Hired a new night watchman for the garden

[Ohio Tiller]

She works cheap she works for food!

[Bobberman]

I like spiders thatwork on the ground not where I can get bit by them! Toads are my best friends!

[DownriverGardener]

that thing looks dangerous!

[Ohio Tiller]

I have the same kind nestled in between two of my large tomato plants.....she's been there for close to a month now......occasionally I try to feed her rogue Japanese Beatles, but I don't think she is overly fond of their hard shells.....

I hate spiders, but the web she makes, and her size and coloring are too pretty for me to disturb her. It really is quite amazing that there is a whole world of other organisms living in the garden, not just the plants for mah belly!!

Throw her a grass hopper or a cricket and watch her go to work on it!
My dog went right threw this web just the day before and the next morning it was back up like it had never been torn down.

[Marlingardener]

Argiopes are called "gardener's friend" because they prey on all our pests. We have several who have strung their webs between the tomato vine supports. I try to avoid disturbing the webs, which have an interesting zig-zag pattern on them. Supposedly the pesky bugs can't see the zig-zag and end up flying into the web, or being wrapped up like a taco for a late lunch.

[rainbowgardener]

Awww... I wish I had one! But the tiny preying mantises that I watched hatch out are now gigantic!

[Francis Barnswallow]

Had one of those on my screen for almost a month last year. Scary as heck (I hate spiders) but they are completely harmless.

[Ohio Tiller]

Had one of those on my screen for almost a month last year. Scary as heck (I hate spiders) but they are completely harmless.

Unless your a cricket! this one sure likes potato bugs!

[Royiah]

OMG! I wouldnt be able to go anywhere near my garden if a spider that big were there! I'm absoultly terrified of spiders. *shivers*
I know there good for the garden but its just to scary! I perfer alll the lizards and geckos we have over spiders.

[MaryDel]

That's a Golden Orb spider, they are very common in this area. I have a couple of huge ones around my house this year.

[GardenRN]

That's a Golden Orb spider, they are very common in this area. I have a couple of huge ones around my house this year.

Unless that's just a different name, that's definitely an Argiope. They fight those suckers in Japan. (the females anyway) I know they're harmless, but I'm not gonna be the one to touch it. I have 2 huge ones in my garden as well. I'm content to let them be. They stay out of my way, I stay out of theirs.

I do however throw a grasshopper in the web if I get a chance. They LOVE those.

[rainbowgardener]

yup, golden orb-weaver is another name for the argiope:

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/galv ... rgiope.htm