Does this spider look familar?

Scientific name is Argiope aurantia and they are sometimes called "argiopes". They are "orb weavers" and make beautiful orb webs with the strong zig-zag pattern in the middle.

yes. There's a link posted above if you are interested in learning about them. I looked them up last year, was fascinated with the ones living around our house. They bounce up and down to appear more intimidating if you get too close to their webs! I thought that was pretty brave!

hollym

__________________
"Be Kind...for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle"

Philo of Alexandria

This is why scientific names were invented. We all came up with about 7 or 8 different common names for this spider.........and they were all right! So when one scientist talks to another scientist they know they are talking about the same animal no matter what part of the country or world they are from.
Hubby drives me crazy because he uses scientific names for reptiles and amphibians (he's a zookeeper) and I rarely know what he is talking about, but he has learned them for this exact reason.

__________________
People who count their chickens before they are hatched, act very wisely, because chickens run about so absurdly that it is impossible to count them accurately. - Oscar Wilde, 1854 - 1900

It was fun to see what people in other parts of the country call them. I also enjoyed that bit about gypsies being able to read their web.

hollym

__________________
"Be Kind...for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle"

Philo of Alexandria

Yep, orb weaver. We've got 'em too. Love the webs with all the zigs and zags. I usually have one by the back door in the fall (the lights attact bugs to the web). Beautiful spiders, beautiful webs.
Mary

................We have those spiders here in north central tx . My favorite "Entree" for that spider is to serve them "Scorpion on the Half shell ". fordy..