This spider has been living large in my yard in Katy Texas for a few months now. It is around 2 -3 inches in length. Hard to measure as I'm really frightened by it. Is is a harmful fellow? I have no plans to touch it, but the kids and dogs may be in danger. The yellow and black stripes on the body did not photograph too well.:eek:

Please let me know what you think this might be.

Oooh that's neat. I believe it's just a garden orb weaver of some sorts. The zig zags in the web make me think that. Often they're called drawing spiders. If I had to guess, this one is a male. The females tend to be much larger and brighter. I once had a female, big big girl, real bright black and yellow. I thought she was a banana spider at first until I researched and found out she was a simple garden orb weaver. Harmless. Good at keeping bugs away :) If this is the case, he'll keep to himself. The female I had stayed for a long time and eventually died when it got pretty cold out. Just please don't squish him :( If he still concerns you, I'd get someone real brave to move him away from the house where your kids and dogs won't be.

This looks like a garden spider - Pictures of Arachnids Black and Yellow Garden Spider
Spiders

If this is correct, it is not dangerous to humans or pets but it does eat grasshoppers and such. If this spider really disturbs you, do you have a container you can capture it in, such as a coffee can or glass jar and then take the spider to another location?

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Originally Posted by maryanns

This spider has been living large in my yard in Katy Texas for a few months now. It is around 2 -3 inches in length. Hard to measure as I'm really frightened by it. Is is a harmful fellow? I have no plans to touch it, but the kids and dogs may be in danger. The yellow and black stripes on the body did not photograph too well.:eek:

Please let me know what you think this might be.

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It looks like a Weaver but I forgot the actual name.

It very well could be an Argiope trifasciata or banded garden spider. I recall from my spiders course that all spiders have venom, but not all spiders bite. Some don't have the strength or personality to bite humans. Although, based on the size of this spider, I wouldn't want to challenge it. It could probably bite, and leave a nasty lesion. If you are allergic it would be dangerous, if not it would be a nasty inconvenience. Just leave it alone and it will leave you alone.

I found this by googling "argiope" which resulted in a picture that matches at Argiope trifasciata, banded garden spider This website does not indicate that A. trifaciata will leave a necrosis, but does indicate that a spider big enough to bite can cause an ulceration.

I don't think that is a normal spider for show at times a man going to do what he has to do face it and kill it be4 it kills your dog or your chidren so get him be4 it get u.

Don't listen to this advice! It's the rare spider that can kill anyone. The consensus here from people who seem to know is that this is a harmless garden spider. It makes as much to kill any living thing you don't recognize as to kill any person you don't know. Leave the poor thing alone.