Argiope aurantia, the Yellow Garden Spider, is a welcome guest in the garden. They stretch their webs between tall vegetation on the edge of open fields. This one is making good use of the stems of our hardy hibiscus.
Note the telltale zigzag pattern woven into the web. Some theorize the zigzag is to add stability to the web. Others say it's there to make the web visible to birds. Either way, it's cool.
And since the two foot diameter web catches all sorts of flying insects, this gorgeous spider can stay in our garden as long as it likes.
