“Banana” Spider

It’s that time of year! The crispy edges of summer, back to school, football, AND adult Argiope aurantia season. You may know her as the banana spider, garden spider, black and yellow spider, Steelers spider, or some other nickname, but we’re all talking about the same lady. Yes, the spider you notice is the female of the species. Males are much smaller and not as conspicuous. These guys stand out due to their size, color, and the fact that they’re active during the bright daylight.

When I was a kid, finding one of these spiders was a magical, amazing, wonder. I seemed to stumble upon them, usually in mid-sprint, playing tag, release, or amidst a “seriously dude, I had dibs on that wood for my shack first” neighborhood fort battle.  The sight of a “banana spider” would stop me in my tracks. It was newsworthy enough to actually call a temporary truce and gather friends (and enemies) to “come check this out!” The large, intricate web and the sheer size of the spider was such a find! It fascinated and scared us at the same time. It was far too big to even attempt to catch, what with that giant sticky web acting as a protective force field. And if the spider moved, well, that would usually send a few of the gang screaming home, but some of us would stay until we realized the kids that left were probably stealing our wood…

The adult females that we see at the end of summer, beginning of fall, are the full grown, adult survivor spiderlings of last year’s egg sac. So last summer, at this time, an egg sac was created containing 400-1200 individual eggs. Adult females can produce up to four egg sacs in its lifetime. More info at spiders.us.

YES, that’s a lot of little babies, but the reason there are so many offspring is because most of them will die at some stage in their life cycle. It could be death by parasite in the egg sac, predation on its first jaunt outside, a bad molt, cannibalism, environmental factors, curious kids with sticks, or simply hanging at the wrong place at the wrong time. The odds are stacked against them.

A. aurantia spiderling ~1mm
A. aurantia egg sac
Once they hatch some time in autumn, they are dormant until spring in the safety of the egg sac. In the spring and early summer, the spiders look nothing like the adults we’re so used to seeing now. They are smaller and sometimes silver or greenish.

juvenile A. aurantia
That “zipper” or disc that you may notice in the center of their webs is called a stabilimentum (stabilimenta pl.). The stabilimenta in juvenile A. aurantia webs tend to be wider and disc shaped compared to the adult “zippers”. Scientists are still trying to figure out the function of stabilimenta, whether it has something to do with UV light attracting bugs or repelling harmful sun rays, no one knows, but it IS interesting how the stabilimentum changes as the spider grows.

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As the spider eats and avoids being eaten, it grows, and molts until it becomes the mature, giant, beautiful females we are seeing now. These are the hardy survivors! It is mating time and these robust spiders have a lot of work to do to fulfill their missions. Males will die soon after mating and the females will die by first frost. If you find an egg sac, leave it where it is. There is no need to take it indoors unless you want the spiderlings to disperse early. (Yep, I’ve done that.) These guys know what they’re doing and are equipped to survive the winter, come what may.

Argiope aurantia spiders are harmless. They are not even aware of us humans until we start messing with their webs. They will do everything they can to escape a threat with biting being a last resort. Plus, you’d have to position yourself in such a way to be bitten. They’re not going to purposely crawl on you unless it seems like the best escape route. If all of those worst case scenarios DO happen, you’ll get nothing more than what feels like a wasp sting and the spider will again try to flee. Wasps CHASE you, so I’d be way more afraid of those black and yellows! There is no reason to feel threatened by our late summer neighbors!

So as the our days shorten and cicadas buzz their hazy song, the Banana spider heralds the last “WOOTS!” of our summer. To me, they symbolize the last bike race before the streetlights come on, the quiet solitude in a sunny field of goldenrod, and the finishing touches of a well-built fort!

50 thoughts on ““Banana” Spider”

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  1. I finally remembered to take a look at your blog. I love it and look forward to reading more!

    We were lucky enough to see one of these last fall at the Frick Environmental Center with one of our school groups. It was such a cool thing to see. I’ve been keeping an eye out for one this year.

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  2. Great post. Unlike you I hated these. I grew up on a farm and would be running through the fields as a young child and always seem to run into one of these ladies!! Would scare the bajeebs out of me and I would run the other way. Needless to say as an adult I still don’t like them!

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  3. We just moved to the south and my first sighting of one of these ladies! Scared me to death..nice to find out they are harmless!

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    1. I wish I could post a picture. We have a gorgeous female on our shed this year. I came out this morning and she laid her 3rd and I think finally egg sac today she does not look good. Never in my 28 years of life did I think I’d be crying over a spider but here I am. We have been watching her for a while now and when she laid her first sac I was like a proud momma. We feed her bugs every night and come check on her throughout the day.

