# Spider ID Request

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spider-id-request/548650>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 31, 2010, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spider-id-request/548650 "2010-07-31T02:50:11Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\
**Post date:** [July 31, 2010, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spider-id-request/548650/1 "2010-07-31T02:50:11Z")

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I don’t have a picture, but for a couple of weeks now a very spider has been living off the back deck. Here’s what I know:

He/She is medium sized - say an inch and half with legs.  
He spins an orb web (spiral shaped - classic spider web) that’s a couple of feet across.  
Exclusively nocturnal, the web is put up every night and taken down by morning. I’ve never seen him/her during the day.  
Orangish in color with darker markings. The front two legs appear to be a vivid orange-red when the light is behind him.

If necessary, I could probably get some pictures, but I’m hoping this’ll be enough for the experts on the Dope!

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**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\
**Post date:** [July 31, 2010, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spider-id-request/548650/2 "2010-07-31T02:59:08Z")

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I’ll bet the partial answer is in your question…probably an [orb weaver](http://www.floridanature.org/species.asp?species=nephila_clavipes) of some type.

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**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\
**Post date:** [July 31, 2010, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spider-id-request/548650/3 "2010-07-31T03:08:22Z")

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Well, yes. Just from the shape of the web, I’d guess that’s right.

A banana spider it ain’t though. I’ve lived here my entire life. I know from banana spiders:

1. Nowhere NEAR big enough for a banana.
2. Banana’s aren’t nocturnal and they leave their webs up for weeks.
3. The location is wrong. Banana’s build their webs across open spaces between trees.

But, yes I’m sure it’s an orb weaver of some kind. One of the things I’m struggling with is the relatively low quality of the available pics.

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**Author:** ![notsoheavyd3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/85e7bf/32.png) [@notsoheavyd3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notsoheavyd3)\
**Post date:** [July 31, 2010, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spider-id-request/548650/4 "2010-07-31T03:56:48Z")

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Well if it’s not a nephilia is it some form of argiope? I mean usually if someone says “big orb web” the builder is either nephilia or argiope.

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**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\
**Post date:** [July 31, 2010, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spider-id-request/548650/5 "2010-07-31T11:57:55Z")

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Looking at those on-line, I don’t think so. Certainly the web doesn’t look like that. It’s just a plain “spiral” - nothing fancy.

I’ll try to grab some pictures tonight and post them.