Jumping spiders are a fascinating group of arachnids that are known for their incredible agility and exceptional eyesight. With over 5,000 described species, they can be found in various environments worldwide, both indoors and outdoors.
Where do these agile creatures live, you may wonder? Jumping spiders can often be seen in gardens, on fences, and even in your home. For example, the zebra jumping spider is commonly found indoors, while the daring or bold jumping spider is frequently spotted in South Carolina. These small creatures, ranging from 1/10 to 1/4 inches in length, have stout bodies and are usually quite colorful or iridescent.
Living in diverse habitats, jumping spiders can be found in the tropical Old World regions like Florida, where the gray wall jumper and the pantropical jumper are usually seen around man-made structures. So next time you spot one of these captivating creatures, don’t be alarmed; they are likely keeping your space free from unwanted pests.
Types of Jumping Spiders
Jumping spiders belong to the family Salticidae, which is the largest family of spiders with over 5,000 described species. These spiders are known for their impressive jumping abilities, excellent vision, and often vivid colors and patterns. Here are some notable species of jumping spiders you might encounter:
Peacock Spider: These colorful spiders are known for their bright, iridescent colors and intricate courtship dances. The Maratus genus includes various species which display such dazzling features, proving to be quite fascinating to observe.
Bagheera Kiplingi: Found in Central America, this jumping spider is unique because it feeds primarily on plant matter. Unlike most spiders who are carnivorous, Bagheera Kiplingi has adapted to a more vegetarian diet, making it one of a kind in the spider world.
Hyllus: The Hyllus genus contains some of the largest jumping spiders, with body lengths reaching up to 1 inch in some cases. These spiders are primarily found in Asia and Africa, often hiding in trees and bushes to ambush prey.
Habronattus: This genus primarily lives in North America and has a diverse range of species. One of the defining features of Habronattus spiders is the ornamentation found on the males, making them stand out against their surroundings.
Saitis Barbipes: Native to Europe, the Saitis Barbipes is recognized for its front legs’ distinct black and white bands. Males have larger, more vibrant markings, making them easily distinguishable from females.
Here’s a comparison table of some of these species:
| Feature | Peacock Spider | Bagheera Kiplingi | Hyllus | Saitis Barbipes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Size | Small | Small to medium | Large | Small to medium |
| Primary Habitat | Australia | Central America | Asia, Africa | Europe |
| Unique Traits | Bright colors and courtship dances | Vegetarian diet | Large size | Banded front legs |
Remember, while all these species share some common traits like excellent vision and jumping prowess, each one possesses distinct features that make them unique. So next time you come across a jumping spider, take a closer look, and you might just discover a truly fascinating creature.
Physical Characteristics
Size and Color
Jumping spiders belong to the family Salticidae, with over 5,000 described species displaying a wide range of colors and patterns. Their body size is usually small to medium, with females generally larger than males. For example, the daring or bold jumping spider (Phidippus) commonly found in South Carolina has a body length ranging from 1/10 to 1/4 inches and features three white to red dots on its abdomen source.
Eyes and Vision
One of the most distinctive features of jumping spiders is their eye pattern. Sporting a total of eight eyes, these arachnids have exceptional vision. The two large anterior median eyes grant them a sharp focus, while the other six eyes provide peripheral awareness. Interestingly, jumping spiders can turn their heads to face their target, thanks to their mobile cephalothorax source.
- Sharp focus: two anterior median eyes
- Peripheral vision: six smaller eyes
- Mobile cephalothorax: head-turning ability
Other Features
In addition to size, color, and vision, jumping spiders have other physical characteristics that set them apart. The face of a jumping spider often showcases vibrant chelicerae, which are their mouthparts. Their legs are short and stout, allowing them to be agile hunters. Another unique feature is their pedipalps, which are leg-like appendages near their mouths that help manipulate their prey source.
To summarize, jumping spiders have the following features:
- Vibrant chelicerae: colorful mouthparts
- Short, stout legs: agility and hunting prowess
- Pedipalps: prey manipulation
Geographical Distribution
Jumping Spiders in North America
Jumping spiders are widely distributed across North America, including the United States and Canada. You will find them in various habitats such as forests, fields, and grasslands. They adapt well to different environments, making them quite common in numerous settings.
