Can anyone identify this spider from the photo?

Question

I found this interesting spider in my backyard, and I was wondering if someone could please identify it for me from a photo that I took of it.

Photo: http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l7/Erwyingel2/crazyshellspider.jpg

Location: Northeastern Pennsylvania, US
Size: ROUGHLY about an inch with legs extended, maybe less

Answer 1

First of all, that spider is crazy. Second, it's most likely this guy:
Micrathena sagittata

Google search him for more info. It's a type of shiny-orb weaver spider... they all have some really weird features. Doesn't look like he's poisonous, but he can bite, even if it doesn't feel any worse than a mosquito bite. Cool find!

And don't listen to trogwolf... he obviously doesn't know how to count...

Answer 2

You found _that_ in your backyard! I'm impressed! The normal Micrathena we have here in the mid-Atlantic is not usually anything like that colorful. It's a similar shape, but tends to be simply black-and-white, rather than the mahogany cephalothorax and red-rimmed spines that you've got (or perhaps I've just never looked closely enough at them..). Also, may I congratulate you on your excellent photography skills - I've been doing macro-photography off and on for years now and have yet to get a shot that nice. You're good!

Answer 3

Spiders are a ask your self of nature that would save the exterior of the living house freed from mozi's ,bugs and different nasty's.I propose you employ the internet to make certain the species of spider and in case you are able to stay with it do in any different case spray your place with organic organic spray in case you dont desire to apply poison.

Answer 4

Although it might be harmless, I would steer clear, this appears to be a spiny orb weaver.

One of the more colorful spiders in Florida is a spiny orb weaver, Gasteracantha cancriformis (Linnaeus) 1767. Although not as large as some of the other common orb weavers (e.g., Argiope, Levi 1968; Neoscona, Edwards 1984), the combination of color, shape, and web characteristics make G. cancriformis one of the most conspicuous of spiders. The colloquial name for this spider in parts of Florida is "crab spider", although it is not related to any of the families of spiders commonly called crab spiders, e.g., Thomisidoe. This species belongs to a pantropical genus which contains many species in the Old World. With the possible exception of the West Indian G. tetracantha (L.) (which may be only a geographic race), G. cancriformis is the only species of its genus to occur in the New World, ranging from the southern United States to northern Argentina (Levi 1978). The bite of this common species is not known to cause serious effects to humans.

Answer 5

That is a type of spined spider and it does belong to the Family Araneidae (orb-weavers).

Answer 6

Jon above is quite right. I vote him best answer. My guess is that its an Spiny-bellied Orb-weaver Spider or Spined Micrathena.

http://www.consider-the-lilies.org/Spiny-bellied%20Orbweaver.htm
http://www.mdc.mo.gov/nathis/arthopo/mospider/kinds.htm#anchor868086
http://www.spiderzrule.com/spiders054/Spined%20Micrathena_small.jpg

Crabs have 10 legs.

Answer 7

I believe I have identified your spider. Looks to be a Micrathena Sagitta.

Here is a link with more info:

http://bugguide.net/node/view/2020