St.Andrews Cross Spider (Argiope aurantia) vs Dragonfly

[WalkThePath87]

That spider is doing WORK son

[TheMegaPixel2011]

The video quality suxxxs! (Just kidding)

Great video! But why would you keep a spider like that in your backyard, get some WD40 and kill it before it breeds! Damn nature, you scary.

[ceddin515]

theres a myth that says that these spiders give you money or something like that!

[orionintelligence]

@ceddin515 Yeah, here in Italy too. If you dream one of this, you'll be lucky at work, or on money or in love stories; if you kill one of this spiders, you'll be unfortunate!!

Another thing: mith say that those spiders aren't dangerous and aggressive against humans because they bear the name of St. Andrew...

[jameswpeet]

This dragonfly must have been fairly small...I saw a larger dragonfly fly int one of these webs and the wasp had its work cut out for it. The spider was a goner from the start but by the time the battle was over there was not much left of the web and the cocoon that the black widow had woven and the black widow itself were just dangling. I wonder if they both just died of exhaustion...the dragonfly was no where near dead, although firmly bound, and the spider seemed to be sapped in the end.

[joemcbobinite]

so are orb weavers,banana spiders, and this st andrew fuck all the same spider? cuz i heard the banana has super toxic poison blah blah supposed to be fairly new, but everytime i see a vid of one it always looks like the gold orb weaver spider. ive actually seen that one in real life but so far they all look alike and theyre still sick.

[vbrunkenobi]

I have a few of these guys on my property. They are awesome to watch. Great video!

[x0Demyx0x]

Nuuu, dragonflyyy!

[mrfoozy47]

das da muda phucka in ma back yard!

[PossessedDonutz]

web stronger than steel and kevlar... well, now we know what the military will use it for.

[elkieno]

I had a smaller one on my porch, i used to feed it cockroaches every now and then. One day it was gone, a big hole in the web. Then 2 days later another one came i think. I dont knw if they were the same, it seems smaller than the 1st one...

[doomifiedg]

Ugh, I remember seeing one in front of me when I was walking home from school. I was about 7 by then. Man, everyone stared at it...

[CarrieRulesTheBlock]

awesome!

[alfredunhill]

nice spider, and as you said in the info definitely not a golden orb, the web design and the way it webbed up the dragonfly gave it away...a golden orb would have just bitten the dragon fly without webbing it up...they bite first and ask questions later....

[cusanusnicolas]

Poster bug for the IRS.

[nathninetyone]

i saw one of these down in cornwall wrapping up a bee or a wasp or somethin fly- like, anyways it creeped me out n i just ran away lmao, granted i was 13 though lol

[svtfast]

Sorry but fuck spiders. They can have at it all they want as long as they stay away from me. If I see them in my house, its on!

[t3hh0r53]

quality sucks

[jadcooper]

Yeah it does suck, but hey, it's a spider video...duh

[YoyoFlamingo]

@t3hh0r53 this was back in 2006, you prick... did you expect it to be in 1080p?

[vic794]

I have one of these outside my window at work...im watching it eat a grasshopper now.Don't see as many as i use to but when Hurricane Ivan or one of the hurricanes hit they got blew in from some where.They where everywhere.I livei n Alabama

[xkimmie1989]

the dragon fly woulda died anyway they live for about 3 days correct me if im wrong

[nathninetyone]

i think so

[JayT98]

My wife's friend was running through the woods oneday and happened to run into one of these things. The spider was trapped in her hair and she was going nuts. We finally killed the spider but comes to find out it had a bunch of little babys on its body so my wife's friend was picking baby spiders from her hair for weeks. She says she could feel them crawling on her scalp. She almost went and got all of her hair shaved off because of it.

[orionintelligence]

@JayT98 Those spiders aren't dangerous for usa and they bite rarely, only if cornered. YOU DON''T HAVE TO KILL THEM!!

You can keep on of those spiders in your hands without great problems and without fear: i love Argiope class spiders, they aren't aggressive and they are so beautiful...

