Detailed information on Writing Spider, Scribbler, Black and Yellow Argiope (Argiope aurantia)

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Wesee_Wisee

Batesville, AR | December 2020 | Positive

My husband and I enjoy having the Yellow Argiope spiders around, which we do not see every year. In 2020, we saw three, a large one viewable from the kitchen window, a smaller one on the east side of the well house, and one in our airy shed, which was an unusual place to see one.

The time to spot these spiders is in middle to late summer seated in the center of their web. They have good eyesight and startle easily if you get too close. This spider species is large enough to handle a hummingbird if one so happens to get caught in their web. In late summer, two hummingbirds that were visiting our back porch feeder (birds passing through, heading slowly south) flew over and hovered close to the spider near the kitchen window, as if to say, \"watch out for her web, she can... read more

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GinaKB

Travelers Rest, SC | August 2018 | Positive

I have a huge and beautiful writing spider on the outside of my back porch. She is spooky because she's so large but this forum had educated me to know she is a beneficial in my yard. I wonder how much bigger she could possibly get. I read another post from a fellow from my little town here in SC.

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Melly931

Fayetteville, TN | September 2016 | Positive

I grew up in Greenville, South Carolina and I saw them all the time... Every where... I moved to southern tn about 25 years ago and have never seen one until today!! It is just as gorgeous as I remember!!! So, they are in Fayetteville Tennessee!!

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tedofacc

Raleigh, NC | May 2016 | Positive

When I was a kid we were told that if the writing spider wrote your name on you that you would die. We truly believed it and were very careful. There were numerous spiders and we would throw grasshoppers in the web and watch the spider quickly wrap them up in a web cocoon.

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sandymaex

Clearfield, PA | March 2016 | Negative

I get those spiders every year. One time I saw a Sparrow all wrapped up in its web. Since then I have been killing those spiders. Imagine what else it could get in its web!

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zekew1

Travelers Rest, SC | September 2015 | Positive

We have a huge writing spider here in northern greenville county. Never had any trouble with it and it is a beautiful spider! However, it's size makes my wife uneasy

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srosea

Conyers, GA | August 2015 | Neutral

We live in Conyers, Ga and we have a writing spider on our outside building. They are very pretty

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vossner

(Zone 8a) | August 2014 | Positive

Found this spider in our Freestone Co, east TX, property. It scared me to death, as it was as big as my hand. Upon researching, I have learned it is considered a beneficial as it eats many bugs, but I'd rather not stumble upon one again. It is often confused with a banana spider.

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Jbert

High Point, NC | August 2014 | Positive

Beautiful spider... Very recognizable.
I see these every year in my area. I like 'em, welcome in my yard.

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Luckyfur

Cottonwood Shores, TX | November 2012 | Positive

I have a huge mama on the eaves of my back patio. My husband wanted to tear down her web. He didn't get his way! Now she has not only one, but two egg sacs and I enjoy throwing bugs into her web at night to watch how quickly she wraps them for a later snack! Wondering when the babies will be here? They've been in the web for about a month.

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jstrickland

Arlington, TN | September 2012 | Positive

We get these spiders every summer, usually 1 or 2. This year we have had a bumper crop, with at least five confirmed around our house. The whole family gets excited with each sighting. We have confirmed at least one skink caught and eaten.

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PhuzyLogik

Orlando, FL | September 2011 | Positive

These spiders are really cool! I just had 3 of them in my yard, 2 of them moved away. One laid an egg sack and then the last one move her web right above my front door. It was nice because I could look at her through the window nice and close. But the other day she relocated right across my front door. I'm slowly trying to destory her web so she'll move.

Here's a few pics -
http://www.flickr.com/photos/phuzylogik/6110496617/in/photos...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/phuzylogik/6112549094/in/photos...
... read more

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bailey1879

Manasota Key, FL | September 2011 | Positive

For the second time in two years, I am happy to report I have a female living in
my Hibiscus. She is large and beautiful and manages to engage both my attention and that of my cat !
I reside in Englewood, FL

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saraevans

Wynne, AR | September 2010 | Positive

We are a family of 5 who loves these spiders. We have them every year. I have a ten yr old with a form of autism who is fasinated with them. We have enjoyed one that has lived on our front porch for several wks now. She moved two days ago, and we found her in her web dead yesterday. She spun a rusty colored pouch. Does anyone know what happend?? We were all very sad, but my ten yr old wants answeres. The info would be greatly appriciated!!!

