I don't know much about spiders, but got some great shots of a rather large one today.
The actual body was close to two inches in length.
The length (span with legs) was close to four inches, at least 3.5 inches.
The width was around three inches.
Thanks for any ideas or ID you can provide!
Another shot attached.
Also, larger versions of the images can be found here:
http://www.feldoncentral.com/garden/photos/v/memberphotos/suze/misc/spiders/spider2.jpg.html?g2_imageViewsIndex=1
http://www.feldoncentral.com/garden/photos/v/memberphotos/suze/misc/spiders/spider1.jpg.html?g2_imageViewsIndex=1
Its a Yellow Garden Spider-Argiope aurantia ,Harmless.
The photo is a female. Males are less than 1/4 inch.
The size differential is true with a lot of species in TX.
Thanks for the ID! I just went and looked again to confirm size, and yes, she is easily 3.5 inches long. I hope she sticks around. She has a missing leg on the right lower side, I can just make out the stub in one of the pictures.
Edited to add, the lower right side of the picture, because she is upside down in the photos.
This message was edited Sep 29, 2007 6:37 PM
Head down is her normal stance...she always will sit in her web this way...I'm a spiderphobe of the highest degree, but let these gals live in my garden. We always had one in our garden when we were kids...she was always named Cindy...it was great fun each year to see where our Cindy Spider chose to build her web....we'd throw her grasshoppers...which she obligingly wrapped up and ate.
Mel, I was just thinking of giving her a name -- haven't come up with one yet. ;o)
Lots of blogs out there about these spiders....for some reason, many folks connect with them.
Mine are still all Cindy's, even if I get several sisters in a year.
