Lobed Argiope Argiope lobata

The Lobed Argiope spider is native to southern Europe, Africa and Asia. These photos were taken by Alexandra Makhnina in the Kyzlkum Desert of Kazakhstan.

It is related to the European Wasp Spider. As usual with spiders, the female, shown, is much larger than the plainer male.

The relationship to the Wasp Spider is clearer from the underside of this non-desert variant. The "signature" in the web is also a feature of wasp spiders. This spider with its fly prey was in southeast Kazakhstan, also by Alexandra Makhnina.