Mangrove Silver-faced Spider
This spider occurs only in mangrove swamps. The name "mangal", means "mangrove" in Latin. The female is diagnosed by a narrowly pentagonal abdomen, with the posterior one-third of its dorsum covered by wavy black lines interspersed with many fine yellow spots. The anterior two-thirds are predominantly yellow, or in rare cases, silvery white. The male appears superficially similar to most other Argiope males in Singapore and can be separated only by examining its palps.
| Length | ♀ 10–13 mm; ♂ 4–5 mm. |
| Habitat | Found only in mangrove swamps. |
| Biology | The web is decorated by only a pair of zig-zag bands in a vertical formation, unlike the more typical X configuration of Argiope webs. |
| Type Locality | Lim Chu Kang mangrove, Singapore. |
| Distribution | Malaysia (Selangor, Perak), Brunei. |
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Chelicerata (Chelicerates)
Class Arachnida (Arachnids)
Order Araneae (Spiders)
Suborder Araneomorphae (Typical Spiders)
Argiope mangal (Original description ♂♀)
Koh, 1991 Spiders of the family Araneidae in Singapore mangroves: 171, f. 1-8
Malaysia (Selangor, Perak), Brunei.