They kill a lot of flyng insects, they are useful to our gardens.

You don't have to kill them, ok?

[pwner0078]

i hate spiders even that one....i could take a 12 gauge shotgun and blow those nooby spiders to bits

[tbcass]

I've always known these as Orb Weavers. It's absolutely fascinating to watch them build a web. It takes some time.

[chantimothy]

it fascinates me more when it it wraping its prey...

[gfanarakos]

Argiopidae spider is considered harmless to humans inpite its size, beneficial to control grassophers, crickets and moskitoes, tends to stay close to humans but beneficial for agriculure for reasons said. If found one leave it in peace it wont harm you and won't come indoors either.

[2222rogerjames]

that is a banana spider

[ToastyTarget00]

u should have used the harder better faster stronger song by daft punk or stronger by kanye west.

[Allblack25]

insects are ok, but spiders? non acceptable unless there small, and not huge like this. kill it

[nimzajafari]

there is a golden orb in my backyard and it is freakin HUGE! and scary but has a nice web

[TonyGunz99]

this is why i dont go outside anymore...unless its winter and all insects are suffocating under the blankets of icy hell

[adrianfan12345]

lmao tony

[WindRS]

LOL!

[banthonygant]

LMAO!

[billiebullshit]

yuuuuuuuuuck... i hate spiders, too bad i'm surrounded by camel spiders here in iraq lol

[maxter11]

We have alot of Golden Silk spiders here in the philippines, i used to throw grasshoppers into their webs.. and watch the spider wrap it with a thick layer of super strong web :D

[fatstew]

i own a black widow (fully grown female) but intend to get more and make THEM FIGHT

[venomxprodigy]

lol i love spiders i own 3 spiders 1.tarantula lion 2.widow (baby female)3.sun spider it doesnt have poison and will not harm if aggitated

[kali2030]

St Andrews Cross, aka Writing Spider because of the design pattern in its web, aka black and yellow garden spider.

Good flick.

[isferos]

I have seen spiders bounce, every time I disturb them some will bounce to make them look bigger to creatures with poor eyesights.

[jr9950]

I believe some large species of dragonfly actually attack and kill spiders with their powerful jaws. This was a little guy.

I do know one thing, I have seen a few of these spiders lose a quick battle to a mantis.

[jadcooper]

2 things - A mantis in Texas isn't that big and I hate to tell you this, but every entomologist knows that the dragonfly eats flying ants, gnats, mosquitoes, and mayflies etc A.k.a flying insects... A suicidal dragonfly...unlikely.

[MaximumCat]

You are correct regarding native species of mantis in the Texas area. However, there are two imported species which have invaded most of the US in the past 100 years from Europe and Asia.

The Praying Mantis, (Mantis Religiosa) from Europe: 3.75"-4.5" long, and capable of eating most large insects and some large spiders.

Chinese Mantis, (Tenodera Aridifolia Sinensis) from Asia: 4.8"-6.1" long, largest and most powerful mantis in the world. Can eat mice, small lizards, small snakes, etc.

[HoCuSXPoCuSXMCR]

@jr9950 Dude I saw I HUGEEEEEEE mantis next to a web of one of these things the other day. It was scarier than the spider, but the spider is quite beautiful.

[Noodles37UK]

@HoCuSXPoCuSXMCR Mantids are amazing and they like climbing up people. They're all harmless :) I keep them often.

[Dotleo1]

I'm online cuz I just saw this same exact spider in my back yard....how dangerous is it? is it poisonous at all just being carefull b4 I fk wit it.

[TheSmoothCriminal]

Ha that was funny when you said "Ever see a spider bounce?" and no I have not seen a spider bounce lol.

[u263b]

That's not a Banana Spider, that's a St. Andrew's Cross Spider.

[jadcooper]

St. Andrew's Cross Spiders are in Australia - you are in Australia. This spider was in my parents back yard in Houston TX. USA. So I'm not sure... maybe you're right. Perhaps it came on a cargo ship from perth ....NOT.

