Banana spiders are not considered venomous,
but neither are bees, it is only if the person is allergic that they have
a strong reaction. |
Since so many people come here to see pictures of banana spiders, We have
added a bunch or really GOOD close ups.
Click here
for more information, and photo gallery.
Banana Spiders - This girl (the yellow and black one in the upper
right, not the young woman in the black hat) is a banana spider. |
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The National Audubon
Society Field Guide to Insects and Spiders narrows these very common
spiders down to Nursery-web Spiders, Thin-legged Wolf Spiders, or Huntsman
Spiders. Take your pick. They get big. They usually ignore me, but I had
one chase me out of the bathroom. These guys get too big for the house. I
have seen some which looked identical in grey. |
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Spiney Orb Weaver
Spider-(Crab Spider)These
colorful little creatures are most commonly seen (in Florida) during the
winter months. They build a new web every night. They lay their eggs late
in the year and then die. Males are very small and so you don’t see them
very often. Their bite can raise a welt and be uncomfortable, so best to
avoid irritating them. They are not listed as “venomous”, so it isn’t
dangerous. Like most spiders, they are shy, and they are beneficial since
they catch insects like mosquitoes and flies in their webs. |
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Brown Widow
Individual From Ft. Myers (South West) Florida
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| Updated 8/28/04 |
Click here to go
to the newest critters |
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Wow! You can be glad you aren't 1/2
inch tall! You won't ever have to meet an assassin bug eyeball to eyeball!
Check out this new photo gallery
that starts in the fall of 2002 with two mature assassin bugs mating, and
picks up in April 2003 when the offspring of this happy couple are just
hatching out and taking their place at the top of the 4 board fence |
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Wow! How about this 1" long red
ant? These are called velvet ants because the red coloration is fine
hair. This is an amazing creature.
Click here for
more pictures |
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Unknown 'Lichen' Like Moth
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Florida has some amazing insects, lizards, and, well,
critters. Here are just a few insects that we have met at Shady
Grove Farm. Yes, that is pink lichen on the tree bark and this 6
inch wide moth is almost invisible unless you are paying
attention. |
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Hickory Horned Devil
Regal Moth
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This hard shelled green caterpillar has half inch spikes
on his head and two gripping claws at his tail. You can't tell it
from this picture, but he is using his hind claws to anchor himself
between these two boards. If he feels threatened, he can rear up and use
those horns on his head. |
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Lichen Mantis
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We know little about these
beneficial insects. They prefer the deciduous woods where their adaptive
coloring can hide them. They are incredibly fast and dart away the moment
you're not looking. |
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You can read more about Anisomorpha at:
http://creatures.ifas.ufl.edu/misc/walkingstick.htm
This identification provided
by: Cameron Campbell
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This is a species of
walking stick called Anisomorpha buprestoides. It's Florida's
most commonly encountered walking stick.
It is unusual in that it is one of the few walking
stick species that can produce a defensive spray when threatened, so
it's generally best not to handle them. The spray can cause quite
severe (but temporary) eye irritation, and if inhaled, it usually
results in sneezing. However, I've worked around large numbers of this
species outdoors for years, and they won't spray unless intentionally
disturbed. They are completely non-aggressive, herbivorous insects.
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This is a 6" long female has her mate on her back he is only about 3" long, She is about 3/8"
in diameter he is less than half that. She has a distinctive red stripe
down her head and side and the male has a yellow stripe down his tail. And
yes, they are mating.
They live in the walls of the hay barn and come out in July to mate in
the sunshine of the door way. They stay in pretty much the same pose
and same place for 7-10 days. (Something to think about.) He
hangs on to her, and she carries him with her, on her back.
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| We have seen this same behavior for three years now.
I don't know if it is the same pair each year, or not, but they keep
coming back to the same place each year. This year I am ready for them
with my new digital camera, and I hope to get some really good pictures.
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Rat Snake Pictures!
Click here to see our our new rat
snake gallery!
See anything unusual about this garden
hose? Click on the picture to see a larger version.
This is a yellow and brown rat snake. We also
have black rat snakes here in Ocala. They actually come in 3
different color patterns. They can be red, orange, yellow, brown or
gray with 4 dark stripes.
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