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  4. I have one of these ladies on my kitchen window. I feed it a moth every night. Today I used a spray bottle to mist it. I know they get their water mostly from what they eat but she looked thirsty lol. She didn’t like it. She shook her web like crazy. I think to get the water droplets off. I don’t know. I would attach a picture but I don’t see that’s available.

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    1. Hi Denny! How lucky are you to have a kitchen window spider like her! I’ve seen the shaking behavior, too, whenever they’re agitated, like it’s a way for them to scare off intruders. Thanks for checking out the story!

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  6. I googled and ran across your page and I’m very intrigued, although I’m terrified of spiders I have one of these ladies chilling on the front of my house right now, she just laid her sac TODAY!! And I’m literally freaking out. I honestly don’t feel better even after knowing she’s harmless. I don’t know what to do!! Please send help!!!

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    1. Danyell,

      I haven’t seen one of these guys, yet this summer! I’m jealous! First of all, I commend you for doing a little research even though you’re terrified! The simple thing would be to remove the sac and put it somewhere far away – those little spiderlings aren’t coming out of that sac until spring. And when they do, they’re so tiny and easy to pick off by birds and other predators, that most of them won’t survive. They seem to disperse without making it a big show and as much as I’ve really, really wanted those babies to stick around, they disappear far and wide just like in Charlotte’s web. I’m guessing the thought of all those little spiders everywhere is what’s freaking you out – so hopefully, this helps a bit!

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  7. Mine has been amazing she came and even when my family wanted to knock her down I said no because she caused no harm and she’s been here and has laid all four sacs, and sadly today I seen her on the ground because she had died but it was an amazing sight and journey of a loving and caring mother who also kept the bugs away. And we’re keeping the babies until they hatch and go on their own outside our house.

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  9. I stumbled over your web site. I live in Ocala Fl. I seriously depend on these ladies to help keep the flies down. I have pet pug who missed his calling, the flies get horrible this time of Year! Charolett laid 3 sacks that I know of and upon inspection of my pigs fence I noticed a lot of babies. Then I checked her other sacs, they haven’t hatched out yet. Sally lived on our porch right by our front door. I think she rather enjoyed us. We were careful not to disturb her, I left the porch light on so she would have a smorgasbord at night. She left 4 egg sacs. One was small, it fell off and I put it next to her last sac she made. There are two sacs attached to our quilted screen. We couldn’t close our screen door because of her egg sacs. Sally eventually died and we decided to bury her. She was an amazing lady. Kept the bugs down. I don’t like spider’s but respect them. Sally entrusted us to keep watch over her babies. Other wise she wouldn’t have put them there. It’s now warming up, and I expect her babies to start venturing out. I normally start seeing them by end of April beginning of May. It’s the 23rd of April based on the weather it’s now starting to get hot. Am I able to leave pictures? Have a Blessed day.
    Anne

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      1. We have a beautiful one of these in my bedroom window, her name is Lillee. It has been the most exciting, real life “nature program” ever and my 5 children have a fun time watching her every day. She laid her egg sac last week, June 29th. Do they lay more far apart? We are so excited! We feed her every day, the kids come jump in by bed to check on her as soon as they wake up every morning, and all throughout the day we lay in here and just watch her, and they tell her goodnight…even my 2 year old. I watch her rebuild her web every morning at 5am, she does it at the exact same time every day which is amazing. My husband has been an arachnophob his whole life and here I am with the blinds wide open and a huge spider in the window as our family pet and dare I say I think he has overcome his fear (with his love for us and knowing how important Lillee is to us) and he’s the one who goes out and catches her a grasshopper every day after work so she can have dinner with us. God is so good! Thanks for your informed post.

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      2. What a wonderful experience! This is so awesome to hear! Lillee is a great name for her ❤️ I’m sure she’s thrived from your feedings and will hopefully have many little Lillees. She could produce up to 4 egg sacs and they could be right next to her web or a few feet away. Keep observing! Thank you so much for sharing! Feel free to send updates!

