Yellow Bugs: 19 Common Types to Know
Found a yellow bug? This guide lists 19 common bugs that are yellow in color, ordered from most to least risky, with the one feature that identifies each.
Quick list
How to narrow it down
Narrow it down with three quick checks. Count the legs: insects have six, spiders and ticks have eight, and centipedes and millipedes have many more. Check for wings, even folded ones. Then compare size against a coin: a US penny is 19 mm across. Our bug identifier tool does this filtering for you.
The 19 bugs
Arizona Bark Scorpion
Arizona Bark ScorpionCentruroides sculpturatusA slender, light tan scorpion of the desert Southwest and the most venomous scorpion in North America. It climbs walls and ceilings and often hides in shoes, bedding and clothing.
Tell-tale sign: Thin, light yellowish-tan body and slender pincers. Risk: Bark scorpion stings cause severe pain and numbness and can be dangerous for young children and older adults; call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 after a sting.
European Hornet
European HornetVespa crabroThe only true hornet established in North America, a large brown-and-yellow wasp that nests in hollow trees, barns and wall voids. It often flies at night and is attracted to lights.
Tell-tale sign: Large wasp with a reddish-brown head and thorax. Risk: European hornet stings are very painful, and colonies defend their nest, though workers are less aggressive away from it.
Yellowjacket
YellowjacketVespula maculifronsA sleek, bright yellow-and-black wasp that nests underground or in wall voids. Late-summer workers scavenge for sweets and meat and are drawn to picnics and trash cans.
Tell-tale sign: Smooth, shiny yellow and black body with little hair. Risk: Yellowjackets sting repeatedly and defend nests aggressively; multiple stings or an allergy can be dangerous.
Bumble Bee
Bumble BeeBombus spp.A large, round, very hairy bee with black and yellow bands. It nests in the ground or old rodent burrows and pollinates tomatoes, blueberries and wildflowers.
Tell-tale sign: Plump, fuzzy body covered in dense hair. Risk: Bumble bees are gentle but can sting more than once if their nest is disturbed.
Honey Bee
Honey BeeApis melliferaA fuzzy, golden-brown bee with darker bands that pollinates crops and flowers and lives in large colonies. A worker's barbed stinger stays in the skin after it stings.
Tell-tale sign: Golden-brown to amber body with dark abdominal bands. Risk: A honey bee sting is painful and can trigger life-threatening allergic reactions in sensitive people; call a local beekeeper for swarms.
Paper Wasp
Paper WaspPolistes spp.A slender wasp with long, dangling legs that builds open, umbrella-shaped paper nests under eaves, railings and grills. It hunts caterpillars to feed its young.
Tell-tale sign: Long, thin body with a narrow waist. Risk: Paper wasps are less aggressive than yellowjackets but will sting to defend their nest.
Aphid
AphidAphidoidea superfamilyA tiny, soft, pear-shaped insect that clusters on new shoots and leaf undersides to suck sap. Aphids reproduce quickly and leave sticky honeydew that attracts ants.
Tell-tale sign: Pear-shaped, soft body, often green or black. Risk: Aphids don't bite people; heavy colonies curl leaves and spread plant viruses.
Carpenter Bee
Carpenter BeeXylocopa virginicaA large bee that bores perfectly round holes into bare wood on decks, eaves and fences. Males hover aggressively near nests but cannot sting.
Tell-tale sign: Shiny, hairless black abdomen. Risk: Females can sting but rarely do; repeated nesting weakens wood and attracts woodpeckers.
Cicada Killer
Cicada KillerSphecius speciosusOne of the largest wasps in North America, with a black-and-yellow abdomen and amber wings. Females dig burrows in sandy lawns and stock them with paralyzed cicadas.
Tell-tale sign: Very large wasp up to two inches long. Risk: Despite their size, cicada killers are docile; males can't sting and females rarely do.
Colorado Potato Beetle
Colorado Potato BeetleLeptinotarsa decemlineataA rounded, yellow-orange beetle with ten black stripes on its wing covers. Adults and humpbacked red larvae strip the leaves of potatoes, eggplants and tomatoes.
