5. Jumping Spiders

This group of spiders can jump 40 times the length of their body. That’s a very impressive distance for these tiny spiders. A few of them are brightly colored and most can be identified by the way they jerk their body as they move.

4. Crab Spiders

These spiders have the appearance and mannerisms of a crab, hence their name. They are able to walk sideways, forwards, and backwards just like a crab and they ambush their prey instead of making a web to trap them in.

3. Barn Spiders

For such a tiny spider, barn spiders are builders of very large webs. These little spiders are only around an inch in diameter and brown in color. Even though they are called barn spiders, there are plenty of them that reside in gardens too.

2. Wolf Spiders

Both the gray and brown varieties of wolf spider are rather large and often remind people of a small tarantula. These spiders can jump high and tend to surprise gardeners. They are excellent little hunters of larger insects and small spiders. Their homes are usually found underground, since they are a type of burrowing spider.

1. Black and Yellow Garden Spider

The web designs of these spiders are very unique. There is a zig zag form in the center of the web, which makes them easy to identify. The long black legs seem to separate into four pairs with each pair pointing off in a different direction.

Each of these spiders is completely harmless to humans and is helpful in catching many garden insects. Most of these spiders are small enough that gardeners rarely even notice them. Do you like having beneficial spiders in your garden or do they freak you out? Is there another variety of spider that you see more often in your garden?

Top Photo Credit: WayOutTexas