The Yellow Garden Spider (Argiope aurantia) is an orb-weaving spider seen along the coast in San Diego County near the edges of lakes and ponds. It has a black and yellow abdomen with reflective silver hairs on its head.

It prefers to live among shrubs, flowers, and tall plants and will spin its web among these in order to catch insects like flies, aphids, wasps, and bees. Predators of the Yellow Garden Spider include lizards, birds, and shrews. These spiders may bite if disturbed or harassed—the venom is harmless to humans, but the bite is mildly painful.

Did you know? Like other orb-weaver spiders, the Yellow Garden Spider has three claws on each foot. This extra claw allows it to handle its web thread while spinning.

To learn more about the Garden Yellow Spider, please visit the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology’s Animal Diversity Web.

PHOTO CREDIT: Public Domain