft tissues begin to ulcerate and die. The clinical picture of intoxication is similar to signs of a respiratory infection:

aches in bones and joints;
rise in temperature;
decreased functional activity of the cardiovascular system.

The victim's urinary organs are disrupted and their metabolism slows down significantly. The heart rate decreases and difficulty breathing occurs. If a person is not given medical assistance at this stage of intoxication, he may die.

Is a bite dangerous to human health?

Argiope brunnich is not capable of causing serious harm to a person, much less killing. In general, this spider is not aggressive, and therefore will not just attack a person. It’s another matter if you disturb it, for example, by picking it up.

In such a situation, the animal will perceive you as a threat and will try to defend itself. As a result of a bite, a slight swelling in the form of mild edema may form on the body, and mild pain, itching, and tingling may also be observed.

Important! The bite site should be cauterized as quickly as possible using a match. As a result of a thermal attack, the poison is destroyed and loses its properties. Also, the bite site should be treated with an antibacterial substance and, if possible, take an antiallergic drug.

Karakurt spider - Latrodectus tredecimguttatus

photo of karakurt
This is not a big black spider at all. The body of the female (10-20 mm) is completely black, which is why she is also called a black widow, the body of the male (4-7 mm) is also black, but with bright red spots on the abdomen (usually 13 spots). The karakurt spider lives in Central Asia, Iran, Afghanistan, on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, North Africa, Southern Europe, Kazakhstan, southern Russia and Ukraine. They prefer the slopes of ravines, virgin wormwood, wastelands, and the banks of irrigation ditches. Karakurts inhabit abandoned rodent burrows and ventilation systems, entwining the entrance with cobwebs. In such dens, females and males mate at the end of summer. The female lays her eggs in a cocoon of cobwebs and hangs it in her den. In spring, spiderlings emerge from cocoons. Karakurts feed on small insects. Their venom is toxic to large animals and people. There is a burning sensation and swelling at the site of the bite. After 10-15 minutes, the poison spreads throughout the body and the person experiences pain in the chest and abdominal area. Dizziness, nausea, sweating, rapid heartbeat, and delirium also occur. And if medical assistance is not provided in time, death is possible (in most cases). Karakurt bites through the skin only 0.5 mm, so it is recommended to cauterize the bite site with a lit match within 2 minutes after the bite.

Pets

Decorative spiders in most cases have a unique color and huge size. Tarantulas have become human pets. They are considered the largest representatives of arachnids. 1500 species are known. The most exotic ones live in tropical countries. Collectors buy them for impressive sums. Hand spiders live in artificial conditions for up to 3 years. Poisonous. Therefore, it is not recommended for people prone to allergies to keep them.

Interesting!
The huge spider naturally weaves a web up to 2 m in diameter. The web is so strong that birds easily get tangled in it. Predators eat insects, beetles, amphibians, birds, and rodents. At home, they are fed insects and kept in large aquariums or terrariums.

Wolf spiders – Lycosidae

Photo of a wolf spider

Wolf spiders are a family of araneomorph spiders that number 2,367 species. The body color is usually gray-brown. The body is covered with small short hairs. Some species reach more than 3 cm (leg span). The wolf spider lives almost everywhere except Antarctica. He prefers damp forests, meadows, hiding under fallen leaves, stones, and wood. They don't weave webs. These are earth spiders, so they live in a hole, which is only covered with cobwebs inside. If this is the private sector, you can easily stumble upon it in the basement. If there is a vegetable garden nearby, he can easily get into your cellar. Active at night. The wolf spider hunts insects or catches those who run near its burrow. This spider is a good jumper. He can jump on the victim, securing himself with a web. Mating occurs in the summer. After mating, the female lays eggs in a cocoon that she carries at the end of her abdomen. After 2-3 weeks, the spiderlings emerge from the cocoon and climb onto their mother’s abdomen. They sit like this until they learn to get their own food. The wolf spider is not dangerous to humans. Its bite is equivalent to a bee sting, which causes itching, swelling and redness, which goes away fairly quickly.

