What Kind of Yellow Spider Was on My Sunflower?

Argiopes

• Argiope is the collective name for an entire category of orb-weaving spiders (those that spin circular, orb-shaped spiderwebs). So commonly found in gardens are these spiders that they are often colloquially referred to as garden spiders. Among all argiopes, the yellow garden spider (Argiope aurantia) is the one you are most likely to find in your garden inhabiting plants such as the sunflower. It has a yellow and black abdomen and a gray-haired cephalothorax. Its eight legs are mostly black with occasional red or yellow stripes.

Argiopes and Gardens

• The yellow garden spider is attracted to gardens for many different reasons. Argiope aurantia likes to dwell in sunny locations where it is relatively protected from wind and other natural elements. Shrubs, tall plants and flowers such as sunflowers in open fields and gardens are often the ideal habitation choices that meet all these requirements. Additionally, many of Argiope aurantia's favorite foods such as aphids, flies, grasshoppers, bees and wasps are all typically found on or near garden plants.

Benefits

• Some of the insects that the yellow garden spider eats, aphids in particular, can cause significant destruction to garden plants. Aphid infestations are often notoriously difficult to control using natural methods, forcing many gardeners to use potentially toxic insecticide chemicals to remove an aphid infestation. Leaving yellow garden spiders in your garden provides a natural, non-invasive, non-destructive, non-toxic and low-maintenance means for reducing the populations of aphids and other problematic garden pests.

Other Considerations

• Argiope aurantia is venemous and it wll bite humans if disturbed, but generally it takes prolonged provocation to compel Argiope aurantia to bite a human. The bite is harmless, causing nothing more than minor irritation is anyone but the very young, the very old or those with diminished immune system function. If the yellow garden spiders need to be removed, simply tap the web repeatedly until the spider is disturbed enough to find another web-spinning location.