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expedite

Madison, GA | September 2010 | Neutral

I have a beautiful sewing spider on my back deck who has made her web across the door frame. I enjoy watching her throught the glass of the door. Unfortunately, we're about to have our house pressure washed and painted, and she and her 4 egg sacs will need to be moved. Can anyone tell me how I can do this? I'd like to continue to enjoy her and give her eggs a safe place to hatch, but she can't stay where whe is.

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ElementsInFL

Bradenton, FL | September 2010 | Positive

Found this wonderful spider in my back yard the last week of July. Intrigued by her vast size and striking colors, I looked her up online. To my surprise she was a very beneficial creature to have in one's garden and she certainly proved those articles correct. They're amazing! Before they arrived ( I had 3 of them) I had a lot of wasps, ugly black moths, and a ton of flies flying around my back yard, now I see hardly any.

Alas, they apparently did too good of a job because the food supply for them dwindled causing 2 of them to leave for a better location I guess. Presently only one's left( I posted a picture of her with her morning snack) and as you can see she's a beauty. I'm also going to post a picture of her sister that had until recently kept her company.

... read more

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rfaile

Catawba, SC | September 2010 | Positive

we found this beautiful spider in a corner nook of our house just behind our moon flower plant. i've always seen them about this time of year right before fall. when i was a child my aunts and uncles would tell all of us children not to show the spider our teeth because if you did she would write your name in her web and you would die soon. bologna!! they told us that to keep us away from the spider. it worked though. we never messed with them and would never show them our teeth.
i love to watch them do their thing! awesome!! amazing!! so big and fascinating. wouldn't want one to get on me though. very scary. i would proably die of a heart attack.
the night we found this spider my husband woke up in the middle of the night thinking he had a spider on his back. after jumping ... read more

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danaguest

Jackson, MS | August 2010 | Neutral

i am horrified of spiders. they are just creepy little creatures. i just walked out my front door to check the mail. while strolling along my sidewalk i saw this huge web with a huge something in the middle... well, i see i found bertha! she is massive and very dangerous looking. i noticed she had quiet a large bug caught in her web she seemed to be nibbling on. i tried to take a picture, but couldn't seem to get in close enough. (my fear just wouldn't allow me) she is very pretty and colorful. even though i don't really care for spiders, i left her alone. as long as she stays outside, i won't bother her. she can build her home out there. i just hope she doesn't come inside. :) i wish my fear wasn't so terrible. she really is a beautiful creature. i really want a good photo ... read more

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hennyfer17

Dexter, MI | August 2010 | Positive

This spider is beautiful. Took up residence in my tomato plant and has been feeding on honey bees that get caught...Watched it feed yesterday...I'm intrigued. Such a pretty creature.

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senclay

Hattiesburg, MS | August 2010 | Positive

I just moved to Hattiesburg, MS and found this large spider outside our kitchen window. I am terrified of spiders and wanted my husband to remove it. After doing some research, I came across this website and found all the wonderful comments about this intimidating spider. After learning how beneficial she is, I have decided to leave her there and have named her "Hattie". Watching her over the days has made me appreciate how beautiful she is and I am okay sharing our home.

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DracoVolans

Crestline, CA (Zone 8b) | July 2010 | Positive

Whew! Took me all of forever to find out the name of this oh so pretty spider! In almost every other resource I've found today, she's called the Golden Orb-Weaver and she seems to be often confused or considered related to the St. Andrew's Cross spider. They have very similar habits, but their markings are quite different: the Golden having the lovely regular, vertical stripe-and-dot pattern and the St. Andrew's having a horizontal black and orange/yellow-white marking.

Gorgeous spider, though, and I had the treat of meeting two living in the same bush in Franklin Canyon here in LA.

We were up at the crack of dawn- mission: to relocate a paper-wasp's nest that a little queen had built on my Organ Pipe Cactus. There are children living in our apartment buil... read more

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aquilusdomini

Jackson, MI | July 2010 | Positive

i love these spiders, they're beautiful and so good for the garden. to those of you who had an adverse reaction after being bit, you're ALLERGIC to the spider's venom. these spiders are not dangerous to the general public and shouldn't be considered dangerous unless you have an allergy, in which case you should avoid the creature. allergies aside, these spiders are great.

