Subject: Terrified in Northern California
Location: San Francisco Bay Area
December 1, 2015 3:38 pm
Found this spider on my back fence. Curious to know what type this is.
Signature: Nervous in San Francisco Bay Area
Dear Nervous,
Calm yourself. Though it is large, brightly colored and somewhat frightening, this Banded Orbweaver, Argiope trifasciata, is perfectly harmless. Orbweavers seldom leave their webs, so this gal must have been evicted. They have very mild venom and they are very reluctant to bite people.
What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination