I've seen these lately, don't recall seeing them in years past, they spin massive web links, over 6 feet long, hang around the Ligustrum tree up front and I've found this one stringing up his web of doom on the pool deck...

One crazy looking horned back red spiked devil. he's not a monster in size, about as large as my little finger nail.

Looks like they are advancing from the front lawn to the back of the house, apparently scouting for optimal positions from which to attack...

Spiny Orb-Weaver, Gasteracantha cancriformis
The spiny orb-weaver spider is one of the most colorful and easily recognized spiders in Florida. The dorsum of the abdomen is usually white with black spots and large red spines on the margin. Females are 5 mm to 10 mm long and 10 mm to 14 mm wide. The webs typically contain tufts of silk, which may prevent birds from flying into them.


https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in017

Crab spiders is what they are known by in FL

Jesus he has a spiked skull helmet. It’s a friggin hells angel spider. Cuz NORMAL spiders are just so cuddly.


Gah!!

Interesting!

It’s the most peculiar spider that I’ve ever seen.

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very common all over florida. harmless beyond their annoying webs and hard work at spreading all over the place. you can walk down a sidewalk/path filled with their webs.

killing/clearing out aint hard, if not lasting. i have not had success completely clearing them out for any extended period of time.

Harmless and kind of pretty.

We have analogs here, but ours aren't as showy.

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quote:

Originally posted by HRK:
Looks like they are advancing from the front lawn to the back of the house, apparently scouting for optimal positions from which to attack...

They're clearly dropping out of orbit from their home planet of Klendathu. Probably using the cylindrical UFOs recently seen as drop capsules. Watch out for the ones that shoot plasma from their butts.

What spider?

An ugly one. Interesting and showy, but not pretty IMO. I have never seen one in my AO, but I wouldn't kill one.

flashguy

We had tons of them in Winter Garden in the live oaks. Harmless little fellows.

I call them samurai spiders

Looks like it should be called the Caltrop Spider. I never saw one during my stay in Florida; it's kind of neat looking.

Another harmless spider that the biggest threat is a face full of silk if you don’t see them before blundering into their orb webs

I see lots of them at my farm, they are kinda neat looking

They make beautiful webs!

We had those all over where I grew up in Hawaii. Must be a sub tropical critter.
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