There’s old and excellent hiking advice shared among the expert Georgia trail trekkers: on early morning hikes, never go first. Instead, invite one of your tall friends to lead the excursion and serve as your spider face.
Well, at six feet, five inches tall, I am the friend that fellow trekkers send first. And that is how I’ve come to meet my unfair share of ugly spiders and their sticky, spreading webs, often accompanied by their spindly legs and unusual cephalothoraxes and abdomens. Since Spiderman was already taken, some of my friends call me Spider Face.
I’m convinced each time I peel nearly invisible spider silk from my nose, beard, receding hair and other body parts: there’s probably some technology or accessory solution designed to prevent this. And each time, failing to find any, I SWEAR I’m going to invent and patent one, making millions with which to taunt my more vertically-challenged followers. But I’ve yet to come up with a practical patentable product with profit potential. Spider Face will keep trying.
Spiders I’ve Met
What I have come up with is a new appreciation for these trail-blocking bugs, their engineering prowess and their impressive hunting results. (OK, so I’m generalizing my use of the term “bugs” to include six-legged insects, eight-legged arachnids and more than a few of my laughing two-legged friends on the trail behind me!)
Here are a few of the common Georgia spiders I’ve met face-to-face — or, more accurately, web-to-face:
Yellow Garden Spider. The scientific name is argiope aurantia, but it’s common names are yellow garden spider or black and yellow garden spider. By definition, it’s common — as in, we’ve met! Lots. They do bite, but the good news is the bite is described as “no worse than a bee sting.”
Joro Spider. With 34 common spiders, I don’t think Georgia needed another. But likely riding along with plants and goods from China, Japan, Korea or Taiwan, we got number 35 in 2015. They liked our climate, and decided to stay and multiply and multiply and multiply. With bodies up to one-inch, their legs can stretch to four inches. And they have supersized webs. According to Japanese mythology, they get their names as abbreviations of Jorōgumos, large spiders that can supernaturally appear as a beautiful woman to snare men, which they kill and devour.
Twin-Flagged Jumping Spider. I can’t blame these hairy beasts for webs in the face, since they don’t make webs. But these are common around homes, and chase down their prey. They are impressive jumpers, which are good for them when hunting and bad for humans trying to kill them indoors.
Golden Silk Spider. Also known as banana spiders, the females are particularly impressive in size with bodies up to two inches long and legs twice that. Plus, these devious devils can actually adjust the hue of their webs based on sunlight conditions.
Spotted Orbweaver. Neoscona crucifera hangs out at the edge of its web, ready to devour its small prey. They hang out in fields, parks, backyards, and gardens. They are nocturnal and are very seldom seen during the day — until you take a web to the face. Then, they stay to the side of the remaining web and likely laugh with your friends!
Big, Scary Garden Spider. OK, so this one’s fake. But it made great art as part of a zoo display.
Learn More About Georgia Spiders
If you want more about others of Georgia’s 35 spiders that I haven’t met, check out this article at ThePetEnthusiast.com. The article includes close-up photos of most Georgia spiders.
The New Georgia Encyclopedia also includes some helpful information and photos.
With my spidey senses tingling, I also looked through a few of the publications of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. I found recent articles on Joro Spiders from September 2021 and again back in October of 2020. This helpful pictorial flyer is helpful in spider identification.
Where We Meet Spiders
Simply put — on hiking trails. Everywhere in Georgia. Here are a few of the trails we’ve hiked in Georgia, and we’ve encountered spiders on all of them.
