A large spider native to East Asia has spun its thick, golden web on power lines, porches and vegetable patches all over north Georgia this year… The Joro — Trichonephila clavata — is part of a group of spiders known as orb weavers for their highly organized, wheel-shaped webs. Common in Japan, China, Korea and Taiwan, Joro females have colorful yellow, blue and red markings on their bodies. They can measure three inches (8 cm) across when their legs are fully extended. … Joros are not a threat to humans or dogs and cats and won’t bite them unless they are feeling very threatened. Hudson said a researcher collecting them with her bare hands reported the occasional pinch, but said the spiders never broke her skin. … Joros help suppress mosquitoes and biting flies and are one of the few spiders that will catch and eat brown marmorated stink bugs, which are serious pests to many crops. …
(Looks somewhat like a more colorful Argiope aurantia to me…)
[snort]
Came across this cool spider news tidbit this morning.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/female-spiders-maternal-instincts-captured-in-99-million-year-old-amber-180978699/
Neither of them is wearing an outfit at all practical for gardening.
In southern spider news:
Asian spider takes hold in Georgia, sends humans scurrying
A large spider native to East Asia has spun its thick, golden web on power lines, porches and vegetable patches all over north Georgia this year… The Joro — Trichonephila clavata — is part of a group of spiders known as orb weavers for their highly organized, wheel-shaped webs. Common in Japan, China, Korea and Taiwan, Joro females have colorful yellow, blue and red markings on their bodies. They can measure three inches (8 cm) across when their legs are fully extended. … Joros are not a threat to humans or dogs and cats and won’t bite them unless they are feeling very threatened. Hudson said a researcher collecting them with her bare hands reported the occasional pinch, but said the spiders never broke her skin. … Joros help suppress mosquitoes and biting flies and are one of the few spiders that will catch and eat brown marmorated stink bugs, which are serious pests to many crops. …
(Looks somewhat like a more colorful Argiope aurantia to me…)