The garden spider also uses its extraordinary sense of touch for mating, as males tap upon the webs of females to express their intent. Like other spiders, garden spiders must liquefy their prey in order to consume it. Positioning themselves at the center of their web, garden spiders hang upside down, jump on prey and paralyze it with injected venom. Although their eyesight is poor, garden spiders are extremely sensitive to vibrations along the strands of their webs. The garden spider uses its web to capture food. The webs of garden spiders are notoriously strong. Prey must be liquefied with digestive enzymes before consumption is possible. The garden orb spiders rarely bite and the pain is like a bee’s sting. In addition, the spider has an identifiable silhouette of an X shape or St Andrew’s cross. After prey becomes entangled in the web, garden spiders immobilize their victims and drag them to the center of the web. The black and yellow garden spider has an egg-shaped black abdomen with yellow markings and a white cephalothorax. Most garden spider habitats are also populated with a variety of potential prey. Males are significantly smaller, with a thinner abdomen, and have a duller red-brown color.

Only female garden spiders have these colors though, along with a white or gray cephalothorax (front part of the body). Garden spider webs are notoriously strong and may reach more than 60 cm in diameter. The most distinctive feature of garden spiders are the black and yellow markings that often appear as bands or spots across their abdomen. Female yellow garden spiders can have bodies that are up to an inch long, with abdomens almost a centimeter wide. And, their bodies and legs are less brightly colored than those of the females. The most important determining factor in the dwelling place of the garden spider is the presence of twigs, trees, branches or plant leaves on which to construct webs. In autumn months, garden spiders lay their eggs in silken sacs that contain between 50 and several hundred eggs. In fact, male yellow garden spiders’ bodies are very small and narrow, especially compared to their long legs. Even garden spiderlings are capable of spinning these intricate structures without the assistance of mature spiders. Garden spiders also are known as orb weavers due to their orb-shaped, delicate webs. As their name suggests, garden spiders are most commonly found in gardens, meadows and clearings. Garden spiders are found on many continents throughout the globe.