Argiope dang
This picture was taken in Thailand in 2012, only three years after this species has been described. Argiope are orb weavers like Nephilas, and they come in similar stunning shades. Usually there is lots of yellow on their back. A. dang has some reddish brown as well, plus some white rings on the light brown legs.
The original description is our story:
First: Peter Jäger, who found and described this spider, is one of the most popular/famous/active arachnologists of our time, famous for the description of three remarkable huntsmen spiders, one called Heteropoda dawidbowie, the other Thunberga greta. The third is nothing less but one of the largest spiders (in terms of legspan) on earth, Heteropoda maxima.
Second: the type locality of Argiope dang is the City Vang Vieng in Laos, maybe (too) close to the Nam Song River. The species’ name does not refer to the locality, the collector, a famous person or any special characteristics of the spider. Usually it it one of those, but not this time. It means ‘loud’ in Lao. So there must have been a good bit of techno-music to make Peter put that down forever in the spiders name. No doubt if he would have gone three years later, the spider had a different name.
That is so because in 2012 the government closed those bars and now the place is much quieter! Safety issues and all what comes with booming tourism have been too much for this area. Good for the spiders as well. Argiope dang is a spider with a name that is already history.
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