Invader Queens

This insect is unique among all other hornets in that it parasitizes the nests of its fellows:

At the end of the summer season, the female black hornet looks for a hive of some small species of hornet, fights her way into it and destroys the queen. As a rule, only a few succeed, since soldiers and workers fiercely and completely protect their womb and will never recognize a new womb while the old one is alive. Of course, the individual that was able to capture the nest contributes to the emergence of new black hornets, which more than compensate for the death of the males and females of this species.
Using special pheromones, the female black hornet, like a chameleon, disguises itself as representatives of another species. The workers determine by smell that this is their queen, whom they serve, and, as if nothing had happened, they continue their work of providing the nest with food and building material.
After this, the female begins to lay eggs, from which larvae soon hatch. Working individuals, suspecting nothing, feed them until they become adults and ready to reproduce.
Then swarming and mating occur. The males die, and the fertilized females fly away in search of new nests on which they can parasitize, or, if the cold season is ahead, they look for shelter for the winter.

Very rarely, black hornets build a hive and live together. This behavior is explained by the fact that in the area where they live, there is no one for them to parasitize, so the search for other people’s nests can end in failure and lead to their extinction.

Why is a bite dangerous?

Due to the fact that this insect is a parasite, its poison is stronger than that of its relatives, which are widespread in Russia. This is due to the fact that the female black hornet must kill her rival when capturing someone else’s hive.

Since her opponent belongs to the same family as she does, she is, accordingly, immune to the usual poison of representatives of related species. Therefore, to eliminate the enemy, nature awarded black hornets with additional toxins, allowing them to achieve their goals.

After being bitten by this insect, a person experiences the following symptoms:

sharp throbbing pain;
inflammation of the affected tissue at the site of the bite, accompanied by itching;
dyspnea;
cardiopalmus;
headache;
swelling of the mucous membranes;
allergic reaction to a bite;
Quincke's edema is possible;
very rarely, in 5-6 percent of recorded cases, the consequence of a bite is anaphylactic shock, which ends in death without medical attention.

First aid for a bite:

An ice compress on the affected area is required.
To prevent an allergic reaction, take an antihistamine, such as prednisolone or suprastin.

Go to the hospital immediately if you have a high temperature, swelling of the mucous membranes, dizziness or headache, remember that in about 5 cases out of a hundred, a bite can result in death without medical intervention.

Dossier on the wasp spider

The first question that arises when you see an unusual arthropod is what is the name of the spider with bright yellow stripes. It is the color that causes confusion - it is called both “wasp” and “zebra”, even “tiger”. Biologists have dubbed the striped spider Argiope.

Place in the spider family

The genus Argiope belongs to the family of orb-weaving spiders, with over 80 species. In our area, the most common species is Argiope Brünnich, a species named after a Danish nature explorer. Biological characteristics include several recognizable features.

Yellow-black-white color consisting of alternating stripes.
Obvious sexual dimorphism - “girls” are 4–5 times larger than males.
Predatory habits, the use of poison to paralyze victims.
A trapping radial web typical of orb weavers, set vertically or slightly at an angle.
Females eating males after mating.

What does it look like?

Female spiders are quite large - reaching a length of 2.5–3 cm, and taking into account the length of the limbs, even 4 cm. Their cephalothorax is “fluffy”, covered with thick short hairs of a silvery hue. The abdomen is slightly elongated and resembles a wasp in shape and coloring. The yellow-white background is lined with thin transverse lines of black - hence the impression of wide yellow stripes on the back. The paws are long, with dark bandages.

Males are small and inconspicuous, no more than 5–7 mm in size. The dorsal pattern consists of light yellow and dark stripes.

Where is it found?

The usual habitat of spiders with yellow stripes is the subtropical and steppe zone. It is due to the love of arachnids for warmth. But global climate changes have led to the spider wasp moving north and successfully adapting to the Moscow region, Volga region, and central regions of Russia.

Description and features

To describe the appearance of Argiope, we need a number of special “spider” terms.

1. First, let's introduce you to the concept of chelicerae. If translated from ancient Greek, you get two words - claw and horn. This is the first pair of limbs, or jaws, of arachnids and other arthropods. They are located in front of and above the mouth.

