Galapagos Species Database

The Galapagos Species Database shares the information about the species from our Natural History Collections.

Argiope argentata (Fabricius, 1775)

silver argiope

Most abundant in the lower Arid zone between sea-level and ca. 400m (Opuntia zone, Bursera forest). On the higher islands of Fernandina and Isabela (Cerro Azul, Volcán Darwin, Volcán Alcedo and Volcán Wolf) they are abundant in the coastal Arid zone up to ca. 600 m and in the summit Arid zone above 1000 m (inversion zone) till the summit of the volcano.

Taxonomy

Domain
Eukaryota

Kingdom
Animalia

Phylum
Arthropoda

Class
Arachnida

Order
Araneae

Superfamily
Araneoidea

Family
Araneidae

Genus
Argiope

Species
argentata

Taxon category: Accepted

Origin: Native

Distribution

Map of specimen collection localities or observation records for this species in our collections database.

Distribution: Baltra, Bartolomé, Daphne Major, Española, Fernandina, Floreana, Gardner near Española, Genovesa, Isabela (Volcán Beagle, Volcán Cerro Azul, Volcán Sierra Negra, Volcán Alcedo, Volcán Darwin, Volcán Wolf), Marchena, Pinta, Pinzón, Rábida, Santiago, San Cristóbal, Santa Cruz, Seymour Norte, Santa Fe.

References

  • Baert, L.L. Malfait, J.-P., Hendrickx, F. & Desender, K. (2008) Distribution and Habitat Preference of the Spiders (Araneae) of Galápagos. Bull. Inst. R. Sci. Nat. Belg. Entomol. 78: 39-111.
  • Banks, N. (1931) The Norwegian Zoological Expedition to the Galapagos Islands 1925, Conducted by Alf Wollebaek 1. Arachnida. Medd. Zool. Mus., Oslo 22: 271-278.
  • Baert, L.L. Maelfait, J.-P. & Desender, K. (1989) Results of the Belgian 1986-expedition: Araneae, and Provisional Checklist of the Spiders of the Galápagos Archipelago. Bull. Inst. R. Sci. Nat. Belg. Entomol. 58: 29-54.
  • Baert, L.L. Maelfait, J.-P. (1986) A Contributution to the Knowledge of the Spider Fauna of Galápagos (Ecuador). Bull. Inst. R. Sci. Nat. Belg. Entomol. 56: 93-123.
  • Baert, L.L. Maelfait, J.-P. (2000) Check List of the Described Spider Species of the Galápagos Archipelago (Araneae). Bull. Inst. R. Sci. Nat. Belg. Entomol. 70: 243-245.
  • Roth, V.D. Craig, P.R. (1970) Arachnida of the Galápagos Islands (Excluding Acarina). Mission zoologique belge aux îles Galapagos et en Ecuador (N. et J. Leleup, 1964-1965), 2: 107-124.
  • Baert, L.L. Maelfait, J.P. & Desender, K. (1989) Results of the Belgian 1988-expedition to the Galápagos Islands: Araneae. Bull. Inst. R. Sci. Nat. Belg. Entomol. 59: 5-22.
  • Desender, K. Baert, L., Maelfait, J.-P. & Verdyck P. (1990) Conservation on Volcan Alcedo (Galapagos): terrestrial invertebrates and the impact of introduced feral goats. Biological Conservation 87: 303-310.

You are welcome to download and use the information found in this page, acknowledging its source.

This page should be cited as follows:

"Galapagos Species Database, Argiope argentata", dataZone. Charles Darwin Foundation, https://datazone.darwinfoundation.org/en/checklist/?species=5553. Accessed 2 August 2025.