Spiders might not be everyone’s favorite creature, but some species stand out with their unique beauty and elegance, particularly the white spiders. From delicate patterns to striking features, white spiders can be stunning. Below, we share the 15 most beautiful types of white spiders along with their images and IDs. If you’re fascinated by these incredible creatures, keep reading to discover them!
1. Goldenrod Crab Spider
The Goldenrod Crab Spider is one of the most well-known white spiders. It is often found on flowers, especially yellow ones. This spider can change its color from white to yellow, which helps it camouflage with its surroundings.
Description: The Goldenrod Crab Spider has a wide, flat body and long front legs that resemble a crab, giving it its name. It is usually white or yellow with a smooth, shiny appearance.
Habitat: This spider prefers flowers, especially those with bright colors like daisies, sunflowers, and goldenrods. It is found throughout North America and Europe.
Behavior: The Goldenrod Crab Spider does not spin a web to catch prey. Instead, it waits on flowers, blending in perfectly. When an insect lands nearby, it quickly grabs it with its strong front legs. This spider is an ambush predator, relying on surprise to catch its meal.
2. White-banded Crab Spider
The White-banded Crab Spider is small and has a distinctive white band across its body. This spider often looks like a small speck or a lump on flowers, helping it avoid predators and capture prey.
Description: The White-banded Crab Spider is typically white or light yellow, with a broad white band running across its cephalothorax. It has a flat body and long front legs, giving it a crab-like appearance.
Habitat: This spider is found in gardens, meadows, and forests, particularly on flowers and plants. It uses its surroundings for camouflage.
Behavior: Like other crab spiders, the White-banded Crab Spider does not build webs. It sits on flowers, waiting for insects to come close. When prey is within reach, it quickly snatches it up, injecting venom to immobilize it.
3. White Sac Spider
The White Sac Spider is a small spider commonly found indoors and outdoors. It is pale yellow to white and has long, thin legs.
Description: White Sac Spiders are small, usually about half an inch in size. They have a pale, almost translucent appearance with a slightly greenish or yellowish hue.
Habitat: These spiders are often found inside homes, hiding in corners, under furniture, and behind curtains. Outdoors, they can be found in shrubs, leaves, and under rocks.
Behavior: White Sac Spiders do not spin traditional webs. Instead, they build small silk sacs where they hide during the day. They hunt at night, actively searching for small insects to feed on.
4. Woodlouse Spider
The Woodlouse Spider is distinctive because of its pale body and reddish legs. While it is not entirely white, its light-colored abdomen makes it stand out.
Description: This spider has a pale, cream-colored body with reddish legs and fangs. Its body is smooth and shiny, and it can grow up to 15 mm in size.
Habitat: The Woodlouse Spider is commonly found under rocks, logs, and other damp areas where woodlice are present. It is widespread in Europe and North America.
Behavior: The Woodlouse Spider is a nocturnal hunter. It feeds primarily on woodlice, using its large fangs to pierce their tough shells. It does not spin webs but instead hunts its prey directly.
5. Basilica Orb Weaver
The Basilica Orb Weaver is known for its light-colored body and intricate web designs. It is a small spider with a distinctive pattern of white, yellow, and brown on its abdomen.
Description: The Basilica Orb Weaver has a pale body with bands of white and yellow. Its legs are long and slender, often striped with dark colors.
Habitat: This spider prefers open areas near water, such as gardens, meadows, and the edges of forests. It builds its webs in sunny spots, often between branches or tall grass.
Behavior: The Basilica Orb Weaver spins large, circular webs to catch flying insects like moths and flies. It usually sits in the center of its web, waiting patiently for its prey to get trapped in the sticky strands.
6. White Flower Crab Spider
The White Flower Crab Spider, also known as the Flower Spider, is often white, yellow, or pink, and it blends perfectly with its surroundings.
Description: This spider has a flat, broad body and long front legs. Its color can change to match the flower it sits on, making it nearly invisible to both prey and predators.
Habitat: Found on flowers and plants, the White Flower Crab Spider is common in gardens, meadows, and wooded areas. It prefers flowers like daisies, roses, and lilies.
Behavior: The White Flower Crab Spider does not build webs. It relies on camouflage and ambush, waiting on flowers for insects like bees, flies, and butterflies. When prey approaches, it strikes quickly, grabbing its meal with strong, crab-like legs.
7. White Ghost Spider
The White Ghost Spider is a small, light-colored spider that is often found indoors. It is pale white or yellow, with long, thin legs and a smooth body.
Description: The White Ghost Spider has a pale, translucent body that can appear almost ghost-like. It is small, usually no more than half an inch long.
Habitat: These spiders are commonly seen in homes, hiding in dark corners, behind furniture, or in small crevices. They can also be found in gardens and under rocks.
Behavior: The White Ghost Spider is an active hunter. It does not spin webs to catch prey but instead searches for insects at night. It moves quickly and silently, relying on speed to catch its food.
