Spiders · SWFL Pest Identifier
Golden Silk Orb-weaver
also known as Banana Spider
How to identify it
- Big yellow-and-silver spider in a huge wheel web across paths
- Web silk has a golden tint in sunlight
- Sits head-down in the web center
Large (1 inch +)
Lawn / garden · Lanai / patio
Spider
Her silk is, weight-for-weight, tougher than steel — and she rebuilds the web’s damaged sections nightly.
Eats mosquitoes and flies all day. Relocate the web if it’s across your walkway; don’t kill the engineer.
Not sure this is your bug?
Text a photo and a licensed local tech will identify it for free — or run it through the interactive identifier.
Similar spiders in SWFL
Wolf Spider
Helpful — leave itNo web — hunts on the ground at speed
Huntsman Spider
Helpful — leave itVery large, flat, long-legged — fits behind picture frames
Brown Widow
Keep an eye on itTan-brown with an orange hourglass underneath
Southern Black Widow
Worth a pro lookGlossy jet black, red hourglass underneath
Dealing With This One?
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