They usually look like claws and consist of several segments. At the tip of such claws there are ducts of poisonous glands. Now we can explain who araneomorphic spiders are - their chelicerae are located towards each other, and they fold together, sometimes overlapping one another. Such chelicerae are designed to attack large prey, sometimes larger than the hunter himself.

2. The second important term in the description of spiders is pedipalps. Translated from ancient Greek, we get two words again - leg and feel. This is the second pair of limbs, the pedicles, located on the cephalothorax (called the prosoma in chelicerates). They are located on the side of the chelicerae, and behind them there is a second pair of walking legs.

“Dismembered” into several segments, like phalanges. Adult male spiders use every last segment of the pedipalp at the moment of copulation with the female. They are transformed into a kind of sexual organ called the cymbium. It is used as a reservoir for sperm, as well as for directly introducing it into the female's genital openings.

3. And the last complex concept is stabilimentum (or stabiliment). This is a prominent thickening on the web. Usually made in the form of a zigzag weave of numerous threads at the center. There can be one, two, three or more such pronounced thickenings, depending on the type of spider.

It can be vertical in the form of a line, it can go in a circle, or it can be in the shape of a cross. Moreover, this cross is made in the form of the letter X. A very important thing for spiders, as you can see, since they constantly make it on their web. Its exact purpose has not yet been studied by people, despite numerous attempts.

Argiope weaves very strong webs that can trap medium-sized grasshoppers

Perhaps it attracts the attention of the victim, or, conversely, scares away enemies, or disguises a spider in its background. There are so many versions! The version about attracting victims is closest to the truth, especially since the purpose of the web itself is a trap

By the way, it is the stabilimentum that is best visible in ultraviolet rays, which many insects “see”.

Some spiders initially had a linear shape of the stabilimentum, but over time it became cruciform, which also speaks in favor of the version of luring prey. As they say, they do any “tuning” to achieve the desired goal.

Externally, spiders look like this:

The abdomen is entirely covered with transverse stripes of lemon and black color, with light gray stripes between them. Closer to the cephalothorax, the color completely becomes pearl gray or brown. The prosoma itself is entirely covered with a velvety-silver undercoat.

The head is black and there are four pairs of eyes on it, different in size: 2 pairs of small eyes at the bottom, 1 medium pair of large eyes looking straight ahead and 1 pair of eyes, medium in size, on the sides of the head. It also has eight paws, arranged in pairs, the first and second being the longest. The third is the shortest, and the fourth is average.

Due to its bright coloring, Argiope is called the wasp spider or tiger spider.

The size of Argiope is not the largest among spiders, but nevertheless noticeable. The females are large, body length up to 3 cm. And with the length of the legs they reach 5-6 cm. The chelicerae are small. The shape of the body is closer to an oval, the length is twice the width. There are spider warts on the abdomen. These are the organs that form the arachnoid web. This was a female Argiope that was described.

“Men” are several times smaller than “ladies”; they grow up to 0.5 cm. They look inconspicuous and, in the literal sense, gray - they are most often mouse-colored or black, without any stripes. The cephalothorax is usually without hairs, the chelicerae are even smaller than in females.

The family of orb-weaving spiders (Araneidae), which includes Argiopes, is characterized by the production of a large circular network - a catcher's web. The main radial threads are thicker; a thread running in a spiral is attached to them.

The space between us is filled with rosettes in a zigzag pattern. Argiope's web is vertical or at a slight angle to the vertical axis. This arrangement is not accidental; spiders are excellent catchers, and they know how difficult it is to get out of a vertical trap.

Spider Wasp: Lifestyle

This arachnid rarely lives more than 1 year. A distinctive feature of the species is its group lifestyle. Spiders can weave webs and hunt together. There are usually up to 20 individuals in a group. This lifestyle helps the argiope protect itself from natural enemies.

The arthropod belongs to the family of orb-weaving spiders, so it has a characteristic large wheel-shaped web. Argiope Brunnich is especially active in the evening. At the same time, the spider weaves its web. During the day it may hide in dense vegetation or bark. It should be noted that the wasp spider has a calm disposition. In addition, he is inactive at night.