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PinetopPlanter

Auburn Four Corners, PA (Zone 5a) | May 2010 | Positive

Growing up, part of the time, in Pennsylvania, we called these 'August Spiders' since it was in that month that we would see them here and there in the fields. We would catch bugs -- mainly japanese beetles -- and toss them into the web. Sometimes the beetle would wriggle free, sometimes not. They were always seen as beneficial 'friends' and we would be sad when we accidently ran through a web, or went back to a spot where one had been the day before, only to find that the spider had moved.

I've never found these spiders to be aggressive against humans.

'August Spiders', monarch catterpillars, and wild asters are intimately tied with memories of late summer days in beautiful Northeastern PA.

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cesnod

Whittier, NC | February 2010 | Positive

After sixty-plus years, I came face-to-face with my first writing spider on the porch of a cabin in the Smokies last Fall ...took a photo to send to a naturalist friend for identification. It's beautiful spider that's impossible to ignore. This week, I used the image on my photo-blog (Jan 31 post)...

http://www.postcardsfromthesmokies.com

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hope43

Tulsa, OK (Zone 7a) | November 2009 | Positive

know i know what the spiders are i took while back i thought threads were pretty all like scribbles... had 2 shapes.of the spider. think posted pictures if not will if have camera is broke now..

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Gnat666

Barnesville, GA | October 2009 | Positive

my nephew found one of these on our backporch near the door and freaked out because of its size. he caught it in a jar and waited till i got home to show me. im the resident 'bug nerd' so he was hoping i could tell him about it. i told him they are harmless and the best thing to do was to let it go and hope it went back to its web, which it quickly climbed back into. its been hanging out on our porch now for about a week. i was actually happy to find one living near our house.

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kateyes3

Knoxville, TN | October 2009 | Positive

We had a beautiful writing spider show up outside my bedroom window of our second floor apartment. I startled both of us yanking the blinds up and yelling when I saw her. She started bobbing her web back and forth. Warning me maybe? I lowered the blinds a little to give her privacy. She had a large egg sac in her web. She has moved around a few times and once was right outside the building door. I was afraid someone would harm her, but no one has. I've seen her (or another one?) in a more sheltered area with another egg sac. My girls and I call her Charlotte and other than look and take pictures leave her alone. :)

She doesn't seem to mind us looking at her, but we take care not to get to close. She's a rather large spider!

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baconbone

Hillsboro, OR | September 2009 | Negative

What ever you do please do not capture this bug and give it over for research my cousin did this last fall and has experienced a terrible run of bad luck. This spider is cursed. Even though it seems this simple act is in inherently harmless it carries with it a heavy cost. I think such creatures should be left in there natural state and should not be harmed, yea be warned.

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trvdc

Forest Grove, OR | September 2009 | Neutral

I Live in North West Oregon. Tonight I found a Scribbler spider on the lavender bush by my front door. I've never seen one of these spiders. Neither have either of my parents or neighbors. I'm sure there not native here because this is the first one anyone from around here has ever seen. My family has been here over a hundred years... Can anyone tell me what I should do? I read they live in corn fields, which my property is surrounded by this time of year. The farmers are cutting it down as I type... should I be as freaked out as much as this things making me?? I don't want it around because of the kids.

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Arachnophile

Norman, OK | September 2009 | Positive

I love all spiders and insects, and this morning I saw this beautiful creature had built her web on the outside of our screen porch. I have never seen a spider like this before, and when I sent the picture of her to my mother--a seasoned gardener--she said she had never seen one, either. I remember seeing a lot of lovely spiders with zig-zags in the middle of their webs in the 1960s, but not for many years, and not one like this. It's an honor to welcome her as autumn arrives! I have uploaded a photo of her for your enjoyment.

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Hintetsomaru

Saint Matthews, SC | September 2009 | Positive

I, personally, love these bugs, and have seen several of them scattered around my yard. They are very beautiful creatures, and sweet creatures if you don't attack them. I even managed to hold one, once. I'm a bit sad, as one of my personal favorites have recently laid eggs, and will pass away soon, but I will be fine. On current, I have seen at least eight in my yard alone, none the less in the field near my home. They keep most irritating insects away from my small garden, and they have no problems living with Jeweled Spiders nearby. I may upload some pictures of them, in the near future.

