''Argiope mascordi'' is a species of

orb-web spider Orb-weaver spiders are members of the spider family Araneidae. They are the most common group of builders of spiral wheel-shaped webs often found in gardens, fields, and forests. The English word "orb" can mean "circular", hence the English name ...

found in Queensland,

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. The females of this species are smaller and less colourful than many other spiders in the genus '' Argiope''. Males are larger than many other ''Argiope''. Web decorations in this species are interesting in that ''A. mascordi'' juveniles construct a cross and adults construct a disc. The reason for this apparent reversal in decorating behaviour remains unknown.

Gallery

Argiope mascordi 6831.jpg, Adult female with circular stabilimentum and male spider at the top left behind the web Argiope mascordi 8166.jpg, Juvenile with X shaped stabilimentum Argiope mascordi 4290.jpg, Female with typical spiral web decoration north Queensland Argiope mascordi male 5084-2.jpg, Male with enlarged

cephalothorax The cephalothorax, also called prosoma in some groups, is a tagma of various arthropods, comprising the head and the thorax fused together, as distinct from the abdomen behind. (The terms ''prosoma'' and ''opisthosoma'' are equivalent to ''cepha ...

References

mascordi Spiders of Australia Spiders described in 1983 {{Araneidae-stub