My brother-in-law found two of this type of spider on the front porch of his home on a small farm in south central Kentucky. All 3 sides of the porch had large 9'x8' spider webs top to bottom.
There were two spiders, this was the smaller one. The larger one was the size of a small mouse.
Location: south central Kentucky
What kind of spider is this ?
This is a mature female orb weaver in the genus Neoscona. Beyond that I cannot be certain. There is great variability in color and pattern within each species in Neoscona, so lots of overlap, too. They are *not* considered to be dangerously venomous to people or pets. They frequently spin their round webs near outdoor lights, "knowing" that insect prey will be attracted there.
Eric
Thanks, Eric. I had read about orb weavers and their webs but wasn't sure. By "mature" do you mean old? Could the larger "small mouse" size orb have been pregnant?
You're welcome! By "mature" I mean "sexually mature," full grown. Yes, at least some individual females could be gravid (egg-laden) by now.
Eric
I could certainly be wrong, but it looks like Neoscona domiciliorum to me.
http://bugguide.net/node/view/579857/bgpage
"Creep beneath the spider's web.... Ready, set, let's go!" - My Neighbor Totoro
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