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fairydustcrissy

Gainesville, GA | September 2009 | Positive

We have been lucky enough to have these beautiful spiders over the past several years. My children have enjoyed watching them, and do equate them to Charlotte :) As a matter of fact, all three in my yard right now are named Charlotte LOL. I had the joy of watching the female weave her web just before dawnthis morning...truely amazing!

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alaskanbanshee

Lexington, SC | August 2009 | Positive

I just uploaded 2 pictures of the writing spider my husband and I have named 'Shelob'.

She made her web right near where I have to reach to turn on my outdoor water faucet. We have had a few tense moments when we have startled each other as I reach to turn on the water, but we seem to have come to an arrangement. I blow a little air her way to let her know I'm coming, and I carefully crouch down and reach past her to turn the water on and off.

95% of the time she doesn't budge. If I bump her web, she scurries up her web to the brick wall of the house.

I haven't caught her eating anything yet, but from what I've read on this site, I'm going to have to see about catching her a grasshopper sometime soon!

She has been a wonderful... read more

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jbrinkley

Morehead City, NC | July 2009 | Negative

I dont know where they get the idea that these spiders are not a threat, I am here to tell you that they are. As a young girl we use to poke sticks at them and say they were writting our names in their webs, very stupid! We were going through a corn feild as kids, playing, and they had webs all across above our heads with the spiders in them. I looked at one and it was the big adult and all of a sudden it lept from it's web onto my arm and bit me. It didn't take but a minute before I started feeling very sick on my stomach and somewhat disoriented. My brothers got me back to the house and my arm in the region of the bite and further up and down was swollen 3-4 x its size with little bumps all over it. I was vomiting severley and shaking like in a shock I remember feeling very cold. My moth... read more

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JuneyBug

Dover AFB, DE (Zone 7a) | January 2009 | Positive

My Mom called it "the Painted Lady of the Garden" and I have fed them all of my life. Luckily, they really seem to like my outside lights, and so, stay out of the pathways. I had one walk across my shoulder when I was a kid, and found that they have kinda' painful stickers on their legs. I move them if they are in "our" walkways because of that.

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mamakat122002

Glen Burnie, MD | November 2008 | Positive

I have had 5 of these in my yard this past summer. Very scary to meet face to face at the wood pile in the back yard then another at the front door light fixture while changing out the bulb. I am a little girlie about spiders but understand there reason for being here.

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Ladyborg

Magnolia, TX (Zone 8b) | November 2008 | Neutral

Found this one cocooning what seemed to be another of its kind alive in my garden.

[[email protected]]

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JJJJK

Red Bank, NJ | September 2008 | Neutral

My children and I found this spider sitting in her web between our house and landscaping this afternoon. This evening we came upon this website and like detectives with a flashlight, determined she is a writing spider. What an interesting looking creature... the bright yellow color made me think she was dangerous. My kids were so impressed when we were able to figure out what kind of spider she was!

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ArgiopesROCK

| September 2008 | Positive

I have seen these in the past. I found one in particular that was apparently a happy-go-lucky. I continued to feed. She must have found a liking to me as I fed her or even got next to her she would happily move to the top of her web and wait for the pray to be latched on. (She even crawled on my arm once) She was almost exactly striped like ZZ (read my diary). Unfortunatly, she went all Charlotes' Web on me but left behind plentiful babies who hatched and began to live on her old web.

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Quincy247

| September 2008 | Positive

I love these spiders! The first one I ever remember seeing I had been falsely told was a banana spider. He/she was on one of our bushes next to our garage. But I came home one day, and apparently my Mom had sprayed it or something because she had to trim the bush. I was very upset... and now, one year later they've come back!! Luckily in a place where my Mom does not need to get to. He/she is positioned between two bushes in the back near our window- very convenient because all we have to do is open up our blinds and see what is up with our little friend. Just yesterday, I noticed what looked like a baby spider farther up. You can barely see him from the window, but if you go outside and look you can get a better view. We tried throwing a kind of grub at the net, and the spider immediately... read more

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johnnyugo

Gaston, SC | September 2008 | Positive

My wife and I were laying in bed talking last night and I saw a shadow on the window over our bed, it looked like a very large spider so I peeked out the blinds and there before my eyes was the most beautiful spider I have ever seen. Black and yellow markings made it easy to look up, it was in fact a Writing Spider. I spent the remainder of the night watching her beauty, slowly weaving her web to about two feet wide. It was the most remarkable thing I have ever witnessed. Its now 5 in the morning and I hope to watch her spin her zigzag pattern in the middle. I have a few snapshots I will post later today, I hope to also get a few more shots of her and her beauty. Wish me luck!!!

