Anyphaenidae
Guides
Anyphaena dixiana
ghost spider
Anyphaena dixiana is a species of ghost spider in the family Anyphaenidae. It belongs to the celer species group within the genus Anyphaena. Originally described from the United States, the species has subsequently been recorded from Mexico. As with other anyphaenids, it is likely nocturnally active.
Anyphaena fraterna
ghost spider
Anyphaena fraterna is a species of ghost spider in the family Anyphaenidae, first described by Banks in 1896. It belongs to a family of wandering hunters that do not build permanent webs for prey capture. The species is documented from the United States, though specific details about its ecology and behavior remain limited in published literature. Like other anyphaenids, it is presumably nocturnally active and associated with vegetation.
Anyphaena pacifica
ghost spider
Anyphaena pacifica is a species of ghost spider in the family Anyphaenidae, first described by Banks in 1896. It belongs to a family of wandering hunters that do not build permanent webs for prey capture. The species occurs across western North America from Canada to Mexico.
Anyphaena pectorosa
Eastern Spurred Ghost Spider
Anyphaena pectorosa is a species of ghost spider in the family Anyphaenidae, first described by L. Koch in 1866. It belongs to the pectorosa species group, one of five groups recognized within the North American and Mexican Anyphaena fauna. The species is distributed across the United States and Canada. As a member of Anyphaenidae, it is a wandering hunter rather than a web-builder.
Arachosia cubana
ghost spider
Arachosia cubana is a species of ghost spider in the family Anyphaenidae. It was originally described by Banks in 1909. The species belongs to a species complex within the genus that previously presented identification challenges, now resolved through taxonomic revision. It is part of a genus containing 21 species distributed across the Americas.
Hibana
ghost spiders, yellow ghost spider
Hibana is a genus of anyphaenid sac spiders established by Antônio Brescovit in 1991. The genus contains 18 described species distributed from the United States through Central America to Brazil, including the Caribbean. These small, pale, nocturnal spiders are commonly known as ghost spiders due to their coloration and elusive habits. Hibana includes the yellow ghost spider (Hibana velox), formerly classified under Aysha. The genus is notable for its cursorial hunting behavior and restricted area searching following food consumption.
Hibana cambridgei
Hibana cambridgei is a small ghost spider in the family Anyphaenidae. Like other members of its genus, it is pale in coloration and nocturnal in habit. The species is native to North America and has been recorded from the United States and Mexico. Very few specific observations of this species have been documented in scientific literature.
Hibana futilis
ghost spider
Hibana futilis is a small cursorial spider in the family Anyphaenidae, commonly known as ghost spiders. Adults reach a maximum body length of slightly over 8 millimeters. The species is nocturnal, hunting insects on foliage at night and hiding in silk-lined curled leaves by day. It is found from the United States through Central America to Venezuela and Cuba. Research has documented its restricted area searching behavior following consumption of both prey and non-prey food, suggesting cognitive flexibility in foraging.
Lupettiana mordax
ghost spider
Lupettiana mordax is a species of ghost spider in the family Anyphaenidae. It has been recorded across a broad geographic range extending from the United States through Central America to Peru and Brazil. The species belongs to a family of wandering spiders that are active hunters rather than web-builders.
Wulfila
ghost spiders
Wulfila is a genus of ghost spiders (family Anyphaenidae) comprising at least 40 described species. These spiders are active hunters that do not construct webs for prey capture. They are commonly found in urban environments, where research has documented their association with scale-infested trees and shrubs. As members of the hunting spider guild, they contribute to biological control of pest insects in managed landscapes.
Wulfila albens
ghost spider
Wulfila albens is a species of ghost spider in the family Anyphaenidae, first described by Hentz in 1847. It is found in the United States and Jamaica. As an active hunting spider, it does not construct webs to capture prey. The species has been documented as part of natural enemy communities in urban landscapes, particularly in association with scale-infested trees.
Wulfila tantillus
Wulfila tantillus is a species of ghost spider in the family Anyphaenidae, first described by Chickering in 1940. It belongs to a guild of active hunting spiders that do not construct webs for prey capture. The genus Wulfila is part of a family commonly referred to as ghost spiders due to their pale coloration and nocturnal habits. Observations of Wulfila spiders have been documented in association with urban tree canopies infested with scale insects, where they contribute to predator communities.