Each group has a dominant female. Her place is most often taken by the strongest female. She determines the place of residence, the time of weaving webs and hunting, and is also responsible for the protection of offspring.

Wasp spider or Agryope Brünnich with prey, photo

Spider wasp or Agryope Brünnich on the hand, photo

Spider wasp or Agryope Brünnich on a leaf, photo

Reproduction

Females are ready to mate immediately after molting. At this point, the female's chelicerae (jaws) are soft, which gives the male a chance to survive. Males do not immediately mate with females. They stay close for some time, choosing the best partner. At the same time, females do not show aggression.

During mating, the female wraps a web around the male. For the proper development of the offspring, she needs a lot of protein. If the male fails to escape, the female eats him. Females rarely mate again. Males can mate with several females, but in most cases they become the prey of the first partner. Among those who observed the reproductive process in this species, no one has ever noted that a male individual managed to fertilize more than two females.

Females weave a large cocoon in which they lay about 400 eggs. One female can have several clutches. Such cocoons are always located close to the web. The female protects her offspring. At the end of summer or early autumn, young spiderlings emerge from the cocoon and leave the nest, flying through the air on their webs.

The full life cycle of a wasp spider is one year.

It happens that the female lays eggs only at the end of autumn. In this case, she does not live until spring, but dies. However, the eggs are most often guarded by other members of the group.

At the egg stage, the arachnid overwinters. Once born, the young are locked inside a cocoon. At this moment, strict natural selection occurs. Due to a serious lack of food, the offspring begin to eat each other. By the time the spiders have enough strength to destroy the cocoon, only the strongest individuals remain. Then they climb to higher ground and are carried by the wind. Later, the arachnids form groups and the cycle repeats.

Diet and hunting habits

Argiope Brünnich feeds on small insects and arachnids. Most often its prey is:

grasshoppers;
crickets;
locusts;
mosquitoes;
flies;
midges.

The arachnid's diet also includes small flying beetles. Unlike many other spiders, Argiope Brünnich does not hunt from ambush. The arthropod is located in the center of the web, waiting for prey. This behavior is justified by the fact that in the center of the web there are thick zigzag threads, such a thickened pattern is called “stabilimentum”. Many insects are guided by light during migration, so they are attracted to such webs.

Having entangled the victim in a web, the predator injects poison, which paralyzes and liquefies the tissues of the insect. After this, the wasp spider drinks the juices, leaving only the shell. As necessary, the argiope leaves its web and looks for a new place of residence. This often happens when a large number of insects are caught in the net, as they scare off future prey.

Natural enemies

The wasp spider or Agryope Brünnich, photo
Argiope Brünnich scares off many birds with its bright coloring. Spiders also never fight among themselves. The web and group lifestyle further protect the wasp spider from almost all predatory insects and arachnids.

The main threats to Argiope are frogs and lizards. They are often attacked by rodents. Sometimes the wasp spider gets into a fight with wasps or bees, to which it most often loses. In self-defense measures, an arthropod can swing its web to scare off a predator with its bright shine. In extreme cases, the arachnid simply breaks off the web and falls to the ground, quickly hiding in the grass.

Steps

Recognizing Poisonous Spiders

Determine if it's crawling on your arm.

When it comes to spider identification, the first thing to rule out is the brown recluse spider. It is the most dangerous spider in the United States and is most common in the Southeast and Midwest. A brown recluse bite can cause an infection, which may require medical attention. Here's how to tell if the spider you find is a brown recluse:

Do your research to find out the type of spider.

Memorize or write down the spider's appearance, and if you have time, look at the World Spider Catalog, the Online Journal of Arachnology, and other expert-compiled online sources to find the spider you're looking for and compare it with pictures of other species.

WikiHow also has useful articles about spiders. More information can be found in the articles “How to identify a garden spider”, “How to identify a barn spider”, “How to identify a redback spider”, “How to recognize a tarantula spider”.

