White spiders are not a single taxonomic group but rather a fascinating collection of spider species from several different families that have independently evolved white or pale coloration as a survival strategy. This coloration is most commonly associated with camouflage, allowing these spiders to blend seamlessly into white and pale-colored flowers, bark, lichen-covered rocks, and other light-colored surfaces where they hunt or hide from predators. The independent evolution of white coloration across multiple unrelated spider families is a remarkable example of convergent evolution driven by similar environmental pressures.
The most celebrated and well-known white spiders are the crab spiders of the family Thomisidae, particularly species like the goldenrod crab spider (Misumena vatia) and Thomisus spectabilis, which have developed the extraordinary ability to change their body color between white and yellow to match the flowers on which they hunt. This color-changing ability, driven by the movement of pigment within specialized cells, takes several days to complete and represents one of the most sophisticated and visually impressive examples of active camouflage found anywhere in the animal kingdom.
Beyond camouflage, white coloration in spiders can also serve other biological purposes including thermoregulation in cold environments, mimicry of bird droppings or other unpalatable objects, and simple genetic variation within otherwise typically colored species. White spiders are found across a remarkable range of habitats worldwide — from Arctic tundra and tropical rainforests to domestic gardens and the interior of homes — demonstrating that pale coloration is a versatile and successful adaptation that has served many different spider species well across vastly different environments and ecological niches.
Different Types of White Spiders
Whitebanded Crab Spider (Misumenoides formosipes)
The whitebanded crab spider is a fascinating and highly effective ambush predator found across North America, belonging to the family Thomisidae. Females of this species are capable of remarkable color change, shifting between white and yellow over several days to match the flower on which they are hunting, making them virtually invisible to unsuspecting pollinator prey. They are commonly found sitting motionless on white and yellow flowers, waiting patiently for bees, butterflies, and other insects to come within striking range of their powerful front legs.
Goldenrod Crab Spider (Misumena vatia)
The goldenrod crab spider is one of the most well-known and widely studied color-changing spiders in the world, found across North America, Europe, and Asia. Females can appear strikingly white or bright yellow depending on the flower they are inhabiting, using this remarkable camouflage to ambush pollinators with devastating effectiveness. Despite their small size — females reaching just half an inch in body length — they are capable of capturing prey considerably larger than themselves, including large bumblebees and butterflies.
White Micrathena (Micrathena mitrata)
The white micrathena is a distinctive and unusual orb-weaving spider found in the forests and woodlands of eastern North America, belonging to the family Araneidae. Females display a striking white abdomen adorned with black spots and small spiny projections that give the spider an almost alien appearance unlike most other web-building spiders. They construct small, neat, vertical orb webs in woodland understory vegetation and forest edges, where they wait at the center of the web for flying insects to become entangled.
Arctic Spider (Pardosa glacialis)
The Arctic spider is a remarkable, pale-colored wolf spider that inhabits some of the most extreme and inhospitable environments on earth, including the tundra regions of the high Arctic in Greenland, Canada, and Scandinavia. Its pale, whitish-grey coloration provides effective camouflage against the lichen-covered rocks and pale, frost-bleached vegetation of its Arctic habitat. Unlike most spiders, Arctic spiders are ground hunters that do not build webs, instead pursuing their small invertebrate prey actively across the tundra surface.
White Ghost Spider (Apperita sp.)
White ghost spiders are pale, translucent-looking hunting spiders belonging to the family Anyphaenidae, found across various parts of North and South America. Their ghostly, whitish coloration and slender, elongated bodies give them an ethereal, almost transparent appearance that provides excellent camouflage against pale bark, white flowers, and light-colored leaf surfaces. They are nocturnal hunters that move with remarkable speed across vegetation in search of small insect prey, and unlike many spiders, they do not use webs to capture their food.
