Common name: Lobed Argiope

Scientific name: Argiope lobata

Family: Araneidae

Identification:

An orb-weaving spider that builds a vertical orb web. About three quarters of webs in a studied population carried a silk decoration (stabilimentum), usually simple and most often a single arm below the hub. Larger, higher webs tend to be longer than wide.

Habitat:

Builds its web on whatever vegetation is available, as high as the plants allow. The genus favours open, sunlit habitats.

Status in the UAE:

Photographed in the UAE desert; status not covered by the sources.

Diet:

Carnivorous. Mainly Hymenoptera, with Orthoptera such as grasshoppers frequent. Also recorded: Diptera, Odonata, other spiders, occasional vertebrates, and an adult female of its own species.

Behavior:

A passive hunter that relies on prey flying or jumping into its web, sensing it through silk vibrations. Web orientation is non-random and may help balance sun exposure.

Conservation status:

UAE National Red List: Not listed

Global: Not Evaluated