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melissam30

Mechanicville, NY | August 2008 | Neutral

I am absolutely scared to death of spiders and will be the first one to run,today while I was winterizing the outside of my house I was in the process of moving some lawm chairs away from the back yard fence and as I was moving it I disturbed this spider,not realizing what it was at first,when I looked again,maybe 2 minutes later I saw this with it's web,the size it what captured my eye,never had I seen such a big spider before,so I quickly grabbed my cam and took some photos,mainly to look this up online to see what it was and if it was dangerous,I was glad to find it was harmless :)
I also found one by the end of the day in the front of the house and again in it's beautifull web,the web is so amazing,and I took photos of that as well as a video.I'm sure there are a whole lot more ... read more

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LadySim54

Schenectady, NY | August 2008 | Positive

Finding this large yellow and black spider in the mist of my tomatoe plants the other day was frightening. But after looking it up on the Internet my fears were put to rest. She is just a "Garden Spider" and poses NO danger to people. Notice the Zigzag band of bright white noncapture silk known as a "stabilimentum" near the center of her web. Scientists aren't sure why she makes this tell-tale sign but some believe it's to warn birds of her web. She is also know as the "writting spider" because of this zigzag. Did you notice the neatly wrapped meal she has next to her, could that have been her mate ?

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704family

Stanfield, NC | August 2008 | Positive

Our spider built his nest in the corner of our porch and we love her! She never leaves her web and just recently molted. She's a great bug catcher (I hate moths) and a beautiful addition to our patio!!

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jackieblue

Vidalia, GA | August 2008 | Positive

Just have to tell you guys, the other day I found a huge tomato worm on my tomatoes, I threw it in my spiders web and this thing was sooooo big that the web could not hold it. As the worm tried to get away the spider came down to bite it and the worm tried to attack the spider. It fell off the web and I mashed the head before returning it to the web. The spider grows profusely, probably because I feed it about everyday. And I don't even like spiders. But, I am learning. She is fabulous to look at. I just stand there and gaze at her for periods at the time. She is sooooo amazing to watch. I think that I have had two this year could be the same one but they look totally different and the last one seems to be smaller that the first one was.

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carolshafer

Rockdale, TX | February 2008 | Positive

Family and friends have all been informed not to touch these beautiful creatures. Because I live in Rockdale, Texas we are blessed with a multitude of mosquitos and at any given time you can pass these webs and see the "lady" spinning them in her web. All mine have names. The one who lives on the back patio is Crystal and when my husband comes in and tells me he gave Crystal a grasshopper I know exactly what he is talking about.

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asjk359

Fairborn, OH | September 2007 | Neutral

I found a writing spider outside my sons window this evening. I had just told him a few weeks ago that it had been years since I had seen a writing spider. We have enjoyed watching her catch some dinner tonight.

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MaxGarcia

Frisco, TX | September 2007 | Positive

My Argiope appeared magically on July 4th 2007, I originally wanted to get rid of her but decided to look her up on the web. Turns out she is harmless and even if she bit, her venom is harmless to humans. I was totally amazed and intrigued with this creature's habits and how quickly she grew into a beautiful spider, I think I only saw the male one time and that was it. I've also notice other opportunistic smaller spiders build their webs on hers. Right now she had layed her eggs and her abdoment had decreased in side by 20% She seemed very exhausted and that night she didn't make a new web. The following day she did, she seem to be getting slugish as the fall progresses, I've read alot about them, and how they can live up to 2 years, I was thinking about bringing her inside for the ... read more

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Karnie2007

Omaha, NE | September 2007 | Positive

This spider has been reported now being seen in Omaha Nebraska... This spider is HUGE.. I agree with all the others... I captured it.. not knowing what it was.. until I looked it up... I fed it ... being nice and all.. even tho it was sooo HUGE that it didnt look deprived of nutrition... then the daughter and I let it go... what an interesting spider... the way it looked was very intimitating... but we did what nature had intended for us to do.. and let it go back into the garden....

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rogue_spidey

Jacksonville, NC | September 2007 | Positive

I must agree with blue_cherry on this. Nature has been and continues to be a wonderful teacher, not to mention an endless source of wonder. I take every opportunity to teach our daughter (8 years young) about the amazing complexities of nature and to maintain a healthy respect for all life.