Flower Crab Spider (Thomisus onustus)
The flower crab spider is a beautiful and elegantly camouflaged species found across Europe, Asia, and Africa, belonging to the widespread crab spider family Thomisidae. Females are typically white or pale pink in color, blending with extraordinary effectiveness into the white and pink flowers of their preferred hunting grounds, including thistles, wild carrot, and various other flowering plants. Like other crab spiders, they hold their front two pairs of legs extended sideways in a crab-like posture and seize passing insects with remarkable speed and precision.
Six-Spotted Orb Weaver (Araniella displicata)
The six-spotted orb weaver, while typically associated with greenish coloration, can appear pale whitish-green in certain light conditions and at certain life stages, making it a notable pale spider species found across North America and Europe. This small, delicate orb weaver constructs neat, precisely engineered circular webs in low vegetation, shrubs, and woodland margins, where it waits at the hub of the web for small flying insects to become entangled. The six distinctive spots on the underside of the abdomen give this charming little spider its common name.
White Cobweb Spider (Enoplognatha ovata)
The white cobweb spider is a small but attractively marked spider belonging to the family Theridiidae, found widely across Europe, North America, and temperate Asia. Individuals of this species show considerable color variation, with some displaying a creamy white or pale yellowish abdomen marked with distinctive red or black stripes, while others are almost entirely white or pale cream without any additional markings. They construct small, irregular cobweb-type webs in low vegetation, hedgerows, and garden plants, where they capture small insects that blunder into the sticky threads.
Pale Huntsman Spider (Olios fasciculatus)
The pale huntsman spider is a large, fast-moving hunting spider found across parts of Asia and the Pacific region, belonging to the family Sparassidae. Its legs and body are pale whitish-cream to light brown in color, and like all huntsman spiders, it is a remarkably agile and speedy predator that pursues and overwhelms its prey by sheer speed rather than web entrapment. Despite its impressive size — with a leg span that can reach several inches — the pale huntsman is not considered dangerous to humans and is actually beneficial as a controller of household insect pests.
White-Backed Garden Spider (Argiope lobata)
The white-backed garden spider is a striking and sizeable orb-weaving spider found across southern Europe, the Middle East, and Central Asia, closely related to the more familiar banded garden spider. Females display a distinctive pale whitish or creamy-white abdomen with dark lobed markings along the edges, giving the spider a uniquely patterned appearance that is immediately recognizable in the field. They construct large, impressive orb webs in dry, open habitats including grasslands, scrubland, and the edges of cultivated fields and gardens.
Spitting Spider (Sycarius sp.)
Spitting spiders are remarkable and highly unusual pale-colored hunting spiders belonging to the family Scytodidae, found across tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. Their distinctive domed, pale yellowish-white carapace marked with dark spots houses greatly enlarged venom glands that produce a venomous, sticky silk mixture that the spider spits at prey with extraordinary accuracy from a distance of up to an inch. This unique hunting technique — one of the most unusual in the entire spider world — allows spitting spiders to capture prey safely without coming into close physical contact with potentially dangerous insects.
White Widow Spider (Latrodectus pallidus)
The white widow spider is a rare and fascinating pale-colored member of the notorious widow spider genus Latrodectus, found in arid desert and semi-desert regions across parts of the Middle East, Central Asia, North Africa, and the Canary Islands. Unlike its infamous black widow relative, the white widow has a predominantly pale whitish to cream-colored body with reduced or absent color markings, making it distinctly different in appearance from other members of its genus. Like all widow spiders, it possesses potent venom and should be treated with considerable respect and caution.
Crab Spider (Thomisus spectabilis)
Thomisus spectabilis is a striking white crab spider native to Australia and parts of Southeast Asia, renowned for its brilliant, pure white coloration that provides outstanding camouflage on the white flowers of native Australian plants including paperbarks, tea trees, and various members of the daisy family. Females are significantly larger than males and display the most intensely white coloration, sitting motionless on white flower heads for hours or days at a time waiting for visiting insects. This species is considered one of the most beautifully camouflaged of all Australian spiders.
