Golden Silk Orbweaver (Banana Spider)
Also known as writing spider. Trichonephila clavipes
Florida's largest orbweaver, spinning golden-silk webs across trails, porches and gardens.
Photo: Tiago Lubiana (CC0) · public domain/CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
Females are unmistakable: elongated body up to 40 mm with silver and yellow markings, bright orange-yellow joints on dark legs tufted with black hair. Males are tiny and brown. The golden silk web can exceed a meter across.
Edges of wooded areas, garden borders, between shrubs and any open space where flying insects are plentiful. Common throughout Florida from summer through fall.
- Large golden-yellow orb webs strung across walking paths, between trees or on porches
- A massive, boldly colored spider hanging head-down in the web center
- Small debris wrapped in silk stabilimenta incorporated into the web structure
Banana spiders are essentially harmless to humans. A bite would cause mild, localized irritation. They're highly beneficial, consuming large quantities of biting insects. Most complaints are about walking into the webs.
Where webs are a problem in high-traffic areas, Rhino can de-web and apply a perimeter treatment that deters web-building near entrances.
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