Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
deirdre_2007

Black and orange spider

deirdre_2007
15 years ago

I planted some sunflowers this year for the first time. My girls and I are really enjoying them. I keep noticing these spiders on the leaves of the sunflowers. They are small, with very long skinny black legs. The body of the spider is orangy red. I'm a bit of a bugaphobiac, and I'm trying not to pass it on to my kids. So I assume they're harmless, but never having seen them before, I want to be safe. Does anyone have any ideas? If need be, I can post a picture.

Comments (10)

  • shari1332
    15 years ago

    I'm seeing alot of them too. I've never noticed them before and was wondering about them myself.

  • alicia7b
    15 years ago

    Posting a picture would help. They don't sound like anything poisonous.

  • blueangel
    15 years ago

    Just some information that I hope helps
    Encounters between people and spiders are usually accidental and bites are a defensive response by the spider when its web or nest is disturbed. Most spiders produce venom therefore, they could be considered "poisonous". The venom is stored in glands that empty into the spiders fangs' or chelicerae. For the most part, spiders bites are of no consequence. However, just as bee and wasp stings may trigger allergic reactions in some people, the same can be true for spider bites. Young children, the elderly and hypersensitive individuals are more likely to react strongly to a bite. In North Carolina, (there are few spiders that can inflect serious and painful injury is extremely small.) The two best-known dangerously poisonous spiders are the black widow spider and the brown recluse.So all in all your spider is not that dangerous.Remember there are only two spiders in North Carolina that are dangerous the Black Widow Spider and the Brown Recluse Spider,I know I repeated myself
    but just want to get that across,hope this helps.

    Blueangel

  • dottie_in_charlotte
    15 years ago

    I think what you're seeing is the nymph form of the Assassin bug, given the color and the groupings. They do tend to cluster where they are born.

  • shari1332
    15 years ago

    Thanks Dottie- I think that is what I was seeing. Haven't noticed any this week though.

  • dellare
    15 years ago

    I second what Dottie said. The first time I read the post I kind of figured that was what they were but darned if I could remember the name of the bug. Adele

  • dottie_in_charlotte
    15 years ago

    I saw a teenage one on my porch screen this morning so I remembered the name. When they're babies they cluster in groups. After a few more instars they start their wandering for food. I hear they can give you a pretty painful prick with their mouthpiece.
    They are bug eaters.

  • deirdre_2007
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Could be . . . I haven't seen them anymore. I saw them every day for about a week, but ever since I posted, I haven't seen them since. Except for the long antenna (sp) which I don't remember seeing, and granted I didn't get that close LOL, they look exactly like the "spider" I saw.

    This was probably it. Thank you!!!

  • samuel_7691
    15 years ago

    I'm seeing a lot of these orange and black spiders on my sunflowers, what's the connection between them and the sunflowers?

  • dottie_in_charlotte
    15 years ago

    No connection except that assassin bugs are opportunistic bug eaters. The head of a sunflower with its huge pollen filled center attracts all sorts of "food" for the assassin bugs, even at night when the moths come to feed.