Summer Tenant

I usually have 2 or 3 orb weavers on my porches each fall.  I leave them to their business as long as they don't spin their webs across the steps.  I can't stand walking face first into a cobweb!  I am not a great fan of spiders.  As a general rule, they creep me out.  But there is something about those lovely, perfectly woven webs that I just can't bring myself to destroy.  This year, I have a different orb weaver. 

This impressive femme fatale is an Argiope aruantia, more commonly known as a Black and Yellow Garden Spider or a Writing Spider.  These spiders are the largest of the orb weavers found in North America and second in size only to the Tarantula.  This one's length must be close to 3 inches (I didn't exactly apply a tape measure!).  Her web is at least 3 feet in diameter.
They are called Writing Spiders because of the dense zig zag feature they weave into the center of their webs.


They are reportedly not aggresive.  This one tolerated me and the camera without moving.  They are not poison, although it's said they will cause a painful spot if they bite.  I won't be pinching her to verify this information.  Just the size and appearance of this spider on me somewhere would probably cause me to keel over due to heart failure!