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  10. Call me crazy. I love these spiders! I live on a farm and they’re all over the place but I’m extremely happy when they make their webs against the back of the house. We don’t get bugs in the house thanks to these beauties! We have an endless supply of grasshoppers around here so I catch them and feed them to the spiders. Some of them just reach out and gently take the grasshopper from me. There’s one right at the back door near the deck. I always feed that one more. I’ll sit there like an idiot talking to it. Lol That heart shape people make with their hands, well before I go in the house, I stupidly look at the 9 of them out there in the back, make that motion, say “love ya” and go in. I’ve been doing it every day for 2 months now. Well, the other night, the one I favor (no lie!), did it with 2 of its legs! I was shocked! I had to bend down close because I couldn’t believe it! Don’t kill them if you don’t have to. I’ve been living in Texas for 7 years and they’ve never bothered me. And yes, the sac they have the eggs in have been appearing! Literally all over the place. I’ve thought about burning some to limit how many we get next year but I don’t have the heart. Lol

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    1. I love this! You are definitely not crazy. I am envious of your Argiope crew! 9 of them?? I feel honored and blessed to have ONE hanging around. There was one that made a web right across my front door and I ducked under it every day. I also left a friendly note to our mail carrier not to freak out, they’re beautiful and harmless, haha! May you have many more days of spider love and appreciation!

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  11. I absolutely love these girls…. I call each one I see Charlotte (as in Charlottes Web) I grew up with my daddy calling them signature spiders because of that beautiful web she makes! I never got brave enough to get close to one, but just last week, I counted 13 ladies around my home…. I even saw one with an quarter sized frog in the web at morning time and it was gone by nighttime… yes, they fascinate me since I was “knee high to a grasshopper” and protect them around my home still!
    thank you for sharing your research in them!

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  12. Good Morning! I sent a bunch of pictures to you via email a few weeks back, and just in time! Only a few days later my phone broke and I would have lost all of my pictures of Lillee had they not been in my sent box, Praise God again. Lillee laid her 4th egg sac last night, she’s just finishing up the protective webbing to secure it, we are so excited. I got a bench chair, pillow and blanket and went outside and watched her with my hubby as long as I could before getting to tired to stay, from midnight till a bit after 2am I suppose, then here I am back out here by 7am checking on my baby and her babies…can they have more then 4? The kids will be thrilled when they get up!

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  13. We have a beautiful female on one of our old sheds and we have decides to name her Georgia. She is absolutely breathtaking! We have noticed that she has laid two egg sacks, but we have also noticed that she has not remade her web and it’s falling apart. It breaks my heart. We want to feed her some bugs but until she makes a new web (it’s been weeks with the bad web) nothing is sticking in her web. I do not like spiders AT ALL, but I have very slowly gotten over that fear and I check on her everyday. She is part of our family for now.

    We also had a male “banana spider” but he has now left and we have not seen him since😭

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    1. Hi Kaila! I’m happy Georgia is changing your mind about spiders! The argiopes are fascinating to watch! I hate to say it but it sounds like she’s getting to the end of her life cycle. After the egg sacs are made, they slow down and eventually pass. I hope some of her spiderlings stick around when they emerge in spring!

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  14. I had a female banana

    spider on the edge of our front porch. She put up one bag of eggs by our gutter. I was looking at her everyday and today. No spider,no web. I’m so sad. Can’t find her anywhere !! What happened? We just moved from AZ to Ok and I’m enjoying all things Southern! Even spiders!!!

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    1. That’s so cool you’re enjoying the spiders! In temperate climates, the females will die by first frost. Hopefully, the egg sac will provide hundreds of surviving spiderlings in her place!

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  15. My Charlotte sadly departed today! Never thought I’d get teary eyed over a spider, but I did! She crunched up next to her 3 egg sacs to pass! 😦 When she first joined my home, she chose the most inconvenient spot for me, but I worked around her! My girls thought I was crazy at first and they were not happy that they had to accept her and work around her too! But, over the summer, they too grew to care for her, check on her, and show real concern for her! I explained that her babies were nothing to worry about! They would fly away once they were ready and into our home will be the last place they would be trying to land! I also explained her life cycle to them! However, that did not help today when her days end came! 😦 I can only hope I get the pleasure of housing her offspring for generations to come! RIP Charlotte1, thank you for sharing your life with us, helping my girls to better understand how important you are, and trusting us with your children’s wellbeing until they are ready to fly! :}

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  16. Sasha, this made me 😢. I really hope some of the babies stick around for you guys to continue to enjoy. RIP Charlotte …on a happier note, Lillee laid her 5th egg sac in the early hours of this morning. Our girl is on a roll! I just keep hoping that a frost never comes…here in FL that’s a possibility…sometimes we don’t get a frost until late January 🤞

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    1. Beholdthelamb1, it was emotional, but I’m glad that I could convey our time with Charlotte in a way that could touch the hearts of others 🙂

      It is really cool that you and your family actually got to watch Lillee make sacs! 7!?! Go Lillee! lol I missed Charlotte’s makings, but found a 4th sac yesterday! One day, Charlotte moved 3 blocks away (it’s a porch’s side railing blocks lol) I thought she was trying to position herself to catch more food! But apparently not! She was making more babies! 🙂

      WOW! 8-10 feet! That’s impressive! Charlotte’s was some little 3×3’s! Y’all enjoy Lillee and Sandee for as long as they will let you! It really is a beautiful process watching a spider influence you and your children in a way you never thought possible 🙂

      p.s.pics are definitely welcome!

