Orb-weaver spiders of the genus Argiope (Aranei, Araneidae) from Russia and Central Asia

Three species of the genus Argiope are redescribed based on new material from Russia and Central Asia: the cosmopolitan A. bruennichi (Scopoli, 1772), the Trans-Palaearctic A. lobata (Pallas, 1772), and the Central Asian A. ahngeri Spassky, 1932). The male of A. ahngeri is described for the first time. A new key to the Russian and Central Asian species of the genus Argiope using several additional taxonomic characters is provided.