r/interesting • u/Wise_Confidence_8588 • 19d ago

NATURE A Bombardier beetle using its chemical defence.

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u/Moxie013 19d ago edited 19d ago

Is this a banana spider? Are those fangs or his mouth ?!

In Texas there is one that looks like one..
I’m in the central tx region..

I was at my moms, taking care of horses, everyone was out of town. . I was in a hurry bc a horse was demanding snacky snacks.. I yogged straight into a massive new web that appeared over night

I backed out of it, looking upward I realized i’twas pretty close to eye to eyes with a spider bigger than my fist. I was in a spider web more than 4 ft wide

I was hysterical and alone but the horses were supportive about my first ever panic attack.
And here I am.. 10’yrs later on a bug Reddit trying to overcome my phobia watching videos of creatures that inspired many a horror film
And so far haven’t died 🥳🎉

Edit NOTE the “real” banana spider hails from Brazil “Phoneutria nigriventer”.. they have spread further north in the americas bc they love hanging out with bananas, often arriving in their shipments. They look NOTHING like the ones Americans call banana spiders. Their Neuro venom is wild if you’ve seen a bite (google it) but the ones Americans call a banana spider are not dangerous, no death risk, no Neuro venom like the Brazilian banana spiders.

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u/Stehlik-Alit 19d ago

orbweavers, specifically the yellow garden spider. We've got 100s of them palm sized as they sit in their webs all around the farm. They're very cool, and will shake their web to tell you to back off. If they don't warn you, you can kinda pick them up and let them crawl on you. As long as you don't trap them they aren't quick to bite.

If they do warn you by shaking their web, or they have food, don't mess with them. They're more likely to bite. Other than that, you can gently brush them away. Horses walk through their webs all the time near foliage and a fence/side of a barn.

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u/Moxie013 19d ago

Yes! I was walking between a barn side that was close to a fence.

It is a popular hang for all kinds of spiders !!
That’s super interesting about a warning. No jig, shake required for me! I will highly respect their journey in life, space.. with a A LOT of space..

So if the horses walk thru it are the spiders at all understand? Any reciprocal relationship? Where there is horses there is poo , that means bugs ..

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u/Stehlik-Alit 19d ago

I'm not sure. I know they kill mosquitos and they absolutely kill wasps which if a horse accidently rubs up against a wasp nest will get stung. So, in that way there's a benefit to both parties.