White-Tailed Spider (Lampona cylindrata)
The white-tailed spider is a slender, ground-dwelling hunting spider native to southern and eastern Australia, instantly recognizable by the distinctive white or pale grey spot at the tip of its dark, cylindrical abdomen that gives the species its common name. A fast, agile hunter, the white-tailed spider actively pursues and preys primarily on other spiders, including black house spiders and redbacks, making it an important predator in the Australian spider community. It frequently enters homes and is commonly encountered under bark, in leaf litter, and within domestic buildings.
Albino-Like Cellar Spider (Pholcus phalangioides — pale form)
The common cellar spider or daddy-long-legs spider occasionally produces individuals with unusually pale, almost white or translucent body coloration, giving them an albino-like appearance quite different from the typical brownish or greyish forms more commonly encountered. Found in homes, cellars, caves, and other sheltered structures worldwide, this spider constructs loosely organized, irregular webs in corners and sheltered spaces and vibrates rapidly in its web when disturbed — a distinctive defensive behavior that makes it appear blurred and difficult to focus on for potential predators.
White-Striped Jumping Spider (Hentzia palmarum)
The white-striped jumping spider is a small, attractive, and lively little spider belonging to the large and diverse jumping spider family Salticidae, found across the southeastern United States and the Caribbean. Males display striking white stripes and markings against a darker body background, while females tend to be more uniformly pale brownish-white in overall coloration. Like all jumping spiders, it has exceptional, forward-facing eyes that give it outstanding binocular vision and depth perception, which it uses to stalk and pounce on small insect prey with remarkable accuracy and athleticism.
Pale Orb Weaver (Larinioides sp. — pale form)
Several species within the Larinioides genus of orb-weaving spiders can display remarkably pale, whitish-grey coloration, particularly in certain geographic populations and under specific environmental conditions. These pale orb weavers construct the classic, precisely engineered circular webs characteristic of the family Araneidae in vegetation, fences, and the eaves of buildings, where they capture a wide variety of flying insects. Their pale coloration provides useful camouflage against the grey bark, concrete surfaces, and pale structural materials near which they most commonly build their webs.
White Lynx Spider (Oxyopes sp.)
White lynx spiders are agile, active hunters belonging to the family Oxyopidae, with several species displaying pale whitish or cream-colored body coloration that provides effective camouflage in dry, pale vegetation and on the surfaces of white or cream-colored flowers. They are found across North America, Europe, and Asia in open, sunny habitats including grasslands, meadows, and agricultural fields. Unlike most spiders, lynx spiders are diurnal hunters that rely on their exceptional eyesight and remarkable agility to pursue and capture prey actively without the use of a web.
Triangulate Cobweb Spider (Steatoda triangulosa — pale form)
The triangulate cobweb spider is a small, common household spider found worldwide that occasionally presents in unusually pale or whitish color forms, particularly in individuals from certain geographic populations or those raised in low-light conditions. They construct small, messy, three-dimensional cobwebs in corners, under furniture, and in sheltered outdoor locations where they capture a variety of crawling and flying insects. Despite their superficial resemblance to more dangerous spider species, triangulate cobweb spiders are completely harmless to humans and are beneficial controllers of household pest insects.
White-Banded Fishing Spider (Dolomedes albineus)
The white-banded fishing spider is a large, impressive semi-aquatic spider found in the wetlands, swamps, and riparian habitats of the southeastern United States, belonging to the family Pisauridae. It displays distinctive pale whitish or cream-colored banding and markings on its body and legs, providing effective camouflage against the pale bark of the cypress and other wetland trees it frequently inhabits. Like other fishing spiders, it is capable of running across the surface of water and can even dive beneath the surface to capture aquatic prey including small fish and aquatic invertebrates.
White-Spotted Sac Spider (Clubiona sp.)
White-spotted sac spiders are small, pale-colored hunting spiders belonging to the large family Clubionidae, found widely across North America, Europe, and Asia in a diverse range of habitats including grasslands, woodlands, gardens, and the interior of domestic buildings. They are nocturnal hunters that spend the day resting inside a small, silken sac retreat constructed under bark, within folded leaves, or in sheltered corners, emerging after dark to hunt actively for small insects and other arthropods across vegetation surfaces and across the ground.