Taking into account other basic factors

Make sure it's really a spider. Many people think that spiders are insects, but in fact this is not true at all. To make sure that the creature you meet is really a spider, you should pay attention to the following:

Two body segments. Unlike insects, which have three body segments, spiders have only two. Eight legs Do not confuse antennae and legs. Lack of wings. No spider has wings

No matter how much a creature resembles a spider, if it has wings, it is not a spider.

Spider (lat. Araneae) belongs to the phylum arthropod, class Arachnida, order Spiders. Their first representatives appeared on the planet approximately 400 million years ago.

Lifestyle

Representatives of this species prefer to live in small groups of 20 individuals each. They live in fields and meadows, in forest areas, as well as in other places with dense vegetation. At the same time, they choose open areas that are well translucent and warmed by the sun's rays.

To build a web, these insects choose a large spreading plant or build it between several bushes. It takes a spider about an hour to make one trapping net, and the construction process itself always occurs at dusk. The central part of the web consists of a stabilimentum - a pair of clearly visible threads located opposite each other, which diverge from the middle.

The finished fishing net is very beautiful - it has small cells arranged in a zigzag pattern. And at its center there is always a wasp-like spider. The mistress sits on the underside of the web, spreading her long legs wide apart, and patiently waits for the next victim to fall into the trap.

Nutrition

The basis of the wasp spider's diet consists of insects, both orthoptera and others. Most often, the following networks fall into the placed networks:

grasshoppers;
flies;
mosquitoes;
butterflies;
fillies;
wasps.

The victim caught in the web begins to twitch, which attracts a hunter located nearby. The spider immediately approaches, plunges its jaws into the body of the prey and paralyzes the caught insect with poison. As soon as the prey freezes, the hunter deftly wraps it in a web, bites off the restraining threads and hides it in a secluded place.

After some time, the poison, which contains digestive enzymes, softens the victim’s body, after which the spider begins to eat.

Reproduction

The female becomes sexually mature immediately after molting. She sheds her old chitinous cover and allows the male to fertilize her, after which she eats him.

A female spider with a color like a wasp lays eggs about a month after mating. She weaves several cocoons from the web and places approximately 400 eggs in each. She hangs all the cocoons near her fishing net and soon dies.

Future offspring spend the entire winter in a dense, warm cocoon. With the arrival of warmth, the young emerge from the eggs and spend some time in close proximity to the cocoon. During this period, many spiderlings die and there is only one reason for this - overpopulation of the territory, due to which there is not enough food for everyone. Thus, some packs die due to hunger, others are eaten by their own brothers.

Appearance

The body is divided into the abdomen and cephalothorax, which are connected to each other by a thin stalk. The cephalothorax is covered with a durable chitinous layer that protects it from mechanical damage.

Inside it is the brain and stomach. 4 pairs of walking legs, a pair of pedipalps and a pair of chelicerae extend from it. The limbs are thin and long. They help the spider deftly move along the shaky threads of the web. The pedipalps are used for touching and grasping prey.

The spider has 8 eyes, which are located on the front of the cephalothorax. One pair is especially large, located on top. Others are smaller, located in front and to the side of the largest pair.

There are also chelicerae that end in sharp curved fangs. Venom glands approach the fangs. On the last pair of legs there are special appendages, which consist of a layer of bristles.

They are used for weaving multilayer networks with complex patterns. With their help, the spider arranges its webs into the patterns it needs. This is a characteristic feature of all orb weavers. At the back of the lower part of the abdomen there are arachnoid appendages.

The tiger spider is famous for its strong sexual dimorphism. The body of females reaches 1.5 cm in length, males rarely grow more than 5 mm. The female's paw span can reach 4 cm.

Females boast a brighter color, which is designed to indicate the poisonousness of the spider and scare away predators. The abdomen is black with yellow stripes, sometimes white stripes can be seen on it. The fourth dark stripe from the cephalothorax has two wavy bends.

The coloring resembles that of a wasp. The abdomen is round in shape and has 4 concave sections. The cephalothorax is covered with gray hairs that shimmer in the light. The legs are long, black with yellow stripes. The pedipalps are long and light colored.

Males have an elongated long abdomen. The body is light brown in color. On the back, against a light background, two parallel dark stripes are visible.