These spiders are particularly drawn to areas with abundant sunlight, as they rely on their well-developed vision to hunt prey.
Jumping Spiders in Other Regions
Jumping spiders have a vast geographical distribution, with over 6,000 described species found worldwide. They inhabit various regions, from tropical forests to grasslands.
In Australia, you can come across jumping spiders in different habitats throughout the continent. Similarly, in Oman and Thailand, these spiders flourish in environments ranging from forests to man-made structures.
Surprisingly, jumping spiders have even been found in the harsh landscape of Mount Everest’s base camp, showcasing their adaptability to diverse climates and environments.
- Habitats: forests, fields, grasslands, tropical forests
- Regions: North America, Australia, Oman, Thailand, Mount Everest base camp
Though jumping spiders are versatile and widespread, avoiding exaggerated claims, such as them being found in every corner of the globe, is vital. So, always consider each region separately when discussing their prevalence.
Habitat and Environment
Natural Habitats
Jumping spiders can be found in a variety of natural habitats. They often live in forests, especially in tropical forests, where the dense vegetation provides ample hiding spots and prey opportunities. However, these agile spiders also thrive in fields and grasslands, where they can hunt insects in the open environment. They prefer areas with plenty of vertical surfaces, such as tree trunks and tall plants, to facilitate their unique jumping abilities. For example, you might spot a jumping spider navigating the leaves in a forest or leaping between tall grasses in a field.
Urban and Indoor Environments
These adaptable creatures are not restricted to wild environments; they also inhabit urban areas and can even be found indoors. Jumping spiders frequently explore gardens, scaling fences and walls to hunt for prey. They are known to enter homes through doors and windows, seeking shelter and food in your living space. Consequently, it’s not uncommon to see jumping spiders on walls, ceilings, and other elevated surfaces inside.
Jumping spiders are resourceful and can make use of various containers and structures as hiding spots. You might find them nestled in a flower pot, tucked in a window sill, or even hiding behind a curtain. Despite their presence indoors, these spiders are generally harmless to humans and play a beneficial role in controlling insect populations.
Prey and Hunting Techniques
Typical Prey
Jumping spiders primarily feed on insects and other arthropods. Their diet mainly includes:
- Flies
- Mosquitoes
- Grasshoppers
- Bees
These spiders are excellent at catching their prey due to their remarkable eyesight and agility.
Hunting Techniques
Jumping spiders are known for their unique hunting strategies. Unlike other spiders, they don’t spin webs to catch their prey. Instead, they rely on:
- Excellent vision: Their sharp vision allows them to spot and track their prey from a distance.
- Stealth: They approach their prey slowly and cautiously, positioning themselves for an optimal strike.
- Jumping: As their name suggests, they can jump onto their target from a short distance, using their powerful legs.
- Safety line: Before leaping, they attach a silken thread to their starting point. This thread acts as a safety line, enabling them to climb back if they miss their target.
Their venom helps in immobilizing their prey, making it easier for them to consume. Jumping spiders are highly efficient hunters, and their techniques have enabled them to thrive in various habitats.
Reproduction and Courtship
Mating and Courtship
Jumping spiders exhibit fascinating courtship rituals. When a male jumping spider encounters a female, he performs a series of intricate dances to attract her attention. For example:
- Vibrating and waving his front legs
- Pulsating his abdomen
- Displaying colorful markings
These dances are essential for males because, if a female doesn’t find his performance impressive, she may become aggressive or even try to eat him.
Reproduction
After successful courtship, the male and female jumping spiders mate. Reproduction in these spiders involves the transfer of sperm from the male to the female using specialized appendages called pedipalps. Here’s a quick overview of the process:
- The male deposits sperm onto a small web structure
- He then scoops the sperm into his pedipalps
- During mating, he uses his pedipalps to transfer sperm into the female’s reproductive organ
Once fertilized, the female jumping spider lays her eggs inside a silk cocoon she creates. She guards this cocoon until the spiderlings hatch and disperse. Some of the key features of reproduction in jumping spiders include:
- Short mating process compared to other spider species
- Females typically produce multiple egg sacs
- Offspring can have varied appearances due to genetic diversity
By understanding the mating and reproductive behaviors of jumping spiders, you can better appreciate the complexity and diversity of their lives, making your observation of these fascinating creatures even more intriguing.