[MaximumCat]

Actually, these spiders are all over the Western US. They are in fact the St. Andrews Cross, or Black-and-Yellow Argiope Spider(Argiope Aurantia). It is much smaller than the Golden Silk, or 'Banana' Spider, and if you notice, the web has no yellow tint to it. Take a close look at a pic on the net of a Golden Silk Spider (Nephila Clavipes).

[MaximumCat]

There are also several subspecies of Nephila Clavipes, and some do in fact bear a resemblance to this spider, but although they are somewhat similar in some respects, this spider can exist in arid environments, and the Golden Silk Spider is restricted to tropical and sub-tropical regions. I have collected Argiope Aurantia in the Central California foothills of the Sierra Nevada.

[MaximumCat]

Despite the mix-up of identity.. (And it's not uncommon for most non-arachnologists to mistake a species for another when they look so similar) this is a truly excellent video. Kudos to jadcooper. =)

[jadcooper]

Damn... ok so it's a st.andrews cross spider, I failed to notice that it doesn't have the tufts of "hair" on it's legs, and it's coloration is different. I see also that it's abdomen is not the right shape. Oops.

It's web was kinda yellow though, so I am rather confused.

[SabbraCadabra]

No, it is definitely NOT a St. Andrews cross spider. It's a GOLDEN SILK ORB WEAVER, or "Banana" spider.

[MaximumCat]

No, this is not a Golden Silk Spider. SabbraCadabra, look up Nephila Clavipes (Golden Silk Spider), and then look up Argiope Aurantia (Black and Yellow Argiope Spider). There is a difference, and if you ever saw them in person, you would definitely see the difference. Golden Silk spiders are HUGE compared to the Argiope like the one in this video. The Golden Silk spider can grow to 6-7" across its leg-span. Big enough to regularly catch and eat small birds as well as insects.

[IloveSPIDERZ]

really? I heard that even though the Golden Silk Spiders are bigger in leg span, the Argiope Aurantia still has them beat becuase of body size! IDK. I'm all confused!

[MaximumCat]

The Golden Silk Spider is still far larger even in body size. The Black and Yellow Argiope (Argiope Aurantia) is usually half the size of a Nephila Clavipes or less, when comparing full-grown females of each species.

For its leg-span, the Argiope looks heavier because its body is large in proportion to its legs. However, the Nephila is still far bigger, and will out-weigh the Argiope by 2-2.5x on average. In addition, Nephila silk is the strongest in the world, far outstripping any other.

[IloveSPIDERZ]

Awesome!! Thanks!!

Yeah, my books say that the Black and yellow Argiope Spiders are the largest spiders to be found in one's garden, but they are right because Nephilas tend to live in the woods.

Thanks alot for the info. However, you wouldn't happen to have a good comparison of how strong the silk of a Nephila is, would you?

(:D

[ShaneKing]

i fuckin hate spiders, and that just made me terrified :S

[ink942]

as i was watching this video somthing came to mind...

HOW THE HELL DOES A FICKIN LITTLE SPIDER CREATE A WEB

IN THE FIRST PLACE!!!!!!

[josbornx]

oh, I forgot to add that they're very, very, very reluctant to bite, and even though the venom hurts, it's far from deadly

[josbornx]

in texas, those 'banana spiders'...simply known here as black and yellow garden spiders have abdomens about 3-4 times as fat as the ones shown in that video, scary fuckers. Also their bite isn't painful but once the vemon starts dissolving the skin it's truely agonizing

[IloveSPIDERZ]

Actually, it looks like this one has just molted, so this one will also get big. About the bite, for me, it's a different story. lol I held a huge moth in it's web, and instead of biting the moth, it bit me. But, I don't blame it, they are pretty much blind. But, it only hurt at the moment, the pain never really lasted. Have a good one!

[xmodskidd]

thats not a banana spider dumbass

[chan53]

haha

[boondocks101]

yeah that is

i live in japan trust me their everywhere

[GtarWanaB]

if the steel was as thin as the silk, the silk would be 2 times as strong. A thick sheet would be 3 times as strong as steel of that thickness

[Guitarman1234]

haha.. stronger than steel my ass... anyway thats a gnarley spider

[jadcooper]

Check the facts ..

