Argiope appensa
{{Short description|Species of spider}}
{{Speciesbox
| image = Argiope_appensa.jpg
| image_caption = On Hawai'i
| taxon = Argiope appensa
| authority = (Walckenaer, 1841)
| synonyms =
{{Specieslist
|Epeira appensa|Walckenaer, 1841
|Epeira crenulata|Doleschall, 1857
|Argiope chrysorrhoea|L. Koch, 1871
|Argiope crenulata|(Doleschall, 1857)
|Coganargiope reticulata|Kishida, 1936
|Argiope schoenigi|Marapao, 1965
}}
}}
Argiope appensa, also referred to as the Hawaiian garden spider[http://bugguide.net/node/view/44525 Argiope apensa] at BugGuide.net or banana spider, is an orb-weaving spider belonging to the family Araneidae.
Distribution and habitat
This species occurs on several islands in the western Pacific Ocean, in Hawaii and from Taiwan, Australia, New Caledonia, New Guinea to Indonesia.
It has been introduced to all main islands of Hawaii. It inhabits a wide variety of habitats, from coasts to upland forests. During the rainy season from June to November, this species is common in sunny edge areas, such as along roadsides and cultivated area.
Description
This species shows an evident sexual dimorphism. The strikingly black and yellow females are {{convert|2|-|2.5|in|cm|abbr=on|disp=flip}} long, including legs, while the brown males reach only about {{convert|0.75|in|cm|abbr=on|disp=flip}}.{{cite web|url=http://www.birdinghawaii.co.uk/nonavianground2.htm |title=Untitled |accessdate=July 30, 2006 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150521173109/http://www.birdinghawaii.co.uk/nonavianground2.htm |archivedate=May 21, 2015 }}
On Guam, where Argiope appensa is ubiquitous, it is frequently visited by Argyrodes argentatus, that steals food from the host.Alexander M. Kerr [https://web.archive.org/web/20060927170850/http://www.americanarachnology.org/JoA_tocs/JOA_v33n1.html Behavior of web-invading spiders Argyrodes argentatus (Theridiidae) in Argiope appensa (Araneidae) host webs in Guam] TheJournal of Arachnology, Volume33 Number 1 Following the brown tree snake and the subsequent extinction or near-extinction of many of the island's small birds, spider populations on Guam exploded in response to decreasing predation and competition.{{cite journal |last1=Rogers |first1=Haldre |last2=Hille Ris Lambers |first2=Janneke |last3=Miller |first3=Ross |last4=Tewksbury |first4=Joshua |date=September 2012 |title='Natural experiment' Demonstrates Top-Down Control of Spiders by Birds on a Landscape Level |journal=PLOS |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0043446 |pmid=22970126 |doi-access=free |pmc=3436874 }} Nature writer David Quammen has called Argiope appensa "almost certainly one of the larger species" which were encountered in vast numbers during his research trip to Guam for the book The Song of the Dodo.{{Cite web|title=Argiope appensa [(Walck.) ]|url=https://guaminsects.myspecies.info/taxonomy/term/3823/descriptions|access-date=2021-10-13|website=guaminsects.myspecies.info}}
Biology
Argiope appensa construct webs mainly in bushes, between branches, and in human constructions. The webs are rather large and show a white zig-zag silk decoration developed from one corner to the center of the web. These decorations, usually called stabilimenta, could be a warning device to prevent birds from inadvertently destroying the web.Kerr, A. M. [https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/5094458.pdf Low Frequency of Stabilimenta in Orb Webs of Argiope appensa (Araneae: Araneidae) from Guam: An Indirect Effect of an Introduced Avian Predator?] Pacific Science (1993), vol. 47, no. 4: 328-337
Gallery
File:AappensaBigIsland.JPG|Community of multi-generational Argiope appensa on the Big Island of Hawaii
File:AappensaHilo.JPG|Mature female being handled in Hilo, Hawaii
File:Male and female A. appensa.jpg|Mature female (ventral view) and male (dorsal)
File:A Appensa side.jpg|Side view of female
File:Argiope appensa spider Nawiliwili.jpg|Female in Kauai Jungle, Hawaii
File:Araneidae - Argiope appensa.webm|Female of Argiope appensa in Hawaii, ventral view. Video clip
File:Argiope apensa, detail of dorsum of thorax. Guam.jpg|Detail of dorsum of thorax
References
{{Wikispecies}}
{{Commons}}
{{Reflist|refs=
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- Walckenaer, C. A. (1842): Histoire naturelle des Insects. Aptères. Paris, 2: 1-549.
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