It's not the best photo, but the only one I have. I found this spider on one of my hanging basket plants on the back deck a few weeks ago and I'm wondering what kind of spider it is. I hope someone can tell me whether or not it's a poisonous variety that I should steer clear of.
This spider is harmless to humans, it is an orchard spider, Leucauge sp.; likely Leucauge venusta - see http://tinyurl.com/29sztxk for an example. The color pattern of this species can be quite variable.
Thanks so much!
This is New Orleans' version of your spider. They appear to be similar. I was told "she" is a long jaw orb spider? It was a challenge to get the photos, but I was able to get 7!
This also is a Leucauge sp.; there appears to be some confusion about species identification in this genus. They are indeed long-jawed orb weavers (family Tetragnathidae)
