Not So Itsy-Bitsy Spider
We found a huge scary spider in the rosemary bush in our front yard this afternoon and I went all Discovery Channel and laid out in the bush to get some close-up photos. It’s quite amazing, probably 3 inches from toe to toe with the torso (thorax?) over an inch long. It’s hard to tell from the photo but it’s sitting in a large intricate web, just hanging out waiting for bugs or small children to become ensnared. Any spider-ologists out there who know what kind of spider this is? Is it poisonous? Does it shoot lasers out of its eyes? Help me out here.
September 16th, 2007 at 6:16 pm
Pete, we had the exact same spider in one of our rosemary bushes a year or so ago (it was huge and scary looking) and I did the same thing, trying to figure out what it was.
I think it’s a harmless Banded Argiope, otherwise known as a banded garden spider, which is part of the orb weaver family. Check out this link for pics…
http://www.spiderzrule.com/banded.htm