Golden Silk Spider, Banana Spider, Golden Silk Orbweaver
Nephila clavipes
This bug has been reportedly found in the following regions:
Anniston, Alabama
Mobile, Alabama(2 reports)
Vincent, Alabama
Wetumpka, Alabama
Atlantic Beach, Florida
Daytona Beach, Florida
Fernandina Beach, Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Kissimmee, Florida
Lake Butler, Florida
Lake Wales, Florida
Live Oak, Florida
Lutz, Florida
Oldsmar, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Palm Harbor, Florida
Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida
Saint Cloud, Florida
Tallahassee, Florida
Titusville, Florida
Wauchula, Florida
Williston, Florida
Cobbtown, Georgia
Rincon, Georgia
Savannah, Georgia
Waycross, Georgia
Hammond, Louisiana
Lafayette, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
Ruston, Louisiana
Sunset, Louisiana
Thibodaux, Louisiana
Moss Point, Mississippi
Ocean Springs, Mississippi
Pascagoula, Mississippi
Pope, Mississippi
Vicksburg, Mississippi
Sneads Ferry, North Carolina
Wilmington, North Carolina
North Charleston, South Carolina
Pawleys Island, South Carolina
Summerville, South Carolina
Beaumont, Texas
Conroe, Texas
Houston, Texas
Mesquite, Texas
New Caney, Texas(2 reports)
Santa Fe, Texas
Hampton, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia
show all
lightyellow
I think I have too many mud daubers (which prey on them) to get any of these which is unfortunate because they're lovely spiders and one of the most docile species, possibly scary to people because of its size but completely non-dangerous. I've handled them plenty of times and never got bit.
[In general web-building spiders are pretty non-aggressive, the minority of aggressive species all tend to be ground dwellers that actively hunt down prey like the wolf spider.]
In FL some people erroneously call them "banana spiders" which is a venomous species most common in Central and South America.
Females are much larger tha... read more
SteveLloyd941
AmayaFox
kscha
ashvlgrl
The only problem that I have with these guys is that they attached webs to the front 1/2 of my husband's riding mower while we were out of town. I hated to do it, but I had to tear the webs down. They've already moved to the other side of the shed, though!
This is the first year I've had them, but my neighbor has them every year. Right now the largest one is at least 6" in diameter (including legs, of course).
I've also heard that they've been known to catch small bats and birds in their webs!
aamaazon
BUTTONS_MAMA
zibdi
DebinSC
Two_and_a_cat
nick89
FloridaG8or
Sheila965
princessnonie
The web is large and golden and often at the edge of woods.
A bite will produce localized pain at the site, said to be less severe than a bee sting.