VANITY - What Kind of Spider

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[NerdDad]

My 16 year old spotted this ugly spider residing between the house and grill this evening. The locale is Columbus, MS (northeast part of the state) Can anybody identify what kind of spider it is?

This bugger was about 3 inches in length and 2 inches wide counting the legs. The body was about 3/4 inch long and about 3/8 inch wide.

FYI: It is now a good spider. Smushed into a little pile of goo.

http://myweb.cableone.net/jcdillon/images/Spider2%209-5-07.jpg

[NerdDad]

Yall help me out and tell me what kind of spider this is.

[VeritatisSplendor]

Argiope.

Mrs VS

[VeritatisSplendor]

It was outside, and they’re harmless, and a rather cool part of God’s creation. It’s not only liberals who are spider-lovers, you know.

Mrs VS

[NerdDad]

Dang. I didn't get the pic posted right. Try this one. Yall take a look and tell me what kind of bug we killed.

[Red Badger]

Looks like your garden variety Garden Spider to me.........What town ya’ll from? I was raised in Hickory Flat...........

[Maigrey]

I dunno, but the one I've got that shows up evenings on my patio earns his keep by killin' the mosquitos here.

As long as he's killing skeeters, he can stay!

[Randy Larsen]

I’ve always known them as “Orb Weaver”, Run into them all the time in Ca.

[hole_n_one]

Good call........

Google Images for Argiope

[mgc1122]

What you have is what the old timers call a “Writing Spider” - scientific name Argiope aurantia. Basic black and yellow garden spider.

[badpacifist]

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/44547/spider_man_parody/

[bill1952]

tell me what kind of spider this is.

Ugly. But harmless.

[Red Badger]

http://www.spiderwebwatch.org/spiders/Argiope_aurantia

[ButThreeLeftsDo]

Why is this taking up space in News/Activism?

[tx_eggman]

Same as this one from my back yard:

Black and Yellow Garden Spider (Argiope aurantia syn. Miranda aurantia, Epeira riparia)

From wiki ... 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.

Females have large rounded bodies that may grow to 40 mm (1 1/2 inches), excluding the legs. If the length of the legs is added, the female can reach 75 mm (3") in diameter. Males are thin-bodied and only 20 mm (¾") long. Yellow garden spiders have three claws on each foot, unlike spiders that do not weave orb webs which have only two claws. The third claw helps them manage the strands of silk while they spin the complicated web.

[Clara Lou]

Wasn’t hurting a thing. They eat the bugs you don’t like.

[PeaceBeWithYou]

Totally harmless insect eater.

[tx_eggman]

Why is this taking up space in News/Activism?

To annoy you ..

[kittymyrib]

We have dozens catching mosquitoes and moths around our porches here in East Texas. They have various monikers, but my grandsons call them “zig-zag spiders” because they close their webs with a perfect zig-zag stitch. They are totally harmless and beneficial.

[Red Badger]

Did they move Columbus?...........