Spotting a large black and yellow spider in the garden can definitely cause a bit of a fright. But it’s not you who needs to be fearful. In fact, it’s the pests that you’re probably trying to get rid of in your garden that should be afraid!

In a regenerative and sustainable garden, spiders are a welcome sight because they mean that you have created a biodiverse garden with a healthy ecosystem that sustains beneficial creatures such as the garden spider.

In this article, we’ll look at the benefits of the yellow garden spider, and how they can help you in your eco friendly garden.

Are yellow garden spiders poisonous/venemous?

Yellow garden spiders inject their prey with venom. Lucky for us, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln shares that the venom is usually not dangerous for humans.

If you are allergic to spider bites or have additional symptoms, you should seed medical attention. Otherwise, PennState Extension shares that their bite is rare said to be akin to a bee sting.

Yellow garden spider facts: Argiope Aurantia

The Yellow Garden Spider, known officially as Argiope aurantia, is a bit intense on first glance. These are big spiders!

According to North Carolina Parks, the name “Argiope” means silver-faced, and “aurantia” means “gilded.” If you know some Latin, argentum means “silver,” which is what Argentina is named after; aurum translates as gold.

If you see a large black spider with yellow markings, it's probably this Yellow Garden Spider.

Other names for the Argiope Yellow Garden Spider are:

• Golden Spider
• Garden Writing Spider
• Zigzag spider
• Zipper Spider

While the name of Golden Spider makes sense due to its yellow color, the other names may sound strange until you see their web.

In fact, one of the ways to identify that you are looking at a Yellow Garden Spider is their distinctive web with a zigzag pattern up the middle, almost appearing to be a zipper.

Watch this zipper getting made by the Garden Spider in this fascinating video:

The Missouri Department of Conservation states that this zigzag is called a “stabilimentum.”

While researching the function of the stabilimentum, I found it interesting that scientists are not quite sure as to why orb weaving spiders make this pattern in their web!

Ecology Magazine notes that since this pattern reflects UV light, it might be a way to attract prey or to stop birds from flying into the web.

Even with 100 years of research, this is a puzzle that scientists haven’t figured out yet…I kind of like that there are still some mysteries left in the world like this.

How to identify a black and yellow garden spider

Besides its characteristic web, yellow garden spiders have other distinct features.

Here’s how to identify a yellow garden spider:

• They are absolutely massive
• They have a silvery-white thorax that is slightly fuzzy
• Female abdomens are almost wasp-like, with yellow, white, and black markings usually in some sort of striped pattern
• The are spiders with yellow backs
• Female legs are two toned, mainly black with brown or orange markings
• Both females and males have shorter third legs
• Males are brown in color and have smaller thoraxes

Where do yellow garden spiders live?

Broadly, Argiope aurantia are found in North and Central America. According to the University of Michigan’s Museum of Zoology, you can find them from southern Canada, through each of the lower 48 states, into Mexico and down into Central America.

Yellow garden spiders are usually found outside in areas that have a lot of vegetation.

I’ve personally seen yellow garden spiders living in my zucchini plants in my greenhouse, and on the fence at the entrance of my garden. In these instances, they stayed in the same spot for the entirety of the summer, and after they laid eggs they passed on.

Yellow garden spider benefits for pest control

While yellow garden spiders are fascinating on their own, their pest control abilities are what really make me excited to see them in the garden.

Yellow Garden Spiders will eat:

• aphids
• flies
• grasshoppers
• wasps
• hornets
• moths
• mosquitoes
• gnats

-Clemson Cooperative Extension‍

How does regenerative agriculture and sustainable gardening help attract yellow and black garden spiders?

If you see a yellow garden spider making her home in your garden, it’s likely because you’ve created a vibrant eco-system that values biodiversity and the environment. That’s because a yellow garden spider would not have anything to eat if you were to spray harmful pesticides and other toxic chemicals around your garden.

According to the SARE, beneficial animals are more likely to make their home in your garden if there are a diverse variety of plants and pesticides are avoided.

If you’d like to attract spiders and other helpful friends into the garden, be sure to grow flowers, herbs, and perennials.

SARE goes on to say that soils that are healthy from organic, no-till, regenerative methods also create space for beneficials to come in.

When you keep the soil planted with cover crops or mulched over-winter, you create a habitat for these helpful critters to overwinter safely.

If you mulch your garden with straw during the growing season, you create a cool and moist space for predators who are active at night to hide during the heat of the day.

It can be difficult as a gardener to see pests in your yard, and it’s a normal instinct to want to remove the pests as quickly as possible. You don’t want them to eat your hard work!

But at the same time, if you want an organic garden, it’s best to let some of these pests live in order to attract beneficial animals into your garden. The beneficial insects will come if there is a food source. SARE recommends keeping a close eye on the pest situation do that they don’t get to the point of destroying your garden and crop.

Looking for more information?

Check out how biodiversity is beneficial for your garden and the planet

Learn about how to deal with pests organically in your garden

Build soil health with regenerative practices

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