CLOSED: CLOSED: CLOSED: Ick I almost touched this, what kind of spider am I?

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dpoitras Upstate, NY(Zone 5a) Sep 07, 2008

Sorry the pictures are crappy, but I'm hoping somebody knows what this is.

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dpoitras Upstate, NY(Zone 5a) Sep 07, 2008

underbelly

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suunto Sinks Grove, WV Sep 07, 2008

This is an orb-weaving spider (family Araneidae), possibly a marbled orb weaver Araneus marmoreus. All orb weavers are harmless to humans.
This species is highly variable in color pattern - see http://bugguide.net/node/view/2016/bgimage for some examples.

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dpoitras Upstate, NY(Zone 5a) Sep 07, 2008

Thanks for the id and I'm thankful it is harmless to humans. After looking at it's web it's not so harmless to other insects, especially flys. I thought it was a mushroom at first but it confused me because it was in like a cocoon.

I'm just learning to appreciate the value of some insects and spiders in my garden. I'm glad I didn't kill it. I just removed it to a place that was away from me!! ;)

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kniphofia Cramlington, United Kingdom(Zone 8a) Sep 07, 2008

These spiders are very valuable predators in the garden. I think they're wonderful!

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dpoitras Upstate, NY(Zone 5a) Sep 07, 2008

Wish I asked before I relocated him/her. It just creeped me out because of how big it is and I had never seen one. Well it is only in the back yard it can still do some good there it just isn't in the front of the garden. I left it alone forever because it had such a cool web but then I actually saw the spider and well back into the wooded area it went.

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