Need Wasp and Spider ID - Warning - PICS!

[TheBrumstead]

I've seen this wasp twice. The first time, she/he was divebombing a dead cicada and sounded like a helicopter. When I went to take pics of the spider, it nicely landed on the window. It's at least 4 inches long. I've never seen one this big (we're in Northwest IN). It has yellow markings on it's back.

And here's the spider... we have had these around the house for the last two years. Their webs are huge, at least 3 foot across. I couldn't get the best pic from the house, but here's what I got. Spray does not kill them. There are two webs with two spiders on this window. It's out of the way, so I've left them for now. There's one by the back door that keeps getting taken down, and another by the hose spigot that also keeps getting taken down and rebuilt. My husband has messed with the web and they take off. I don't mind (much) if they are out of the way, but need to know if they are poisonous, etc. I have a very adventurous 2 year old.

And now that I completely feel like things are crawling all over me... what do you think? What are they?

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

It's really hard to tell from the pics, but the wasp is probably a cicada killer wasp, given that you saw it going after a cicada and the apparent size of the wasp (http://www.whatsthatbug.com/2009/07/20/cicada-killer-17/). They are harmless.

The spider is a female orb-weaver in the genus Neoscona. They too are completely harmless. If you keep disturbing their web (do it right after dark), they'll eventually move away.

 

[sourland]

Redhen is our BYC resident spider expert. PM her or better yet capture and mail the/all spiders to her.

 

[ChooksinChoppers]

Pretty sure that the spider is a Golden Orb...don't know what the wasp is except scary

 

[ChickenAlgebra]

Cicada Killer Wasp. I love them. I will say, despite being allergic to wasp stings and having a more allergic toddler, those are welcome to stay because I can't stand cicadas. They really aren't prone to stinging people. 14 y/o DD caught a female inside, in her hands, and took it outside.

 

[Okie Amazon]

Yup, Cicada Killer on the wasp - Orb on the spider. The spiders are scary-looking, but if the web is somewhere that isn't in your way, I'd leave it for their bug and fly-eating qualities. If there is a big zig-zag down the center of the web, it's definitely an Orb, otherwise known as common garden spider.

 

[annageckos]

All spiders have venom, but very few are dangerous to people.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
Yeah, what Sour said.

I love our resident orb weavers. Beautiful webs to admire each summer.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote:
Oh boy. You. Are. In. Trouble. Big. Trouble! Consider moving to Mars--or wherever has the strange landscape where the turtle-lizard brother has long, long eyelashes.

 

[Yetti]

Just saw this thread. I am in southern lower Michigan and I just saw one of the Cicada Wasps carrying a cicada to its nest while mowing in my backyard. it was huge without the extra mass of the bug it was carrying.