Lobed argiope
Females build a broad zigzag silk band across their web and can grow four times longer than the males that share it.
| Where | Warm grassland and scrub, southern Europe |
|---|---|
| Size | Female 16.8 to 25.5 mm, male 5.2 to 7.5 mm body length |
| When | June to October |
The Lobed Argiope is a large orb weaver whose female has a mottled silver grey abdomen with deep scalloped lobes around the edge, quite different from the bold yellow, black and white bands of the related Wasp spider. Males are far smaller and duller, with yellow legs banded in brown.
Females spin a broad web low in sturdy grass or scrub and often add a zigzag silk band, a stabilimentum, across the hub, where they hang head down through the day waiting for grasshoppers and other jumping insects to blunder in.
Traits
Habitat
Grassland
Colour
Metallic, Black, Red
Active
Day
To people
This spectacular orb weaver is shy and non aggressive, and no bite to a person has been documented; it is best left undisturbed rather than handled.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
Similar orb weaver but with bold yellow, black and white bands across the abdomen instead of the Lobed Argiope's mottled silver grey pattern with scalloped edges.
Questions
Is the Lobed argiope dangerous to people?
This spectacular orb weaver is shy and non aggressive, and no bite to a person has been documented; it is best left undisturbed rather than handled.
When can you see the Lobed argiope?
The Lobed argiope can be seen from June to October, by day.
Plate retouched from a photo by David Sandler, CC BY 4.0, iNaturalist Licence
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Spiders›Orb-weaver spiders›Argiope
Last updated 2026-09-27. Every entry is checked against published sources.