St Andrew's Cross spider
Argiope keyserlingi
Female Argiope ocyaloides.
Identification
Medium-sized spider with silver head and white body with coloured bands; silver and black legs held in pairs to make an X.
Diversity & distribution
Common along coastal eastern Australia. Several similar species occur along the east coast with different species occurring in inland Queensland.
A small black species (Argiope ocyaloides) is often seen against the bark of burnt trees.
Bite
A number of minor bites resulting in mild local pain have been recorded.
Female Argiope keyserlingi.
Queensland Museum's Find out about... is proudly supported by the Thyne Reid Foundation and the Tim Fairfax Family Foundation.
