garden ghost spider
Hibana gracilis
This record describes Hibana gracilis (species). Recorded family: Anyphaenidae. Recorded order: Araneae.
Identification and Appearance
Spider is yellow to white with longitudinal stripes on the carapace, and dark spots arranged in two longitudinal rows cover the abdomen. This species can be identified by its brown chelicerae. Male Palp (ventral/lateral/medial) Epigynum (undissected/dissected ventral/dissected dorsal) Among the Hibana species, H. gracilis is the only one expected to be found in the northeast US. Some Anyphaena species can look similar, but can usually be distinguished by having a much more jagged edge to the carapace markings.
Wikipedia reference for Hibana gracilis: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hibana gracilis.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Arachnida
- Order
- Araneae (Spiders)
- Family
- Anyphaenidae (Ghost Spiders)
- Genus
- Hibana
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
From New England to Florida and west to Texas and Kansas (Kaston, 1978)
About Spiders: the wider group
Order-level background for Araneae, the group containing Hibana gracilis. Species-specific details appear above.
Group overview
As of 2023, 51,673 spider species in 136 families have been recorded, though an estimated 150,000 species exist. Spiders rank 7th in total species diversity among all organism orders. Only 0.5% of spider species pose any risk to human health.
Ecological role of the group
Spider venom contains complex peptides with diverse pharmacological activities, making them valuable for drug development research. Spiders produce up to 7 types of silk from specialized glands. Spider silk genes have been inserted into mammals and plants for biotech applications.
Economic and practical significance of the group
The global spider community kills an estimated 400-800 million tons of prey annually (2017 study). Spiders provide billions of dollars in natural pest control for agriculture. Spider silk is 5× stronger than steel of the same diameter, driving a biomaterials research industry.
Recorded sources for this group: World Spider Catalog, PNAS, Nature, ScienceDirect. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.
Photos of garden ghost spider (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by Lynette Elliott; Additional contributions by cheins , chuuuuung
Frequently Asked Questions About garden ghost spider
What is garden ghost spider?
garden ghost spider (Hibana gracilis) is a species in the family Anyphaenidae, within the order Araneae.
How do you identify garden ghost spider?
Spider is yellow to white with longitudinal stripes on the carapace, and dark spots arranged in two longitudinal rows cover the abdomen. This species can be identified by its brown chelicerae. Male Palp (ventral/lateral/medial) Epigynum (undissected/dissected ventral/dissected dorsal) Among the Hibana species, H. gracilis is the only one expected to be found in the northeast US. Some Anyphaena species can look similar, but can usually be distinguished by having a much more jagged edge to the carapace markings.
Where is garden ghost spider found?
Range: From New England to Florida and west to Texas and Kansas (Kaston, 1978)