On the long legs you can see sparse black bristles. At the ends of the pedipalps there are small thickenings - bulbs. The male does not at all resemble a wasp in appearance, so its species affiliation is more difficult to determine at first glance.

Lifestyle

The striped spider, like all orb weavers, weaves large catching nets that are wheel-shaped. One of the features that indicates that this is an Argiope web is the zigzag lines that run in two directions from the center of the trapping net. They are called stabiliments. T

Such weaving is needed in order to reflect ultraviolet rays, which are very attractive to insects. In addition, they make the web much stronger.

Argiope's trapping nets are capable of holding prey up to 6 cm in size. The stabiliments are also clearly visible for large animals, which saves the web from destruction.

A spider can completely weave one web in an hour. He does this more often at night. The nets are located no higher than 30 cm above the ground. Argiope hangs upside down in the very center of the web.

Argiope birds do not touch them because of their coloring, which makes them look like wasps. The greatest danger to spiders are frogs, lizards, snakes and rodents.

If the spider notices the approach of danger, it begins to loosen its web, trying to scare away the predator. If this does not help, the spider jumps to the ground and hides in the leaves or grass.

The bee spider only lives for a year. He compensates for this fact with high fertility. Up to 400 spiderlings can emerge from one cocoon. At first they are near the cocoon, but there is not enough food for everyone, so weak and slow spiders die from hunger, predators, or from each other.

When they are strong enough, with the help of the wind and the web, the argiopes will begin to spread to other territories. This happens in mid-August. Most often, argiopes live in colonies of up to 20 individuals. In the fall, spiders reach sexual maturity and begin to reproduce.

Nutrition

The tiger spider weaves large trapping nets that have a complex beautiful pattern and small cells. The spider waits for its prey in their very center.

In this case, the first two pairs of legs are directed forward, and the third and fourth pairs are directed back. Thus, visually, the spider’s body takes the shape of the letter X. The spider does not have very good eyesight, but it perfectly feels the vibrations of the air and the web.

Argiopes mainly feed:

grasshoppers;
crickets;
locusts;
mosquitoes;
flies.

But often other insects get caught in the net, which the spider is not averse to snacking on. As soon as the prey falls into the trap, the spider senses the vibration and rushes towards the victim.

The spider attacks the insect, bites and injects poison under the chitinous layer. For some time the predator watches the prey from a distance. As soon as the insect stops moving, the argiope wraps the victim in a web.

The spider bites through the threads holding the prey. He lowers the victim to the ground to feast on it in a secluded place or hide it in reserve. One Argiope prey can last for a week.

Argiopes, like other spiders, have external digestion. The arthropod's venom promotes the decomposition of the insect's entrails. Some time after the bite, the spider returns to its prey. It sucks out all the insides of the insect, leaving only the chitinous layer.

Sometimes the argiope itself becomes a victim if a wasp or too large beetle gets caught in its net. The spider tries to escape, but sometimes it can be caught by its own victim or pierced by the poisonous sting of a wasp.

Southern regions of the country

The warmest regions are home to the following spiders:

South Russian tarantula

The popular name is Mizgir. Habitat - central and European Russia, namely steppes and semi-deserts. The female tarantula grows to a huge size of 3.2 cm, males are 5 mm smaller, weight starts from 30 grams, the maximum weight of an adult reaches 90 grams. Such parameters cannot but impress! There is no doubt about which spider is the largest in Russia - it is definitely a tarantula.

The massive body is dark brown or dark gray and covered with many hairs. Due to the large number of hairs, the spider looks very fluffy. Tarantulas live alone, except for the mating period. The diet, in addition to standard midges and flies, is supplemented by frogs and mice. Representatives of this species are true hunters; they prefer to guard, attack and chase large prey, while inflicting additional bites. Despite the terrifying appearance and predatory nature of the spider, it can bite a person if it senses danger. The bite is dangerous only due to an allergic reaction - redness and irritation.

