Oval St. Andrew's Cross Spider (Signature Spider)
| Latin Name | Observation Date | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Argiope aemula | May 03, 2026 | Purulia, Natore, Bangladesh |
On 03/05/2026, in the afternoon, I was walking by the pond. Suddenly, I saw a beautiful spider in the grass. We often see spiders, but its sitting posture is completely different; its eight legs are divided into pairs and it sits on a web like the English letter 'X'.
As I got closer, I saw that its abdomen was not round like a normal spider. It had quite a few grooves around it and a beautiful mosaic pattern on its back. Without delay, I took out my mobile phone from my pocket. I turned on the macro lens and took a few pictures. Since the spider was a little lower than the pond edge, I could only take pictures from one side. I had to take selfie to take a picture of its back. I took a few selfies of its back, but I couldn't get a clear picture in the selfie. So I thought I would catch it and take a few macro shots. As soon as I raised my hand to catch it, it ran away. After about 40 minutes, I found it there again. This time, I caught it very carefully, then took it to the pond edge, quickly took a few pictures and released it to its home. Then I started looking at the pictures. When I saw that the little eyes on the top of the spider's head were also clearly visible on the camera, the trouble of taking pictures seemed worthwhile.
But the real story began after taking the pictures. To confirm the name of the insect, I searched on Google Lens. And Google started showing me 'European garden spider'. Hey, I live in Natore village in Bangladesh, where else would European spiders come from?
Later, after a little research on iNaturalist and other places, I was convinced that it was actually a spider native to our Asian region. Its name is the Oval St. Andrew's Cross Spider, which everyone knows better as the Signature Spider. Its scientific name is Argiope aemula.
The reason they are called signature spiders is quite interesting. They make a zigzag mark with thick white threads in the middle of their web, which looks exactly like a human's twisted signature. See the signature picture below.
Although the spider looks a bit scary, it does not harm humans. Rather, it benefits us by eating harmful insects in the garden.
Share your thoughts on these wonderful spider pictures in the comments.
(All posts are written in Bengali and translated into English using Google Translate.)
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| Camera Used | Samsung SM-C973F |
|---|---|
| F-Stop | F2.4 |
| ISO speed | ISO |
| Focal length | 26mm |
| Flash | No |
| Editing app | MIX |
| Photography | Oval St. Andrew's Cross Spider (Argiope aemula) |
| Photographer | @mshbd |
| Location | Purulia, Natore, Bangladesh |
| Link to original community |
|---|
| https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/358342907 |
| Latitude | Longitude | Map Link |
|---|---|---|
| 24.3366 | 89.1158 | https://www.openstreetmap.org/?#map=12/24.3369/89.1158 |
Wow, the spider photo looks so real! The quality is amazing and it feels so vivid. It’s really cool—thanks for sharing!
Dear @rara2911, Thanks a lot for the kind words, I'm really glad you liked the clarity of the shot. Do you enjoy macro photography or observing spiders as well?
I’m interested because I enjoy taking photos.
That's awesome, Photography is a great way to capture memories. What do you usually like to photograph the most-nature, landscapes, or something else? I'd love to hear about your favorite subjects
It’s a photo, but it feels alive.
My favorite kind of photos are landscapes. I love beautiful ocean views and pretty sky photos. When I travel, I tend to take a lot of scenery shots, and I also take quite a lot of food photos too ^^
Landscape photography is truly magical, There’s something so peaceful about capturing the ocean and the sky. Do you prefer shooting during sunrise or sunset? And I totally relate to the food photos-it’s hard to resist when a dish looks like art! I'd love to see one of your favorite ocean shots sometime.
Yes, thank you so much! I really appreciate the great communication. I hope we can continue to connect and share like this. Thanks again 😊
I feel the same way, It’s been a real pleasure chatting with you. I’m definitely following you now so I don’t miss your future landscape or food posts. By the way, I was curious-which country are you from? I'm connecting with you from Bangladesh. Is there a specific landscape in your country that is your absolute favorite to capture?
I’m from South Korea.
Oh, South Korea, That’s so cool 🇰🇷 Your country is absolutely stunning-I've seen so many beautiful photos of the cherry blossoms and mountains there. It must be a dream for someone who loves landscapes like you do. Honestly, you're so friendly, it’s been really fun chatting with you! How’s the weather over there right now? Getting chilly?
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