8. White Widow Spider
The White Widow Spider is a lighter variant of the widow family. While less dangerous than the black widow, it still has a venomous bite that can cause discomfort.
Description: The White Widow has a pale, creamy body with a slight sheen. It may have faint markings on its abdomen, but it lacks the bright red hourglass found on other widow spiders.
Habitat: White Widow Spiders prefer dry, warm environments such as sheds, garages, and under rocks. They build messy, irregular webs close to the ground.
Behavior: This spider is not aggressive and usually hides when disturbed. It spins its web in quiet, undisturbed areas where it can catch small insects. The bite is venomous but not life-threatening to healthy adults.
9. White Crab Spider
The White Crab Spider is another member of the crab spider family. It often has a pale or white body, making it well-suited to blending into its environment.
Description: This spider is small, flat, and has a body shape similar to a crab, with long front legs that extend outward. Its color ranges from white to light yellow.
Habitat: Found on flowers and leaves, the White Crab Spider prefers bright, sunny spots where it can easily camouflage. It is common in gardens, parks, and meadows.
Behavior: White Crab Spiders are ambush predators. They sit motionless on flowers, waiting for insects to come close. They use their strong front legs to snatch their prey, injecting venom to immobilize it.
10. White Micrathena Spider
The White Micrathena Spider is a small orb-weaver with a distinctive spiky, white abdomen. It creates intricate webs in gardens, forests, and other vegetated areas.
Description: The White Micrathena has a spiny, white body with several small bumps or spikes. Its appearance can make it look like a tiny, thorny ball suspended in its web.
Habitat: This spider builds its webs between branches, bushes, and other low vegetation. It prefers areas with light shade and moderate humidity.
Behavior: The White Micrathena Spider spins orb-shaped webs to catch small flying insects. It usually waits at the edge of the web, sensing vibrations that signal trapped prey.
11. White Recluse Spider
The White Recluse Spider is a rare variation of the recluse family. It is pale in color, setting it apart from the more commonly known brown recluse.
Description: The White Recluse has a light, cream-colored body with long legs and a distinctive violin-shaped marking on its back, although this marking may be faint.
Habitat: These spiders are found in dark, quiet places such as basements, attics, and closets. They prefer undisturbed areas where they can hide during the day.
Behavior: The White Recluse Spider builds small, irregular webs in dark corners. It is most active at night, hunting small insects and other spiders. Although shy, its bite can cause significant skin damage, so caution is advised.
12. White Jumping Spider
White Jumping Spiders are small, agile hunters known for their excellent vision and jumping skills. They are often white or pale with contrasting black or brown markings.
Description: This spider has a compact, robust body with large front eyes that give it excellent vision. It is typically white with black or gray patterns on its abdomen.
Habitat: White Jumping Spiders are found on walls, windowsills, and plants. They are common in gardens, parks, and around homes.
Behavior: These spiders do not spin webs to catch prey. Instead, they hunt actively, using their strong jumping ability to leap onto their target. They are curious spiders and often turn to face humans, observing them closely.
13. Snow Spider
Snow Spiders are small, white spiders that blend seamlessly into snowy or light-colored environments. Their appearance is often likened to tiny snowflakes.
Description: The Snow Spider is small and covered in fine, white hairs that give it a fluffy, snow-like appearance. It has a round body and short legs.
Habitat: This spider is typically found in cold regions, including mountainous areas and places with frequent snow cover. It can often be seen on snow or ice.
Behavior: Snow Spiders are active hunters that rely on their camouflage to surprise prey. They do not build webs but instead move slowly across white surfaces, blending into their surroundings.
14. White Funnel-Web Spider
The White Funnel-Web Spider is known for its pale body and unique funnel-shaped webs. It is fast, alert, and can be aggressive if threatened.
Description: This spider is medium-sized with a light, creamy body and long legs. Its abdomen is often patterned with faint stripes or spots.
Habitat: White Funnel-Web Spiders are usually found in gardens, near rocks, and among dense vegetation. They build funnel-shaped webs that open into wide sheets.
Behavior: These spiders sit at the narrow end of their web funnel, waiting for insects to walk across the web’s surface. When prey touches the web, the spider rushes out, dragging its catch back into the funnel.
15. White Lynx Spider
The White Lynx Spider is small and agile, often seen on flowers and plants. It has a pale body with long, spiky legs covered in fine hairs.
Description: This spider is white or pale green with black spots on its legs. Its body is slim, and it has large eyes that help it see its surroundings.
Habitat: White Lynx Spiders are found in gardens, fields, and forests. They are often spotted on flowers, where they can easily blend in.
Behavior: White Lynx Spiders do not spin webs. They are active hunters, using their speed and agility to chase down insects. They can leap distances to catch prey, much like jumping spiders.
Conclusion
White spiders are diverse and play a significant role in nature. Some are hunters, while others use webs to trap their food. Understanding these spiders helps us appreciate their role in controlling insect populations and maintaining balance in ecosystems. Most white spiders are harmless to humans and prefer to avoid us whenever possible.
