Female, Black and yellow Argiope

she prob thought you wanted it for your dinner lol

Food glorious food.

great close-up!

Thats a beauty Flcrazy....now what's that zigzag thing hanging from it?

LOL... I hope what she doesn't know won't hurt her Irish. I'd hate to know she was lurking around in my flowers with a vengeful heart...
Well Janey, I've never known why, I've only known that this is a signature of theirs. Their webs are always made this way. Their is an old wive's tale about this spider's web that says, "if you ever see your name written in their web in the morning you will be dead by the afternoon",....Ooohhweeehooo, kinda scary....lol .
To try and answer your question, I decided to look it up. (Toto, this might interest you ). It said that the male spider always builds it's web in the outlying part of the female's web, and it's he, not she, that makes this vertical zigzag band in the center of her web. ! Still didn't say why, but I'm so glad you asked Janey, other wise I wouldn't have found this out ! Now, instead of worrying about her writing my name, I'd better be worrying about being nice to him !

Well its quite obvious really the zig zag made by the male is his bungee rope so he can jump out the way quick.

Of course what he hadnt banked on was rope bouncing him back into her clutches ..sincerely hope that not him wrapped in that package but then wouldnt be surprised , the female of the species more deadly than the male ..

Good grief....very well organised with a get out clause for the male...Lol!

Of course it could be a zip Janey .. us men always being told not to go out without making sure our ' flies ' are done up ..

Or possibly being on the web spider is saying you can contact me at www ...

LMAO...., Sounds like a plan Bonkers ! Are we speaking hypothetically or from experience...?...lol
Janey it sounds like these spiders have their love/hate relationship down to a science. !

He he.....Mr B!

Please don't send me any of these - spiders give me the heebee-jeebees! How big is she?

She gets to be about 3 inches long, counting the length of her legs Sid. I'm mostly fine with spiders, unless they are on me, then it's a whole other story then !

Oh sorry then .. have more indoors than outdoors you wouldnt believe our bedroom as their webs span across beams in fact there probably isnt a room here without them ..quite entertaining to watch them disappear before taking a shower lol

They are all great pics as always Flcrazy, but I have to confess (not easy for a bloke to do) I'm a real wimp when it comes to spiders, I run a mile!

Yes, if I got a spider on my I'd do the 'Great British Picnic Dance', which is usually initiated by a wasp landing on someone, but a spider is also a good excuse.....

Bb - you have wildlife IN your house as well as outside then! I'd be a nervous wreck in your house!

Rbt - that was really hard wasn't it LOL Don't worry - my eldest brother is 6ft3in and petrified of them too!

Lol..., Sid does the 'Great British Picnic dance' ever involve any clothes being jerked off...lol. If so..., I think I may have done it a time or two...hahaaa.
Thanks Rbtkew, glad you like them and I 'm glad yo were able to get that off you chest too, I'm proud of you.
Bonkers, what can I say....you really are a brave man...lol

I think what endears me to these biggies is that they are gentle...the female does not devour her mate! lol. these guys are great entertainment...but I have to say I'm with Sid, don't care to have spiders in my house! Got stung by a wasp again this summer ...on the back of my neck of all places! it was no picnic...nor was it a dance! ouch... consumed some anti histamines and had no bad after-effects...still smiling from all the comments. Great pic, Flcrazy! (And what else is new?) hahahaha.

Great photo and very informative comments. Personally I don't find the big spiders as frightening as the ones with little bodies and very thin long legs, like crane flies eeeuk. I once did the `Great British Tree Pruners Headbang' when pruning a forsythia and a whole troup of tiny spiders invaded my hair and my `G B Yodel' roused the neighbours! :-))

LOL...., bless you Bornagain, I feel your pain, but the image is cracking me up. I once had one land on my leg. I shook my leg so hard trying to get it off, I almost dislocated my knee. I limbed around for two days...lol.
Glad to hear you are alright Lori, I've been stung twice this year myself.

Yes...bless...but,,,,,Oh my aching sides....GBTPH!! LOL...that's priceless! and the yodel too~nothing like a spider in close proximity to give a person the heebees!

Oh well being somewhat anti - social they do have their uses .. you know when distant relatives want to come and stay and you think oh my god how can I put them off without seeming rude ? Well explain you ve just moved in and not had a chance to tidy ..whats that on the ceiling ? No idea but we call him Sidney ..soon book in to hotels lol

Lol...., you do realize you're a genius, don't you Bonkers, be it a secretly, sneaky genius, but a genius just the same....;-)

Fl - I'm sure you have your own version of the Great British Picnic Dance in your country (and probably the GBTPH too!!). It generally starts with some random swiping of the hands, followed by some wild flapping of the arms, then some spinning in random directions and is generally capped off by a short sprint. Funny thing is, it's contagious. One person starts doing it and before you know what's what, everyone is up on their feet and at it.

Lori - I have only ever once in my life been stung by a wasp.....and that was because I sat on it. Needless to say, is was a right pain in the ........ ;-)

Bb - Now you're at it! Calling spiders Sid indeed. NP has called his new pug Sid. Where will it all end?! Oh, and I can't believe you two are anti-social in the slightest ;-)

LMAO...., I do love the mental image of the contagiousness (is that even a word ?)...lol. It would make for a winning clip on Funniest Home Video show...lol

We call it 'You've been Framed' over here Jerrie and you get £250 for each clip that's broadcast. This lot would have made a fortune !!!! lol

Lol...., I thinking you are 100% correct Sue. Bless us all..., we are a crazy bunch that love to have fun, aren't we ? !

FUN ??? I'll remind you that this is a gardening site young lady !! tee hee hee !!
; - ))))