Hello! I live in lakewood, ohio on the 13th floor of an apartment building on Lake Erie. I have a "garden" in my apartment near the window, and found this "huge" spider near my plants. I quickly snapped these pics before I let him free outside.
My first concern was a brown recluse, but I noticed after looking online that those don't have patterns on both parts of their body, just the front. This guy had shapes on both parts.
Thank you!
Just found another one, same place. These are better images.
It's a male orb-weaving spider, likely in the genus Araneus, which apparently got very, very lost while looking for a mate; all orb weavers are harmless to humans. BTW, you are well out of the 'home range' of recluse spiders - http://www2.ca.uky.edu/entomology/entfacts/ef631.asp
. BTW, you are well out of the 'home range' of recluse spiders - http://www2.ca.uky.edu/entomology/entfacts/ef631.asp