The writing spider (Argiope Aurantia) we discovered in the garden this morning was proudly displaying her colors perched gently on a dazzling web with a freshly silk spun catch. "Very interesting."

I took a few pictures and my daughter was quite excited to simply observe from a close but safe distance. We also discovered two species of geckos in an adjacent plant.

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spiderider

Wichita, KS | September 2007 | Positive

I am new to blogging (is this blogging?), digital photography and bug watching, among other things. I found this critter while I was mowing my lawn. I took photos (I have others) a couple of days ago with a Kodak LS443, 4MP camera. I was amazed at how detailed the images are. I (OK, the camera!) was just a few inches away and Agatha (yes, I named the spider) was kind enough to sit still for her portrait. The next day it appeared that she was replaced by a smaller version. Are they smaller right after they molt? Do they eat the remains (which I did not find)? Or is this really another spider? I await your replies.

Two years [!] later...

Writing spider watching has become an annual event for me. Agatha, my original spider, has created a legacy--ever increasing n... read more

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blaineb9

Elon College, NC | September 2007 | Positive

we have had the spiders the last three years they have grown from one to two and now we have them every where mostly females but this year we have a few males my kids have fell in love with them we feed them and go check on them daily we have gone to saving them when our dog ran though the web of one of them

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Jetlagged40

Raleigh, NC | September 2007 | Positive

When I was a kid in NC some sixty years ago, we called these "Yellow Zippers" because of their color and the writing on their web. Of course they terrified us, but we never killed one nor have I to date. When I see one, it takes me back to my childhood. Neat.

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shotgunsally

Birch Run, MI | September 2007 | Positive

I've noticed that this site doesn't have any information on this spider being in Michigan.....however, we have had two beautiful ones and babies in our bushes since late July and have enjoyed watching them. They haven't moved anywhere, except when my husband accidently moved some of the bushes. One was black and lean, the other was brown and very round......same markings though.
I will admit that after 38 years of living in Michigan, I have never seen this spider here before.

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zeemolly

Woodland Hills, CA | September 2007 | Positive

We just discovered this magnificent spider in our backyard in Woodland Hills, California! We all gathered round to admire its dramatic beauty! The zig zag web was immediately noted -- and we took care to check that none of our names were spelled out in her magnificent web! She was as still as can be -- enough so that we got several rather spectacular pictures which I hope to be able to share in due course. Who is the moron who, assured of its benignity, could even think let alone act to harm this wonderful creature? Alas, for us all! 409? Save us!

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Druby

Memphis, TN | September 2007 | Positive

We found this lovely spider about a month ago in our flowerbed next to our front porch. I have been very surprised that she has been there so long. Ours seems to be a little aggressive. When we walk out toward the web, she immeadiately scurries to the upper left edge by a column on our porch, like she is trying to get leverage to jump, but stops. She waits until we go back inside before she returns to the center. It was almost like she could "see" us. The front door is a good ways away from her. I notice when our dog walks by the web, she doesn't move. Earlier this week, I went out to look and she did the same. Later, someone was at my door and we looked at her again and then she started the "bouncing" of her web but didn't scurry to the top. I was so glad to find this site. Than... read more

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CHudnall

Sebring, FL (Zone 9a) | September 2007 | Neutral

We have been fortunate in years past, and I hope will be this year too, to have these magical creatures in our yard.

Last year I quit counting after 48! They seem to love our Confederate Jasmine bush and the old realty sign post that it is growing around. We were awarded with being able to watch a particular one that always was in the same spot, we watched as she grew from a juvenile still in her circular stabilimentum to adult being courted by not one male but two!

She certainly had her web-full of activity as the two males faced off, one on one side of the web feet touching the other one on the other side of the web. It was fascinating to watch. Then one morning after watching all this take place for about 4 days, both males were gone.

If ... read more

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CritZer0

Dallas, TX | September 2007 | Positive

I'm an arachniphobe. Have been for most of my life.
Two weeks ago, I joined the Texas Equu Search and Recovery group in their attempt to locate a missing person (my wife's cousin). We were searching pastures and treed creeklines in central Texas (Normangee), and while doing so we repeatedly encountered these spiders hanging from the trees. Scared me silly, honestly, but we kept looking anyway.

