Argiope aetheroides
Female Argiope aetheroides grow more than four times the length of males and weave a white X shaped stabilimentum across the centre of their web.
| Where | Low mountains and plains in East Asia |
|---|---|
| Size | Female 12 to 23 mm, male 4 to 5 mm body length |
| When | January to December |
Females have a silvery white, hairy carapace and a five sided abdomen with raised shoulder humps, crossed by a broad dark band flecked with red and yellow spots on a yellowish white background. Males are much smaller and mostly dark brown.
It is common in low mountains and plains across Taiwan, China and Japan, where it spins a circular web low in grass or scrub, often with a white cross shaped stabilimentum at the centre.
Traits
Habitat
Grassland
Colour
Yellow, White, Black
Active
Day and night
To people
This spider is not known to bite people; if you walk into its web, simply brush it away and it will rebuild.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
Larger overall, with females reaching 13 to 30 mm, and marked with four separate round yellow spots arranged in a line rather than the broad red and yellow flecked band of Argiope aetheroides.
Questions
Is Argiope aetheroides dangerous to people?
This spider is not known to bite people; if you walk into its web, simply brush it away and it will rebuild.
When can you see Argiope aetheroides?
Argiope aetheroides can be seen from January to December, by day and at night.
Plate retouched from a photo by 田桂夙, 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.