Argiope trifasciata (Forskl, 1775), A New Araneidae Record from Iraq

The banded garden spider Argiope trifasciata, was originally observed and described in Misan, Iraq. The specimens were collected from agricultural fields with date palm trees in Misan. Argiope trifasciata is a member of the Araniedae family, which is widely distributed. These spiders have shiny, silvery hairs on their carapaces, and females are yellow. The described spider typically has a large, oval-shaped abdomen with black and pale yellow stripes. The legs feature black rings and are yellowish brown.