Insect and Spider Identification: Argiope Aurantia questions, 1 by mle_flowers

mle_flowers wrote:
I took these shots in Richardson TX 75082. I\'m fairly confident that this spide that took up residence next to our patio is a female Argiope Aurantia (Lucas?) aka writing spider like the orb-weaver in Charlotte\'s Web. She spun new zigzags every day for a few weeks, then sat over the center of her web daily to catch, wrap & eat several bugs including a mud dauber, butterfly & cicada. One morning new zigzag activity completely stopped and never resumed. She moved to a new location on her web, not far from where she created an egg sac under the eaves. When & how will the babies hatch? I\'ve read different accounts that sometimes overwintering in the egg sac occurs & sometimes not. Does her new location mean she is guarding her egg sac & has no need to attract a mate? Any links to accurate information would be greatly appreciated!