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  17. She has laid an egg sac every 11 days for about 6 weeks now…she’s a real trooper, I tapped out at 5 lol we will see if she keep going. I wanted to add we have not seen a male at all since she arrived here in my window in July, already pregnant, and we 6 are watching her all the time it seems, it’s not something we would have missed…it seems she has been able to store the baby making juice to be reused for all of these pregnancies. 🤔any more information on that?

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  19. OH, I almost forgot! We now have a Beautiful, mature Spotted Orb Weaver 2 windows over off of the living room, her name is Sandee💜

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  20. Lillee is finishing up her 7th egg sac now. We have a bench out by her web so we can come sit with her, especially during these many labors. We have not seen Sandee in the past few days which has been sad for us, she seems to have moved on after this last bad rain we had. However, we now have a Giant Golden Orb Weaver in the yard! She is SOO cool, absolutely huge, they were not kidding when they say these have massive webs! Its not less then 8 to 10 feet top to bottom. God is so good to us🥰 If you want pictures, let me know.

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      1. RIP Lillee 🙏 🥺😢😭😭😭 this last egg sac was her final contribution to us before she went. 7 egg sacs🤯🥰She has spent this past few days not eating much and I have seen her rescuing her egg sacs, I was hoping it was just for the storm weather since we had a hurricane this week here in FL…(we are all fine. We are very North FL, pray for the 5 million or so seriously effected 🙏) but it was just a last preparation to make sure they were OK before departure. We buried her as a family.

        On a happy note, Goldee is doing well and Sandee is still here!!!🥳 and VERY Pregnant, hoping to see her egg sac in the next day or so. I haven’t seen her male in a week or so, hope he made it out without being eaten🤞

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  21. So SORRY to hear about Lillee! I noticed a difference in Charlotte as well in the final days! Of course, I was in denial, but knew in the back of my mind what was happening😞

    It’s mid-October tho! You lucky sons-of-a-guns! LoL Having her with you for this long is amazing AND having Sandee and Goldee still, is even more amazing! I love that you and your family got to bury Lillee 🙂 When I found Charlotte crunched up, I knew 😦 but chose denial AGAIN 🤦🏻‍♀️ And when I was ready to accept it, some hours later, her little AMAZING self was gone 😞 So, your whole burial makes me a little jelly! LoL But your story of all your AMAZING girls continues to touch my heart! 😊

    You opening your kids up to their life has done amazing things to who they are as a person! They’ll probably never realize that these Spider Girls influenced their life’s in anyway! LoL But you will! ☺️ And I think that is really cool! 😊

    RIP LILLEE 😢 You will be missed, but your influence will forever live on! ☺️

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  22. We had probably 100 of these beautiful spiders last year, but I had 3 that I kept fed and observed all summer. They are truly amazing. My main one on my front porch laid 5 sacs!! It was amazing watching her live cycle and if I say I wasn’t a little emotional when she died, I would be lying. lol. I’ve always been terrified of spiders, but these things are beautiful. I’m looking forward to seeing all the littles soon 😁😁

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  23. we get these beauties here in England, Arkansas almost every summer. I have about 8 huge females and there webs currently.

    They seem to like to same location each year, in our bushes on the north end of the house. Their website sometimes reach clear up from the bushes to the house eaves.

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    1. That’s so cool! I haven’t seen one yet this summer! Interesting that they return to the same spot on your property. Must be good habitat! You’re lucky! Thanks for reading and thanks for sharing 🙂

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  24. I saw one in my yard a few weeks ago on its great big web ! But yesterday I didn’t see it. The web is still standing but the spider is gone? It’s been super hot so there has been no frost.

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  25. I actually like spiders and have been fascinated by these particular ones, but the last 2 or 3 years here in Ga these spiders have absolutely exploded in numbers. Not sure why but they have taken over our area. Feels like an invasive species 😕

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    1. I wonder if you’re seeing the Joro Spider. They were accidentally introduced to the US from Asia and have been spreading. The spiders in this article are definitely native and non invasive. Joro spiders are being watched closely as a potential invasive species.

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