Argiop

The popular name is wasp spider or wasp spider. It received its nickname due to the similarity of the color of the females of this species with the wasp: a yellow abdomen with black and white stripes. Distributed in the Krasnodar region, Astrakhan region and Volga region - warm regions. Argiopes have pronounced gender differences: females are large and bright, up to 3 cm, and males are on average 0.5 cm and have a dark gray or brown color.

An interesting feature of spiders is their “gregarious” life - the number of individuals in a group is up to 20. The wasp spider is poisonous, but its poison will not cause serious harm to health. In terms of pain, the sting can be compared to that of an aspen or a bee; it will be painful and swollen. An allergic reaction is possible. Argiope will never attack first, but if you accidentally touch its web, an immediate reaction will follow.

Danger

The venom of the wasp spider is deadly to insects, but practically harmless to humans. At the same time, argiope bruennichi does not purposefully attack people. This insect can only bite accidentally if it is disturbed by picking it up. The affected area may experience:

slight swelling;
redness;
burning;
pain.

But these symptoms often go away very quickly. If after a wasp spider bite you begin to experience discomfort, then apply something cold to the affected area to speed up healing. After such a compress, the pain subsides and the swelling goes away.

In general, the venom of the wasp spider is quite weak for humans. However, sometimes, in particular with weak immunity, the body’s negative reaction can be quite intense. In such cases, anti-inflammatory ointments usually help. The poison of argiope bruennichi can be dangerous for humans only if there is an allergy to insect bites. In this situation, you should definitely seek qualified medical help.

Argiope Brünnich spider

belongs to the araneomorphic species. This is a rather large insect, males are smaller than females. The body of an adult female can reach from 3 to 6 centimeters, although there are larger exceptions.

Argiope males

, on the contrary, are small in size - no more than 5 millimeters; in addition, the boy’s narrow little body is usually painted in a nondescript, monochromatic gray or black color with a light belly and two dark stripes on it located along the sides. On light legs there are faint, vague rings of a dark shade. The pedipalps crown the male genital organs, otherwise called bulbs.

The photo shows a male Argiope spider

The female differs not only in size, but also in general appearance. Female Argiope black and yellow

striped, with a black head, there are small light hairs on the rounded-oblong body. If you count starting from the cephalothorax, then the 4th stripe differs from the others by two small tubercles in the middle.

Some scientists describe the legs of females as long, thin, black with beige or light yellow rings, others believe the opposite: the legs of the spider are light, and the ringing stripes are black. The span of the limbs can reach 10 centimeters. In total, the spider has 6 pairs of limbs: 4 pairs are considered legs and 2 are considered jaws.

The photo shows a female Argiope spider

The pedipalps are quite short, more like tentacles. It is because of the combination of black and yellow colors, expressed in stripes on both the body and legs, that Argiope is called the “wasp spider.”

. The beautiful color of the spider also helps it not to become dinner for, because in the animal world bright colors indicate the presence of strong poison.

Another fairly common variety is Argiope lobata,

or otherwise -
argiope lobata
.
The spider received its first name because of the unusual shape of its body - its flat belly is crowned with sharp teeth along the edges. Argiope lobata in the photo
resembles a small squash with long thin legs.

The photo shows the spider Argiope lobata (lobed agriope)

Representatives of the species are widespread throughout the world. They are found in Europe, Asia Minor and Central Asia, in most regions of the Russian Federation, Japan,. The preferred place of life is meadows, forest edges, and any other well-lit places.

The question often asked is “ is the Argiope spider poisonous or not?

“, the answer to which is definitely yes.
Like most spiders, argiope is poisonous
, but it poses absolutely no danger to humans - its poison is too weak.
The insect does not express aggressiveness towards people;
only a female
Argiope
bite and only if you pick her up.

However, despite the weakness of the venom, the bite itself can cause pain, as the stings penetrate deep into the skin. The bite site almost immediately turns red, swells slightly, and becomes numb.

The pain subsides only after a couple of hours, but the swelling from the bite of the Argiope spider

may last for several days. Only people with allergies to this kind of bites should be seriously afraid. Argiope thrives in captivity, which is why (and because of its spectacular color) representatives of the species can often be seen in terrariums.

