Our Garden Friend

[Digginman]

We've seen him/her a few times. Doesn't seem to do much except sun itself.

Does anyone know what kind of spider this is??

DM

 

[Tubecity]

Banana Spider (Garden Spider)




Banana Spider
A very large common spider in North America. Usually hangs in webs with its head facing the ground. It is brightly colored. Its venom is a neurotoxin similar to that of the black widow. However, its venom is not near as potent. Its bite causes local pain and redness with blisters forming. This bite usually resolves within 24 hours except for the bite mark.


This might be it, picture wouldn't paste. Type in "spiders of eastern US", scroll down to "pictures of spiders'.

 

[Digginman]

Thanks alot, Tubecity. It does look like the male of that species.

DM

 

[Gypsy Heart]

Hello!!!!! You better change friends!


Black and Yellow Garden Spider (Argiope aurantia syn. Miranda aurantia, Epeira riparia), also known as the American Garden Spider or Writer Spider is a species of Orb-web spider common to the lower 48 of the United States, southern Canada, Mexico, and Central America. They have distinctive yellow and black markings on their abdomens and a mostly white cephalothorax. Males range from 5 to 9 mm; females from 19 to 28 mm. Like other members of Argiope, they are considered highly venemous to humans

 

[wesfrye53]

Nice pics Dig and Gypsy! I've been walking around the yard every few days hoping to find one to get a few pics but haven't been lucky yet! Didn't know they were venemous Gypsy...thanks for the info!

 

[Christ_in_you]

I keep one on my porch. Just throw it a grasshopper every few days. I assure you that you will be inspired by the ferocity of the attack. I also had a couple black widows, but they are quiet cautious as to there attack. kinda boring. give it a try. Ray

 

[River Rat]

Ever run into one riding an ATV. Get you in face sometimes...the web not the spider.

 

[Christ_in_you]

I have had that spider as well as many others in my face this year. I'm always looking down then splat. The spiders just drop off. Spiders are no problem. I can show you all kinds of spider pics. Unfortunately I have a lot of brown recluse in this area. Its the most common spider in my house. That's the bad boy, but recluse is the key word.My dog got bite in the neck, it was gruesome. You have to follow some basic rules in this part of the country or you can certainly get hurt. I always pack a gun as well. Snake shot is useful in many situations. I do have a permit to carry. You don't want to live out here without guns. Weed growers and copper thieves bad out here. well see ya Ray

 

[Tubecity]

I've read where the black widow is blamed in many spider bites
that were actually caused by the 'brown recluse' or as they are
known in some areas as the 'fiddleback.' At times they can cause
tremendous tissue damage that causes the skin to decay in an
area nearly the size of a silver dollar. Nasty & a long healing process.

 

[Christ_in_you]

I have treated many spider bites in the ER.The black widow as pictured has neuro toxin while the recluse is necrotinizing. I would take a bite from a black widow anyday. The tissue damage from brown recluse can be traumatic. Needless to say neither r truly deadly by any means to a healthy adult.anaphylatic shock is the number 1 killer and it is more likely from insects with wings that sting. Spiders are actually very good for our environment, with cation. Ray

 

[sniffer]

I live in an area where the Brown recluse is thick and contrary to what you may have heard, they are not that aggressive. while the bite is dangerous, unless they are attacking to eat, most of the time they inflict what's known as a "dry bite" ( no venom) most people don't know when they've bitten, and most doctors can't accurately decide if it was a fiddleback bite or not, without the spider to verify the species.
outside Kansas city a lady captured over 2,000 "confirmed" Brown recluse spiders in her house, and nobody in her house has ever been bitten.
Remember the Brown recluse spider is a wild species and like most wild animals, will flee rather than fight.

 

[WilliamBoyd]

We have the garden spider out here in California, too.
They come out in the fall and build their webs.
I haven't ever heard they were dangerous.

This one was 1.5" long.

 

[ivan salis]

banana spiders can hurt andif they bite their venom is painful but not in the same class as these two --( the brown recluse and black widow) are a much more dangerous type spider their venom is very powerful -- by the numbers more folks die from black widow bites that rattle snakes it is said --- just like there are many folks that are allergic to bee stings their are ones that are allergic to spider venom -- the shock from the allergic reaction is often what kills them -- even if your not allergic --the recluse and the widow pack a nasty bite -- the reculse's bite causes the flesh to "rot" and is both a nasty to stop / hard to heal bite -- the widows bite has nerve toxins and is very bad also -- while most spiders are fairly harmless to humans -- matter of fact the are helpful --they control bugs --however the recluse and black widows are spiders that if found that I kill on sight and I check for nearby egg sacks when I do -- the eggs sacks of widows are eazy to tell --they are whitish round ball with a spikey look to them -- Ivan