Interaction with Humans
As Pets
Jumping spiders can be fascinating pets for those who appreciate their unique abilities and vibrant colors. They are low-maintenance and usually require a small enclosure with some climbing structures. Here are some features of jumping spiders as pets:
- They have exceptional vision and can display complex behaviors.
- Many species exhibit vibrant and rich colors due to their ability to see a wide range of hues.
However, there are some potential downsides to keeping jumping spiders as pets:
- They might not provide the same level of companionship as traditional pets.
- Their small size might make them difficult to observe and appreciate without specialized tools.
Spider Bites
Although jumping spiders may look intimidating, they generally pose little threat to humans. Their bites are usually harmless and only cause mild symptoms, such as:
- Localized pain or itching
- Mild swelling or redness
In rare cases, an individual might experience an allergic reaction to a jumping spider bite. If you suspect an allergic reaction, it’s essential to seek medical attention. Also, it’s crucial to remember that jumping spiders rarely bite unless provoked or threatened.
In summary, jumping spiders can be interesting pets, with their exceptional vision and colorful displays. However, they might not suit everyone’s preferences due to their small size and limited interactivity. Their bites are generally harmless but can cause mild irritation in some individuals.
Conservation and Threats
Predators and Threats
Jumping spiders, being small creatures, have their fair share of predators. Some common predators include birds, lizards, and even other spiders. However, you might be surprised to learn that jumping spiders can also identify biological motion. This ability helps them evade threats and capture prey, further supporting their survival in the wild.
Due to their adaptability, jumping spiders are not considered threatened or endangered. However, habitat loss and pollution can still pose challenges to their populations.
Conservation Efforts
Though jumping spiders may not be on the brink of extinction, conservation efforts help maintain their presence in the environment. Simple practices like reducing pesticide usage and preserving natural habitats allow these spiders to thrive.
Interestingly, jumping spiders have even attracted the attention of NASA. Researchers are studying these spiders’ unique vision and jumping abilities to develop new technology for robotics. By studying and protecting these creatures, we not only contribute to biodiversity but also advance our understanding of their unique traits.
Remember to be friendly towards the jumping spiders you encounter; they play an essential role in maintaining ecosystem balance, and their peculiar characteristics offer valuable insights into the natural world.
Classification
Taxonomy
Jumping spiders belong to the family Salticidae in the class Arachnida, order Araneae, and suborder Araneomorphae. Here’s how jumping spiders’ taxonomy looks:
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Class: Arachnida
- Order: Araneae
- Suborder: Araneomorphae
- Family: Salticidae
There are over 5,000 described species in this family. Phidippus is a common genus of jumping spiders found in North America, with bold and colorful markings.
Identification
To identify a jumping spider, you may look for these key characteristics:
- Small to medium size, ranging from 1/10 to 1/4 inches in length
- Stout bodies and short legs
- Distinctive eye pattern with 3 or 4 pairs of eyes, with the largest pair in the center
- Hairy body, often with bright colors or iridescent tones
For example, the daring or bold jumping spider is found in South Carolina, identifiable by its three white to red dots on the abdomen. Another example is the zebra jumping spider which is commonly found indoors, having white stripes with a blackish-brown background.
Jumping spiders exhibit unique behaviors, such as stalking and pouncing on their prey. Their exceptional vision, stemming from having eight eyes, enables them to recognize biological motion cues.
Reader Emails
Over the years, our website, whatsthatbug.com has received hundreds of letters and some interesting images asking us about these insects. Scroll down to have a look at some of them.
Letter 1 – Jumping Spider from Borneo
Spider look like a scorpion?