Read with this

Reproduction of Argiope

The lifespan of this arthropod species is about 12 months. Mating occurs only after the start of the molting period, which the male knows about in advance. The whole process goes like this:

The male waits for the moment of mating near the site where the web is weaved, usually at its edge.
After the start of molting, the mating process occurs, which ends with the female eating the male.
The process of the female eating the male after mating is similar to the type of reproduction in black widows
There are times when he manages to avoid this fate and escape from the nets, but this happens extremely rarely.
If this happens, the second mating will definitely be the last for the male.
This is due to the fact that he has only 2 legs, on which the male genital organs are located. After the first mating, one of them disappears, leaving the second. For this reason, the lifespan of a male rarely exceeds several months.

The spider is of considerable size, which can instill fear in a person.
In winter, the female dies, but the cocoon remains, and spiderlings appear in the spring. After this, the babies settle in different places, and the entire life cycle begins anew. If the eggs were laid in early summer, the offspring may hatch as early as early autumn. Spiders spread with the help of the wind, which carries the webs to different places.

Habitat

The species of Argiope Brünnich (photo according to the text) is widespread in Central and Southern Europe, North Africa, Kazakhstan, Asia Minor and Central Asia, India, Japan, Korea and China, and the Caucasus. The northern limit of habitat in Russia, according to data from the early 70s of the last century, reached 52-53º N. w. Since 2003, information began to arrive that Argiope was discovered much further north of the indicated line.

In Russia, this type of spider can be found in the Oryol, Bryansk, Lipetsk, Belgorod, Penza, Voronezh, Ulyanovsk, Tambov, Saratov, Ryazan, Tula, Moscow and Chelyabinsk regions. In 2015, argiope was discovered in the Rdeisky Nature Reserve (Novgorod region). Active dispersal is facilitated by the unusual method of movement of young individuals - with the wind.

Argiope Brünnich's attraction to xerophilic vegetation is observed. Spiders prefer dry air and cannot tolerate high humidity. They settle, as a rule, on herbaceous plants and shrubs located in meadows, roadsides, forest edges and other open sunny areas.

Prevention measures

A single arthropod means good luck and money. And constant coexistence with spiders in the house means cleaning the apartment. One web the diameter of an orange behind the refrigerator won't hurt. But the rest of the arachnids do not add optimism.

To keep your apartment free of spiders, follow several conditions: absence of insects, cleanliness in the far corners, cleaning at least once a week, uncluttered and plenty of free space. When you see the fishing nets, the favorable impression of the apartment immediately disappears.

You've probably already heard that arthropods cannot be killed. But no one thinks that fishing nets decorate the interior. Even with a good attitude towards spiders weaving webs in the corners, an apartment or house looks better without them.

The video will tell you in more detail and clearly about spiders in the house, their habitats, habits and how people get along with them.

Many insects coexist with people in their homes. Some are noticeable, others prefer to hide, and often the owners are not even aware of their presence in their apartment. One of these inconspicuous insects are black spiders.

Why fight your eight-legged neighbors?

An excessive number of spiders and cobwebs clearly shows that the owners do not strive to maintain order in the apartment or house, do not thoroughly clean hard-to-reach corners and do not remove insects. The cobwebs covering the corners of the ceiling accumulate empty chitinous skeletons of flies, dust, and small debris. Such decorations in the home are unnecessary, and it’s difficult to call them useful. When there are a lot of spiders, they begin to move along the floor, walls of the bathroom, and trample paths to the kitchen and back. And in addition, set up fishing nets in inappropriate places in the home. In order not to breed spiders in the house, but to get rid of them, these reasons are already enough. It will be clean without them.

Another popular belief is the habit of not killing spiders, but taking them out to the porch or entrance using a broom, dustpan or rag. This, of course, is a good habit and can be used, but more often sudden hostility and causeless fear provoke a reverse reaction.

And this reaction is to kill with a slipper, step on and crush. For example, if a spider suddenly hung over the bed and you just woke up, or showed up in the bathroom where you are taking a shower. People tend to slam a large spider rather than release it onto the balcony. Tiny spider babies are treated much easier. Remember that arthropods released into the wild will return within a few days.