Colorful Mosquito Eater

This female yellow garden spider (Argiope aurantia) was sauntering across the Recreational Path east of the driving range in mid-September. FIConservancy Photo

Also known as orb weavers and Argiopes, these spiders are common on Fishers Island and in much of the United States. They produce a zig-zag band in the center of their webs, called stabilimentum, which arguably reflects light to attract flying insects into the web, and, at the same time, prevents birds from accidentally colliding into the web and destroying it.

Argiopes are beneficial for gardens, fields and anywhere you are trying to reduce the mosquito population.

Spider information courtesy of Adam B. Mitchell, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Entomology, Department of Wildlife, Sustainability, and Ecosystem Sciences, Tarleton State University.