Pale Ground Spider (Gnaphosa sp.)
Pale ground spiders belonging to the genus Gnaphosa and the broader family Gnaphosidae are small to medium-sized, flattened, pale grey or whitish hunting spiders found across North America, Europe, and Asia in a wide variety of terrestrial habitats. They are primarily nocturnal hunters that spend the day concealed beneath stones, in leaf litter, or under bark, emerging at night to actively pursue small insects and other invertebrates across the ground surface. Their pale, flattened body form provides excellent camouflage against light-colored soil and rock surfaces.
White Mesh Web Weaver (Dictyna sp.)
White mesh web weavers are tiny, pale-colored spiders belonging to the family Dictynidae, found across North America and Europe in a wide range of habitats including grasslands, gardens, hedgerows, and the dried flower heads of various herbaceous plants. They construct small, distinctive mesh or funnel-shaped webs on plant surfaces, fence posts, and other exposed structures, where they capture tiny flying insects. Their pale, whitish coloration provides effective camouflage against the dried seed heads and pale stems of the plants on which they most commonly build their webs.
White-Faced Jumping Spider (Colonus sylvanus)
The white-faced jumping spider is an attractive and personable small spider belonging to the jumping spider family Salticidae, found in the forests, woodlands, and gardens of eastern North America. Males display striking white facial markings and pale white leg markings against a darker body, giving them a distinctive and easily recognizable appearance in the field. Like all jumping spiders, it possesses large, forward-facing eyes that provide exceptional vision, which it uses to stalk insect prey with great patience and precision before launching itself forward in a sudden, accurate pounce.
Pale Sac Spider (Cheiracanthium sp.)
Pale sac spiders belonging to the genus Cheiracanthium are small to medium-sized, pale yellowish-white to cream-colored hunting spiders found worldwide in a very wide range of habitats including grasslands, agricultural fields, gardens, and the interior of domestic buildings. They are nocturnal hunters that retreat during the day into small silken sacs constructed under bark, within folded leaves, or in sheltered corners indoors. Some species within this genus have been associated with bites that can cause localized skin irritation in sensitive individuals, making them among the more medically significant of the pale spider species.
White-Spotted Ghost Spider (Hibana incursa)
The white-spotted ghost spider is a small, fast-moving hunting spider belonging to the family Anyphaenidae, found across North America and Central America in a variety of habitats including forests, gardens, and the interior of buildings. Its pale, whitish-cream body is marked with small, darker spots and streaks that provide a degree of disruptive camouflage against bark surfaces and pale vegetation. Like other ghost spiders, it is an agile, predominantly nocturnal hunter that pursues small insect prey actively across surfaces rather than relying on a web for prey capture.
White Flower Spider (Misumenops sp.)
White flower spiders belonging to the genus Misumenops are small, pale-colored crab spiders found across North and South America, closely related to the more familiar goldenrod crab spider. Several species within this genus display predominantly white or pale cream coloration that allows them to blend with remarkable effectiveness into white and pale-colored flower heads, where they wait in ambush for visiting pollinators. They are sit-and-wait predators of considerable patience and effectiveness, capable of remaining motionless on a flower for extended periods while waiting for suitable prey to come within striking distance.
White-Tailed Jumping Spider (Phidippus sp. — pale form)
Several species within the large and diverse jumping spider genus Phidippus can display unusually pale or whitish body coloration, particularly in juvenile individuals and in certain geographic populations where pale forms appear more frequently than in other parts of the species range. These pale jumping spiders retain all of the remarkable behavioral and sensory characteristics of their genus, including the outstanding binocular vision, athletic jumping ability, and bold, inquisitive personality that make jumping spiders among the most beloved and fascinating of all spider groups encountered by naturalists and spider enthusiasts around the world.