What is this spider called?

September 4, 2017 Blog

Question:‎

Sierra Brooks‎:  what kinda spider is this? It has been on the back deck for a couple days, I thought maybe a banana spider but I wasn’t sure, I guess I could google it,  lol but I figured I’d ask here and also why does it have a zig-zag in its web?

Answers:

Nancy Fry: We call them writing spiders here in TN. Like Charlotte from Charlotte’s Web.

Elle Kay: In Louisiana, we call these Banana spiders. They Always hang and build webs in the huge Banana trees here.
Scary but harmless.

Frannie Harrison: Can anyone hear ME SCREAMING& CRYING? ??????? I HATE SPIDERS! Especially these! A few years back, I was opening my side gate…. Unbeknownst to me, a HUGE one of these spiders had built it’s web, attaching it to the gate & the side of my house. Some strands of the web (VERY sticky, by the way!) stuck to my hand when I touched the gate. Glancing down, I see this HUGE freakin’ yellow & black spider starting to RUN up the web strands stuck to my hand!!!!! I started moaning & screaming NO NO NO NO NNOOO!!!! As I wildly slung my hand around to get it OFF, this monster sized spider just scrambled faster & faster toward MY HAND !!!!!!

Thank the good Lord above, there was a big bush right by the gate. I managed to sling him into the branches right before he made it all the way up!!!! I ALMOST had a heart attack right there that day! It took me a good long while to settle down after that, my imagination telling me every little brush of my hair, shirt or shorts was that dang huge spider crawling on my body somewhere ….. Not much bothers me but I HATE HATE HATE SPIDERS! They seriously creep me out big time!!!!!

Patrick Smith: That’s just one of the things I didn’t like about living in Missouri

Laura Marie Miller: I am from Mo. As well, we’ve always had tons of these around when I was growing up, they are harmless garden spiders and actually one of our news stations, KSDK, KNOX or FOX, can’t remember which one, just did a story about them because it’s time for them to come back out. They’re huge and kinda scary, but they are helpful with killing pesky insects. He won’t come inside, just leave him be!!

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