As is true in many spider species, females of this species grow
to much larger size than males. Adult female body length ranges
from 19 to 28 mm (3/4 to 1 1/8 in.), while males reach only 5 to
9 mm (1/4 - 3/8 in.). In both sexes, the shiny, egg-shaped
abdomen has striking yellow or orange markings on a black
background. The forward part of the body, the cephalothorax, is
covered with short, silvery hairs. Legs are mostly black, with
red or yellow portions near the body. (Dewey, 1993; Milne and
Milne, 1980) Like other orb-weavers (family Araneidae), this
species has three claws per foot, one more than most spiders.
Orb-weavers use this third claw to help handle the threads while
spinning. Also in common with other orb-weaving spiders (and
most, but not all spiders generally), A. aurantia has a venomous
bite that immobilizes prey that is caught in its web. (Dewey,
1993; Milne and Milne, 1980) Other Physical Features:
Ectothermic; Heterothermic; Bilateral symmetry; Venomous Sexual
Dimorphism: Female larger - Mil