St. Andrew’s Cross Spider: Argiope pulchella (Thorell 1881)
St. Andrew’s Cross Spider Sc. Name: Argiope pulchella (Thorell 1881) Family: Araneidae (Total length: ♂ 3.5-4.5 mm, ♀ 8.0-12.0 mm) (Plate 6.g-i) This is a common spider in the mangroves, evergreen, hill and sal forests. This is a diurnal species and builds vertical orb-web suspended within 20-400 cm from the ground surface. The web of this spider can be easily recognized due to the presence of X-shaped zigzag band stabilimentum or X-shaped shield cross bands of white silk in the centre of the web. This brilliant coloured spider sits in the web hub keeping head downward and holds its legs in pairs such a way that they appear aligned to the four arms of the letter ‘X’. Sometimes only one cross band or part of its arm is found in the web centre. Distribution: Bangladesh: Sundarbans mangroves, Lawacherra, Madhavkunda, Shahzibazar, Raghunandan, Barkal, Pablakhali, Bhawal sal forests, Dhaka, Kushtia, Jamalpur; India, Myanmar, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia. Argiope sapoa Barri