This is a picture of a banana spider. This guy was living under a carport in Mississippi. I had never seen a banana spider before, but they are huge! They are sort of dark brown and yellowish like a rotting banana and I figure this makes it easier for them to hide up in the banana bunches?! This banana spider had some dead looking things in it's web, looks like he had a great meal or two.

The actual name for this spider is the Golden silk orb-weaver. More specifically, Nephila clavipes. Their bit isn't lethal, but will make you pretty sick like a black widow. The threads of their web shine like gold in the sunlight.