# Spider ID

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spider-id/369822>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 22, 2006, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spider-id/369822 "2006-08-22T23:47:12Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Queen\_Bruin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Queen\_Bruin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Bruin)\
**Post date:** [August 22, 2006, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spider-id/369822/1 "2006-08-22T23:47:12Z")

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My coworker found this lovely spider in her backyard a few days ago. We’re both at a loss to identify it (not that we’re experts, or anything). She lives in the LA area, specifically in the San Gabriel foothills. She said it’s about the size of a quarter.

Here’s the [belly](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v204/varishna/spider04.jpg) and the [back](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v204/varishna/spider03.jpg).

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**Author:** ![Beaucarnea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c0e974/32.png) [@Beaucarnea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beaucarnea)\
**Post date:** [August 23, 2006, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spider-id/369822/2 "2006-08-23T00:48:32Z")

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I believe it is [Aranea gigas conspicellata](http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=Aranea%20gigas%20conspicellata%20&btnG=Google+Search&sa=N&tab=wi).

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**Author:** ![Queen\_Bruin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Queen\_Bruin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Bruin)\
**Post date:** [August 24, 2006, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spider-id/369822/3 "2006-08-24T02:04:07Z")

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[QUOTE=Beaucarnea]  
I believe it is [Aranea gigas conspicellata](http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=Aranea%20gigas%20conspicellata%20&btnG=Google+Search&sa=N&tab=wi).  
[/QUOTE]

Yup that’s it! Thank you (from me and my coworker).

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**Author:** ![lynne-42](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lynne-42/32/3138_2.png) [@lynne-42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lynne-42)\
**Post date:** [August 24, 2006, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spider-id/369822/4 "2006-08-24T13:23:47Z")

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[QUOTE=Beaucarnea]  
I believe it is [Aranea gigas conspicellata](http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=Aranea%20gigas%20conspicellata%20&btnG=Google+Search&sa=N&tab=wi).  
[/QUOTE]

This is really interesting. I am an ex-arachnophobe who overdid the cure and am now obsessed with them. I have just secured a contract to write a book for adults about them - so the obsession is going to get worse.

This is very like our Australian Garden Orb Weavers: Eriophora sp.  
[http://www.amonline.net.au/factSheets/orb\_weaving\_spiders.htm](http://www.amonline.net.au/factSheets/orb_weaving_spiders.htm)

From that link you can also see the magnificent Golden Orb Weavers which are much bigger than the garden orb weavers. The moment when my conversion happened was the night I first watched a Garden Orb Weaver weave her web. It took about 45 minutes and I was addicted from that moment on. Have you ever watched your Aranea spinning a web?

Like my next book to be published in November which is titled Crocodile, Spider will focus on Australian spiders but put them very much in a global context. Hence being so inspired by the Garden Orb Weavers here I would be very keen to hear _anything_ you have to say about your Aranea, or any other spiders, in America - or anywhere else! We addicts need our fixes!

Lynne