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NO. 046Black-and-yellow garden spider, female illustrationIllustration · not shown at life size

Spiders / Spider

Black-and-yellow garden spider

Argiope aurantia

Adult · femaleFind the right habitat

A large female has black-and-yellow markings. Look for a zigzag of silk in her web.

A spider, and part of our tiny-neighbor collection.

Let’s look closer

Little clues

Three things to notice.

  1. Black-and-yellow abdomen.

  2. Silvery hairs on the front body.

  3. Often adds a zigzag to its web.

Out in the world

Where to look.

Around southeastern Wisconsin

Gardens and tall plants, late summer.

Look closely. Leave your tiny neighbor where you found it.

A closer look

One clue is just the start.

The large, colorful spiders people notice are usually females. Males are much smaller.

A special find can be hard to spot without being biologically rare. Encounters depend on season and habitat.

Keep exploring

Meet the neighbors.

For curious grownups, too

Read a little further.

Original summaries, with references for deeper reading. Field notes are being checked against the supplied research.

Make a creature disc

Artwork & downloads.

Drag a PNG image into xTool Studio, or use its download button. Images use the full-resolution files.

  • Black-and-yellow garden spider — Transparent front PNG

    Transparent front PNG

    76.2 mm canvas · white-outlined labels on a clear background

    046-front.png
    1800 × 1800 px

    Download PNG
  • Black-and-yellow garden spider — Relief depth PNG — prototype

    Relief depth PNG — prototype

    Matches this front · dark lettering 0.5 mm, outline 0.1 mm at 1 mm maximum

    046-height-disc.png
    1800 × 1800 px

    Download PNG
  • Black-and-yellow garden spider — Original artwork

    Original artwork

    Unmodified source PNG

    046-black-and-yellow-garden-spider-v2.png
    1254 × 1254 px

    Download PNG

  • Editable front SVG

    Common & scientific names · finding clue · editable labels

    046-front.svg

    Download SVG

Front artwork is made for a 3-inch clear disc. Revised artwork still needs a physical check. Disc backs are blank; use the single carrier QR from the print studio to open the field guide.

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