In the 2 weeks since we've been back in Dallas, I've seen 2 of them...or possibly the same one moved from bushes at the curb to my Dining Room window.
I've uploaded her picture.
As long as she's on the other side of glass, I can get a good look at her, and I'm happy to let her keep her web near the house, but I can guarantee you that I'm not going to be tending ... read more

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MelisLongIsland

Smithtown, NY | August 2007 | Positive

Hello. I am from Long Island, New York - Smithtown is the name of my town, but many people haven't ever heard of Long Island. We have the great Hamptons! haha...

I was mowing my lawn, and I saw this huge thing jump! I thought it was a spider, but figured it couldn't be because of the size. It's large. I wish I could get a good enough picture of it to upload. It's so beautiful. I walked up the block to ask my neighbors, and they had no idea, so I came inside to look it up to make sure it wasn't poisonious.

I am the kind of person who doesn't kill nature, and I'm sorry to say that I almost wanted to kill this tiny spider. I just didn't want something venomous around the house with my daughter running about, but that showcases my fear and ignorance. <... read more

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winebee1

Frost, TX | August 2007 | Positive

We have 2 of these wonderful spiders nesting on our back porch right now. One has laid a sack and we expect the other will do so soon. My husband catches grasshoppers for them, which they love. And we're glad to be rid of as many grasshoppers as we can. We have very few of the "pesky" insects, since these lovely ladies have chosen to live on our porch.
We need to learn which insects are beneficial and work with Mother Nature as much as we can. I'm trying to teach my grandchildren to do this, since they will be the ones to inherit whatever is left of this planet earth. People who rampantly destroy what they fear or don't understand will be the first to complain when the world they know goes to hell in a hand basket.
Thank you for this informative site.

a

akitaman1

Bessemer, AL (Zone 7b) | August 2007 | Positive

i saw my first writing spiders since moving from north carolina 7 years ago. they have made a home in my tomatoes. and okra patch. i guess i want pick as much of those veggies as i thought i would. just a small scarifice i have to make to enjoy such a wonderful insect.

p

pjsposies

Fort Worth, TX (Zone 8a) | August 2007 | Positive

I just saw my first Argiope and it is one of the largest spiders I have ever seen. She is HUGE and beautiful. I grew up around scorpions and tarantulas and I kill nothing without finding out what it is unless it's stalkng me and on the verge of devouring me.
I just read that one of the prey of this spider is the grasshopper. I saw a stink bug in her web. I'll be doing a lot of gardening tomorrow and I do believe she will find some treats in her web.
My son found a Golden Orb once and when we moved he brought her with us. He would put bugs in her web for her. One day he came in and told me she had eggs. I knew he was fixing to experience "Charlotte's Web" firsthand. He did and was quite sad but I explained they are all a small part of the one he cared for so much. ... read more

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stewie3107

MCKINNEY, TX (Zone 8a) | July 2007 | Positive

I have to say that these spiders are a bit intimidating at first but I have really grown accustomed to having them around. I have 1 female that hangs out on the side of my house. She has a nice set up right under the eave of the house. It's fascinating watching her web get bigger and bigger as she does too.
Now there is an egg sac that came yesterday. I'm not too sure about it but I will see what mother nature does.

J

JayneP

Tomball, TX (Zone 9a) | June 2007 | Neutral

The first time I saw this spider, it terrified me! It's web was spun between two trees and I came upon it while I was out horseback riding. It was quite scary to see such a large spider right at eye level when you are on a horse!.

I didn't even know what it was, but when I found one on my patio a couple of days ago, I did a web search and found the information and pictures here.

Looks like I have a female living on my patio and I am happy to share it with her :)

b

blue_cherry

Vancouver, BC | June 2007 | Neutral

Attn Danielle2459 and anyone else who's ever 'terminated' a beneficial bug:

There are many beneficial bugs who will react defensively if disturbed in a fashion that makes them feel threatened. The Argiopes are NON-toxic and from what I've read and personally experienced, it's practically unheard of for them to bite. Consider the 'BEE'; if they feel harrassed or threatened, they'll sting---otherwise they just go about their BUZZness.

I love watching bees at work--and I love garden spiders--the bigger the better. I frequently go on 'Bug Safaris' to capture the beneficial ones (e.g., spiders, ladybugs, ladybug larvae, etc.) and release them onto the balcony for them to perform their respective jobs.

