What Are Black & Yellow Spiders?

Over 3,500 species of spider are thought to exist in the United States. These spiders come in a vast array of sizes, shapes and colors. Some are dangerous, but most are generally harmless. Identifying species can sometimes be tricky, for example, several types of spider can be described as yellow and black in color.

  1. Black and Yellow Garden Spider

    • The black and yellow garden spider is common throughout most of the U.S., and in some parts of southern Canada and northern Mexico. It is a large spider, with females measuring up 1.5 inches (3.8cm) and males 3/4 of a inch (1.2cm) in length. They are commonly found in gardens or open fields on large circular webs. They are not dangerous to humans, but do look imposing. The diet of the spider consists of small flying insects which get trapped in its web including bees, wasps and grasshoppers.

    Spinybacked Orb Weaver

    • The spinybacked orb weaver is a distinctive looking spider with a round, spiked abdomen. They are mainly black, but have patches of color which can be bright yellow, red or orange. Generally females grow to 3/8 of an inch (1cm) in length with males reaching 1/8 of an inch (3.2mm). The species is found mainly in the temperate areas of the U.S., including the Gulf Coast and California. They make circular webs to catch small flying insects. The species is not a danger to humans

    The Banana Spider

    • The banana spider is a tropical species that can grow up to 3 inches (7.cm) in length, with the males being about half the size of females. They can range in color from mainly black to having large patches of yellow, orange or red. They are found in warm climates such as the West Indies, South America and some of the warmer southern states in the U.S. They can build huge, strong webs some of which can be 3 feet (1m) wide in which they catch an array of flying insects. Though large, the species' bite is no more dangerous to humans than a bee sting.

    Happy-face Spiders

    • The happy-face spider is a small Hawaiian spider which is mainly yellow in color. Patches of black, red and orange can be found in an array of patterns on these small spiders. They are known as happy-face spiders due to some types having colored spot patterns that resemble a smiling face. The species is found only on the islands Oahu, Molokia, Maui and Hawaii within high altitude rain forests. They build flimsy webs on the underside of leaves to catch small insects.