Bug Identifier
Yellow Garden Spider
Community identification

Yellow Garden Spider

Argiope aurantia

Order & Family
Order: Araneae; Family: Araneidae
Size
Females 19-28 mm (0.75-1.1 in); Males 5-9 mm (0.20-0.35 in)
See this bug in the Encyclopedia

Natural Habitat

Sunny areas such as gardens, meadows, and fields with tall vegetation

Diet & Feeding

Carnivorous; primarily flying insects like bees, flies, and grasshoppers caught in their web

Behavior Patterns

Constructs large circular webs with a prominent zigzag silk pattern called a stabilimentum

Risks & Benefits

Beneficial to ecosystems as natural pest control; venom is not harmful to humans unless allergic