garden ghost spider

not listed

NNR - Unranked

not listed

Garden ghost spider is a common, small, wandering spider. It occurs in the United States east of the Great Plains, in southern Quebec and Ontario, and in Mexico. It is uncommon in Minnesota, where it is at the northwestern extent of its range. It spends the day in a silken tube in a rolled up or folded over leaf, and it hunts on plant foliage at night.

Females are ¼″ (6.4 to 7.0 mm) in length and have a 5⁄16″ to ½″ (8 to 12 mm) legspan.

The front part of the body (cephalothorax), consisting of the head and thorax, is egg shaped and longer than wide. The upper side (carapace) is yellowish-orange. It is sparsely covered with short hairs (setae), and there are a few long seta around the eyes. In the front, the area around the eyes is darker orangish-brown. There are eight eyes in two rows of four. The front (anterior) row is slightly curved backward. The anterior outer (lateral) eyes (ALE) are slightly larger than the anterior middle (median) eyes (AME). The rear (posterior) eye row is slightly curved forward. All of the eyes are narrowly ringed with black. Two indistinct, dark, broken, longitudinal lines extend from the posterior lateral eyes (PLE) to the rear of the carapace. Two similar but shorter and usually less distinct lines extend back from the posterior median eyes (PME). The mouthparts (chelicerae), corresponding to the jaws, are relatively long, slender, and dark orangish-brown or dark brown. Each fang rests in a furrow between two ridges (margins). The outer margin (promargin) has three or four teeth. The inner margin (retromargin), closest to the mouth, has seven to nine teeth.

The abdomen is egg-shaped and off white to grayish-green, with two longitudinal rows of minute reddish or brown spots.

The legs are relatively long, slender, and pale orangish-yellow, with no dark markings.

Males are similar but smaller, 3⁄16″ to ¼″ (5.7 to 6.5 mm) in length.

Female Body Length: ¼″ (6.4 to 7.0 mm)

Male Body Length: 3⁄16″ to ¼″ (5.7 to 6.5 mm)

Legspan: 5⁄16″ to ½″ (8 to 12 mm)

None

Ghost spiders hunt at night. They spend the day in a silken retreat in a rolled up or folded over leaf.

Sources

7, 24, 29, 30, 82, 83.

Unitl recently, this species was included in the genus Aysha. In 1991, several Aysha species, including Aysha gracilis, were transferred to the new genus Hibana.

Hibana gracilis ghost spider

Location: Albany, NY

Location: Albany, NY

Location: Barnes Prairie, Racine Co., WI