Black and Yellow Garden Spider, Zipper Spider, Corn Spider, Writing Spider

Natural Habitat

Gardens, fields, forest edges, and anywhere it can build a large orb web. Often found in tall vegetation, between shrubs, or near structures.

Diet & Feeding

Strictly insectivorous; they feed on a variety of flying insects caught in their orb webs, including cicadas, flies, grasshoppers, wasps, and bees.

Behavior Patterns

Known for building large, intricate orb webs, often with a distinctive zigzag pattern of dense silk called a stabilimentum. They typically hang head-down in the center of their web. Females are solitary and build their webs daily or as needed. Males are smaller and approach the female's web cautiously for mating. They are diurnal hunters, waiting in their web for prey.

Risks & Benefits

Potential risks are minimal; they are not aggressive and rarely bite humans. Their venom is not considered dangerous to humans, usually causing only mild, localized pain, redness, and swelling similar to a bee sting. They are highly beneficial as natural pest controllers, consuming large numbers of insects that can be garden or agricultural pests.

Identified on: 9/14/2025