Tell-tale sign: Ten black lengthwise stripes on yellowish wing covers. Risk: Colorado potato beetles are harmless to people but can defoliate a potato crop.
Differential Grasshopper
Differential GrasshopperMelanoplus differentialisA large, olive-yellow grasshopper with black chevron marks on its hind legs. It feeds on crops, vegetables and weeds across the central US.
Tell-tale sign: Yellowish-olive body. Risk: Grasshoppers can nip if handled but are harmless; large outbreaks damage crops.
House Centipede
House CentipedeScutigera coleoptrataA fast, yellowish-gray centipede with 15 pairs of very long legs that races across floors and walls at night. It hunts silverfish, cockroaches and spiders.
Tell-tale sign: Fifteen pairs of long, banded legs. Risk: House centipedes rarely bite; a bite feels like a mild bee sting.
Pharaoh Ant
Pharaoh AntMonomorium pharaonisA tiny, pale yellow ant that nests in warm, hidden spots inside walls, cabinets and appliances. Colonies split into new nests when disturbed, which makes them hard to control.
Tell-tale sign: Very small, light yellow to amber body with a darker abdomen. Risk: They don't bite, but in hospitals and kitchens they can carry bacteria onto clean surfaces.
Varied Carpet Beetle
Varied Carpet BeetleAnthrenus verbasciA tiny, round beetle mottled with white, brown and yellow scales. The fuzzy, banded larvae chew holes in wool, silk, feathers, leather and stored animal products.
Tell-tale sign: Very small, round beetle with a mottled scale pattern. Risk: Carpet beetles don't bite, but larval hairs can cause itchy skin rashes in some people.
Webbing Clothes Moth
Webbing Clothes MothTineola bisselliellaA small, golden-buff moth whose larvae eat wool, silk, fur, feathers and cashmere. Adults avoid light and are more often found in closets than flying around lamps.
Tell-tale sign: Small, shiny golden-tan wings without spots. Risk: Clothes moths don't bite people; larvae damage natural-fiber fabrics.
Firefly
FireflyPhotinus pyralisA soft-bodied beetle that flashes a yellow-green light from its abdomen on summer evenings. Each species uses its own flash pattern to find mates.
Tell-tale sign: Pink or red shield on the thorax with a black center spot. Risk: Fireflies do not bite or sting, but they contain chemicals that are toxic to lizards and some pets if eaten.
Goldenrod Crab Spider
Goldenrod Crab SpiderMisumena vatiaA small, crab-like spider that sits on flowers waiting to ambush bees and flies. It can slowly change color between white and yellow to match its flower.
Tell-tale sign: Front two pairs of legs much longer and held out like a crab's. Risk: Crab spiders are harmless; their fangs are too small to hurt most people.
Mud Dauber
Mud DauberSceliphron caementariumA solitary wasp with a thread-thin waist that builds tube-shaped mud nests on walls, ceilings and under porches. It stocks each nest with paralyzed spiders.
Tell-tale sign: Extremely long, thread-like waist. Risk: Mud daubers are non-aggressive and very rarely sting, even when handled.
Yellow Garden Spider
Yellow Garden SpiderArgiope aurantiaA large black-and-yellow orb weaver that spins a big circular web with a thick zigzag band in the center. It sits head-down in the hub of the web in sunny gardens.
Tell-tale sign: Black and bright yellow patterned abdomen. Risk: Yellow garden spiders are not aggressive; a bite is rare and similar to a bee sting.
Which ones should you worry about?
6 of the 19 bugs in this guide can bite or sting. The ones to take seriously are Arizona bark scorpion, European hornet and yellowjacket. The rest are harmless or simply a nuisance.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most common one?
Among the bugs in this guide, the Arizona bark scorpion and European hornet are the ones people ask about most.
Which of these are dangerous?
Arizona Bark Scorpion, European Hornet and Yellowjacket can be medically significant.
How can I identify a bug I found?
Use the free bug identifier tool: choose the number of legs, wings, main color, size and where you found it, and it will list the closest matches.