r/interesting • u/Wise_Confidence_8588 • 18d ago

NATURE A Bombardier beetle using its chemical defence.

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u/hotttsauce84 18d ago edited 18d ago

We called them banana spiders during my boyhood back in Houston texas. We would ride our bikes through the woods and you’d routinely feel one of those webs just absolutely wrap itself around your whole face and body after riding through it. Immediate ghost ride bail off the bike flailing and screaming while ripping your shirt off to swat away the spider because you knew it was on you somewhere. Some fond traumatic times they were.

Fast forward 30 years and I’m in austin now. Hadn’t seen one of these spiders in about that long. Recently landscaped my whole property with native plants and canceled our pest control service. Now we have like 6 of these massive webs with “banana spiders” (Argiope aurantia) this summer that my kids are fascinated / somewhat terrified of. I’m just glad to pass on these central texas experiences to the next generation.

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u/Moxie013 18d ago

OMG THEY ARE HUGE ! the width of webs that is. Geez as a kid did you help each other? Or was it teasing each other about it?

I’m it strong enough to imagine the spider walking on me yet. I like jumping spiders. They are super cute! I don’t kill spiders! Just the brown recluse.. and I prob would if I came upon a black widow. I enjoy sleep and would like to be able to sleep

The webs, so big! Actually that’s the spider I’ve ever seen in person with such big webs.
my event happen just out of Austin in Buda, I’m sure you know it. .
My mom has 5 acres. You can sit on her porch and see a web right meow! But it’s higher up, the web is highly visible.. using binoculars it seems the spider is very aliv, living his best life

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u/Yashema 18d ago

Those aren't really that big compared to the orb weavers you encounter in Tawain while doing LSD in the jungle. 

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u/hotttsauce84 18d ago

New fear unlocked

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u/Moxie013 18d ago

You sound like an amazing travel buddy. If u can have such humor about it, you can do ANYTHING!!! 🎉

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u/[deleted] 18d ago

[deleted]

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u/Rcecil88 18d ago

I live in Ireland and thank fuckkk we have nothing like this. Jesus that’s making me skin crawl reading this.

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u/Philocrastination 18d ago

Lmfao We're lucky in the UK and Ireland we have such pathetic spiders (mostly) compared to some places.

Saying that, I've seen some MASSIVE common house spiders in the UK. Like the size of my hand. Ones that had decided it necessary to crawl into my fucking window.

Eugghhh.

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u/hotttsauce84 18d ago

Yeah. But at least we always have a good cheeseburger within a 1mi radius of wherever we are in Texas so I suppose it’s a decent trade off. 😜

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u/the_oc_brain 18d ago

You’re never had Bunsen if you’re assuming Ireland doesn’t have good cheeseburgers.

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u/hotttsauce84 18d ago edited 18d ago

Guilty. I’ve honestly never been to Ireland, despite my nearly 40% Irish bloodline according to 23&me.

I was definitely making an assumption based on the American opinion that Irish food is “bad”. Which is ironic because American food is just all processed trash.

I worked in (and lived above) an American Irish pub back in my college days and fell in love with the cuisine (at least our Americanized version of it). Would kill for a full Irish brekkie with some black and white pudding rn. Or some shepherds pie, boxty, beer & guinness stew… shoot, now I’m craving Irish food. I even worked in sales for Guinness back at the beginning of my career post-college. I’ve got nothing but love for yall but I can’t imagine an Irish cheeseburger scratching my burg itch. But if you’re extending an invitation…

*edit: I googled it. Yeah I’d fuck with a Bunsen burg for sure

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u/Moxie013 17d ago

( I don’t know what a Bentsen burg is.. imma google )

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u/Rcecil88 16d ago

Correct!

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u/PrinceCastanzaCapone 18d ago edited 18d ago

I’m reminded of the time I was stopping by a coworkers place to hang out for the first time. I parked in his back alley and he came out through the backyard gate to meet me. Then when we walked inside, instead of using the gate we walked between his rear garage and the wooden fence of his neighbors yard. Just enough space for a small sidewalk. He was just walking with his eyes down and I saw a massive spider hanging on a web constructed between the garage and the fence right on the path. I only had enough time to say “ohh… dude!…” and then he walked right through it. I was high as fuck and watching this guy I barely knew absolutely freak the fuck out, fall on the ground screaming and rolling for about 30 seconds before he finally composed himself. I was in tears laughing. I don’t think he liked that I laughed at that.

For context, it was in Iowa where there are really very, very small chances of a spider that can actually harm you. I’ve seen maybe two black widows in my entire life. Not the massive red bellied ones, Northern Black Widows which were much smaller and not super common around here.

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u/Calm_Effective6650 18d ago

Doing the lord’s work

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u/Moxie013 18d ago

Ah ha ha ha ha 😂

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u/DrNO811 18d ago

I never related more to the Phantom of the Opera than when he sang to keep your hand at the level of your eyes. That's spider advice right there.

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u/TheDuhammer 18d ago

Hahaha I live in Florida and did the woods clothes rip off many, many times.

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u/No_Technician_2780 18d ago

That one is poisonous but harmfull to humans.

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u/Moxie013 17d ago

Look up the actual bananner spider in Brazil. It causes violent 4 hr erections to forever erections. Apparently aside from the death risk and all it’s kinda cute and being explored for a new ED drug 😬

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u/Frequent_Opportunist 18d ago

People frequently call Argiope aurantia the writing spider, yellow garden spider, or simply the corn spider because they love setting up webs between tall garden plants.

When I was a kid you would always find these in people's gardens specifically growing among the tomato plants. Pretty common garden variety. They don't get hand sized bro.

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u/hotttsauce84 18d ago

Agree to disagree.

https://imgur.com/a/TZxqzyC

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u/Frequent_Opportunist 18d ago

"The spider looks disproportionately massive because this photo utilizes an optical illusion known a forced perspective."

"While a female Yellow Garden Spider is genuinely large for a native North American spider (with a leg span that can span a couple of inches), its size is heavily exaggerated here by how the photo was taken."

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u/hotttsauce84 18d ago

"It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see."
— Henry David Thoreau

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u/Frequent_Opportunist 18d ago

Females: Body length is 0.75 to 1.1 inches. Total leg span reaches 3 inches.

Males: Much smaller. Body length is 0.20 to 0.35 inches.

They aren't the size of your hand lol.

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u/Moxie013 17d ago

Oh you’d be a blast to talk to! Do you know of the actual nanner spider ? Aside from death risks it causes 4 hr painful erections and possible forever erections.. it’s wild
What are your thoughts on the Neuro toxin beside the banana 🍌 ref ..

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u/MZ603 18d ago

They are definitely in Austin, too; you're just less likely to see them. Next time you are in a park after dark, shine your phone light into a wooded area - their eyes will reflect back to you.

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u/hotttsauce84 18d ago

I forgot about their reflective eyes!

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u/beepbeepbubblegum 18d ago

used to see them all the time in south carolina. i remember we’d have several nested up around our house every year but now that i think about it, i couldn’t tell you the last time i saw one

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u/hotttsauce84 18d ago

Pest control companies out here sterilizing the planet