Spider Identification

[dale]

Can anyone identify this spider?  We found him outside on the side of the house.

[Will Cook]

That's the Black-and-yellow Garden Spider (Argiope aurantia), one of our largest and most common spiders. Read more about them on bugguide.

[jblake]

very cool spiders!! acool thing about them is sometimes when u disturb them they will sway in the web,making they're large web move back and forth.kinda looks like they are about to jump on ya! haha! i like to think they're just saying hey, i'm here! please don't destroy my web!

[masonboro]

Yea, when they sway like that it is a threat display or as steve irwin would probably have put it "I'm a big bloke of a spider stay away". He is missed!!!!