Orb Weavers

I was looking for another caterpillar friend for Diego (his blew away with a gust of wind) and found this instead.

So I Googled "do orb weavers bite?" just to be on the safe side. Here is the good news and other info copied from bugguide.net

Behavior:

Orb weavers are very docile, non-aggressive spiders that will flee at the first sign of a threat (typically they will run or drop off the web). They are not dangerous to people & pets, and are actually quite beneficial because they will catch and eat a lot of pest-type insects.

Being Bitten:

Being bitten by an orb weaver is very uncommon, and typically the individual was "asking" to be bitten. Orb weavers will only bite if they feel threatened and trapped without a chance for escape (e.g. - like trying to pick them up). A bite is often compared to a bee sting, and for most people, is nothing serious. However, it is recommended to observe them in their environments (e.g. - on their web) and not to pick them up.

Daytime/Nighttime Activities:

Orb weavers are typically nocturnal. During the day, the spider will prefer to either sit motionless in the web or move off the web. If the spider moves off the web (but does not abandon it), she will be nearby in some cover (rolled up leaves, or on a branch) with a trap line nearby. If prey becomes ensnared in the web, the trap line will vibrate, indicating a possible meal. The spider will investigate; if it is "meal worthy", she will bite it to immobilize it, and wrap it with silk to either eat later, or to continue to subdue the meal while eating. If the trapped insect is not meal worthy, she will ignore it or eject it from the web.

At night, the orb weaver will become more active, working to repair any damage on the web, and sitting in the middle of the web. For some species, once morning starts to arrive, the spider will tear down the web and eat most of the silk (reabsorption of moisture plus consuming any dew that might have settled on the web). They will rebuild their web at dusk/night.

Famous Orb Weavers:

Some orb weavers are influential enough to make history. One such spider was the inspiration of E. B. White's "Charlotte's Web". Charlotte, who spun her webs in Maine, was an Araneus cavaticus, sometimes called a "Barn Spider". (NOTE: Not all barn spiders are A. cavaticus; there are several species of spiders that are commonly called barn spiders.)