I'm sorry that your mom was bitten, although... read more

c

claypa

West Pottsgrove, PA (Zone 6b) | October 2006 | Neutral

This is NOT the spider in the book, "Charlotte's Web". Charlotte introduces herself as A. cavaticus, or Araneus cavaticus, a Barn Spider, which is very common in Hancock County, Maine USA, where the book was written and the fair that the book is based on still takes place every Labor Day holiday weekend. It's in Blue Hill Maine, where the author EB White had a home. Sorry, Charlotte was ugly!

s

snookybird1986

Nanuet, NY | September 2006 | Positive

This morning my children spotted (charlotte) in her web.
I have never seen such a spider in New York. Its amazing! I just afraid it might bite the children. I have taken some pictures and would like to post them.

Thank You

Marie from NY

D

Danielle2459

Yellow Springs, OH | September 2006 | Neutral

This exact spider last year bit my mother in the back yard. Now today have seen another one and sprayed it down with 409 instantly....being that it was the closest thing to save us... and we have it in baggy now... Thank heavens. I will send in a picture this weekend however both times they have came out from our hosta plants. (Which we have many of... hope not to run into anymore anytime soon!!) We need to find something to keep them away since we have young children.

o

ourfarm

Friendsville, TN | September 2006 | Positive

I always know fall is either upon us, or nearly so, when the Writing Spiders appear. And, I always seem to have lots of them around the outside of my house. They are awesome! The old wive's tale says your days are numbered if the writing spider ever spells out your name in her web. Or, as I've heard it told, "If the Writing Spider spells your name, you're a dead man!" :-O

d

deanzgurll

Ogden, IA | August 2006 | Positive

I have this spider everywhere; from the outside of the house to my veg garden. It seems particularly fond of tomatoe plants and will even eat those big green tomatoe horn worms. My only problem with it is, there are so many I sometimes inadvertently stick my hand in a web. The spider seems unperturbed by this however, and neither climbs toward or away from my interruption of it's web. I have several web sacks too.

Q

QueenB

Shepherd, TX (Zone 8b) | August 2006 | Positive

I have two "sisters" I've been nurturing since this spring, and they've caught many different things in their webs, which they've occasionally moved. They've spent most of their lives in and around the greenhouse, keeping down the bug population without a problem. They've mostly caught Junebugs, which are pretty hard eating for a spider. I found one egg sac so far, but it was after it had already baked in the closed greenhouse. They're both in excellent health and fat as can be! I hope to have a crop of new babies in the spring.

s

sallyg

Anne Arundel,, MD (Zone 7b) | August 2006 | Positive

Seem very hard to predict whether and where you'll get one here. Had four egg sacks one fall and didn't find one spider the following spring. They have never made us a web across an opening, unlike some huge fat brown ones we usually find around August, in the evenings around the yard.

S

Sheila965

Rincon, GA (Zone 8a) | August 2006 | Positive

These spiders are among my favorite to watch. Their colorful bodies and creative web designs are amazing. Plus, they move VERY fast. So far, every night, the spider has torn down her web and moved. A male showed up yesterday. ;-)

p

patp

Summerville, SC (Zone 8a) | July 2006 | Positive

We had 6 writing spider egg sacks overwinter in one of our camelia bushes and looked forward to seeing some adults in the Spring. We're still looking ................ perhaps they were too close to the bird feeders. Oh, DH said he saw little spiders in the bush, along with anoles who probably ate them.

D

DawninTx

Nevada, TX (Zone 8a) | July 2006 | Positive

I am always happy to find these spiders in my yard. I have been known to catch grasshoppers and gently toss them into this spider's web. Love the spider, hate the grasshoppers.

m

melody

Benton, KY (Zone 7a) | July 2006 | Positive

This is a very large and intimidating looking spider, but in reality, it's a great bug catcher, and rarely leaves its web.

The female's body can be nearly 1 1/2" long not counting the legs. The male, who is rarely seen, is much smaller, between 1/4" and 3/8". He is not as brightly colored, and only has one purpose in life.

The female spins the large web with the distinctive zig-zag down the middle, and is the one people see in their gardens.

While this spider is seen all across the US and southern Canada, it isn't common in the Rocky Mountains and the Canadian Great Basin area.

Because of it's large web, that it maintains by eating it each evening and spinning a new one before dawn, people have come to enjoy them in their out of ... read more

Writing Spider, Scribbler, Black and Yellow Argiope

Argiope aurantia

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