Scientific Background

Spider silk shows great promise for technological applications and is of tremendous

economical value due to its following extraordinary mechanical properties:

High tensile strength stronger than steel,High extensibility comparable to rubber, Biodegradability.

The mechanical properties of the dragline from the orb weaver is even superior even to the high performance fiber "Kevlar" .

Google IMB Jena - Spider silk biotechnology

[caddyman07]

I cant STAND spiders. I too find them eerie when they are in the house but interesting everywhere else. Cool video by the way. Where do you live? That is a colorful ass spider and it was in your backyard?! Looks like it came from the rainforest or something...

[moryou2006mate]

FACT3, in the last verse God said [29:43 And such are the Parables We set forth for mankind, but only those understand them who have knowledge.] its clear that ppl need some study and get some knowledge to get these facts. Every day Quran proves its Miracles, as its 4 any time and any ppl. so plz read THE LAST TESTAMENT (THE QURAN)

[moryou2006mate]

FACT2 Physically the net of spider is mad of the highest tension wire on earth stronger than Iron if made in the same thickness though its so weak (god is Mighty) as theses wires r so thin and net (spider's house) doesn't protect from sun, rain or wind, also the verse in Arabic it indicated that it's the female spider who builds the net and that's proven.

[hathwit7]

lol at you speel of bullshit. "...though its so weak (god is Mighty) as theses wires r so thin..." i mean like why is god relevant in this? man you're wack!

[moryou2006mate]

EXPLATION, flimsiest (weakest) house in Arabic it means (a) physically weak house (b) socially weak (no love bonds in it).FACT1, socially; it has been found that the worst relationships r existing in the spider house a female spider (the feminist form mentioned in Quran) eats her husband in their wending party! (After their 1st s/xual mating), spider kids eats their mates b4 they hatch then eat their mother as their also a spider eats it's an other (same species) if it fails in its net.

[moryou2006]

Spider in THE QURAN, Chapter 29 (the spider),verse 41-43 [Q 29:41 The parable of those who take protectors other than Allah is that of the spider, who builds (to itself) a house; but truly the flimsiest of houses is the spider's house;- if they but knew.29:42 Verily Allah doth know of (every thing) whatever that they call upon besides Him: and He is Exalted (in power), Wise.29:43 And such are the Parables We set forth for mankind, but only those understand them who have knowledge.] Means..

[doodlestroodle]

isnt a vs a fight? he was all tangled the spider just ate him title should be spider eats dragonfly

[BlipBlopBlap]

I saw one of these in a garden i worked on in spain today. There fekin big and i got a nice show when a wasp flew straight into its just built web, spiders are quality insects.

[Scintilla]

Actually, they're not insects at all. They're arachnids. :P

[zashima]

honestly, I'm terrified of spiders and yet i find that I'm also fascinated by them. this is cool by the way... kinda like the discovery channel only it's not that scary.

[ObsessiveRepulsive]

Yeah, same here. Terrified Yet fascinated.

Great Video, Jadcooper.

[AsMhMoOt]

Same here id prolly be like woah what a sweet spider 1 minute later id smach thta thing with a bat.

[ridi]

Can someone send me one of theses spiders? :P

[xyconyx]

it's weird, I'm not a biologist onviously but I could swear I saw these in Florida AND in Korea, is this right or is it just a look alike?

[lucasberg]

I wish we had those out here. Nice video.

[Beetlejuice1988]

Me like Spiders.

[BigBrotherMateyka]

That's just a Garden Spider. They're big and scary, but they're harmless to humans. :D

[jadcooper]

I know, that's why I love them, you can observe and film them without worrying about a possibly deadly bite, unlike the Black Widow I found right outside my parents back door at night...

[laijiaen]

REALLY?

[mkfan123]

i think they're cute XD

[PLSS]

Scary!

[GunDownKnight76]

the spider is huge