We live in Garner, NC and found this HUGE spider in a large tunnel type hole at our mailbox. The spider is at least 2" long and the hole had a diameter of at least 1". I think it's a female as it had babies with it. It is shiny in this picture because we sprayed it with insect killer and put it in a ziploc bag. Please help me identify the spider and let me know if it's harmful.
Thanks! :-)
Other than the shinyness, the image does not seem to match the verbal description, as it has the appearance of a jumping spider (family Salticidae - see http://tinyurl.com/lph9tx for an example. These get nowhere as large as what you described; anything with a total length of more than an inch would be very unusual for this group. Also, the only spiders in Georgia that pose a threat to humans are the widow spiders (Latrodectus sp.) and recluse spiders (Loxosceles sp.). This spider, whatever its exact identity, is harmless to humans and likely beneficial.
