About Argiope magnifica L.Koch, 1871
Argiope magnifica, formally described by L. Koch in 1871, is a species of orb web spider. It is found in tropical areas of north-east Queensland, Australia, eastern Papua New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands, and is commonly called the magnificent St Andrew's cross spider. This species is similar in size to Argiope keyserlingi, a sympatric species that shares its geographic range. Females of Argiope magnifica can be told apart from female A. keyserlingi by extensive differences in abdominal colouration and patterns, but males of the two species are almost indistinguishable. Little research and documented knowledge exists about the biology of Argiope magnifica. Like most orb-web spiders, males of this species are much smaller than females. Females of Argiope magnifica construct web decorations. As of October 2020, the Atlas of Living Australia lists 57 recorded observations of Argiope magnifica.