Thu, Mar 19, 2009 at 8:46 AM
Hello, we currently live in Brunei which is part of Borneo. We have seen this bug many times all around our house. It looks like a scorpion but we think it is a spider. We have two small children so we would like to know what this bug is and if it bites! It is black and about 1cm in length. We really appriciate your help in identifying this creature so we can learn more about it!
J
Borneo, South East Asia
Hi J,
This is a Jumping Spider in the family Salticidae. Jumping Spiders are hunting spiders that do not build webs and they are harmless.
Letter 2 – Jumping Spider found in bunch of bananas in Canada
Subject: Exotic Banana Stowaway or Fear Running Amok
Location: Ontario
March 26, 2016 6:22 pm
Hi BugMan!!
I received a photo from a friend recently looking for some help IDing a spider because I enjoy searching through guides and web photos to try my amateur hand at insect identification. Fun fact: if you browse spiders on your phone on public transit people will move away from you 😉
Anyway, I am at a loss for this guy. My best guess has been something in the Salticidae family, but I cannot see a hint of green at the chelicerae, nor could I find those specific markings. I am frustrated and I must ask for help – hopefully, this is one of the lucky posts that makes it through.
Bit of background. Friend is a produce manager in southern Ontario and had this spider returned from a customer who stated that it had been found in bananas purchased there. Bananas came from Ecuador, but it’s pretty difficult to ascertain where the spider actually came from. Unfortunately, their company policy is to destroy any spiders that are returned in produce – BOO! and I have not seen the spider in person. The size has been stated to be approximately 1cm-1.25cm and she claims that there is no green (or blue, or any other colour) present at the chelicerae. Also, that the manner of walking is similar to a tarantula, but I don’t see the similarity in the hairiness and really think that the body structure is much more similar to a jumper.
Here’s hoping you can help end this frustration
Signature: A frustrated friend
Dear frustrated friend,
Your submission has caused us to lament the day that portable communication devices superseded home computers as the delivery method of choice for readers submitting identification requests to our site. At that time, spelling and grammar took a back seat to garbled and incoherent communication replete with abbreviations and new acronyms. The positive side of folks using cellular telephones is that they virtually all have cameras built in, which allowed more folks to capture images of the bugs they encounter, but verbal communication took several steps back as instant gratification caused terse phrases to replace complete sentences. Thanks so much for your chatty request. This is indeed a Jumping Spider in the family Salticidae, but we are not certain of the species. Not all Jumping Spiders have metallic chelicerae. The distinctive spinnerets at the end of the abdomen should make identification a bit easier, but our initial attempts have not provided a good species match for you. We also want to comment on the produce policy of destroying spiders found on bananas. There is a large Huntsman Spider, Heteropoda venatoria, that is now found throughout the world in warmer cities where bananas were shipped. Many years ago, there were numerous stories of Tarantulas emerging from shipped bananas, and most of those Tarantulas were likely Huntsman Spiders. The Huntsman Spiders, or Banana Spiders, are harmless, and they are actually quite beneficial in tropical countries where they hunt at night, feeding on Cockroaches.
Thank you Daniel. I really appreciate the confirmation.
It seems as though there may be some ramifications for my friend as a result of me adding the location in and I wonder if it’s possible if the town name could be removed?
I had asked if I could send it to your site and was granted permission for that (as it was her photo), but she was later warned about the potential for losing her job as a result of negative attention to the store and I was not informed until I sent your response. It’s a very small town with a single grocery store and I would hate for my friend to lose her job because she and I were trying to ID a spider.
My apologies for being a pain.
Cheers,
Vanessa
Done.
Letter 3 – Jumping Spider from Hawaii
Subject: What the heck is this?
Location: Hawaii
December 31, 2013 9:17 pm
Aloha-
I love to work on my lanai and this little thing was exploring my computer- what the heck is it? Scorpion or spider?
Signature: Curious
Aloha Curious,
This is a harmless, male Jumping Spider in the family Salticidae. We are not certain of the species, but it does look similar to the members of the genus Hentzia that are pictured on BugGuide.
Letter 4 – Jumping Spider from Canada
Subject: Sweet Salticidae?
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
August 17, 2014 9:04 am
It was such a treat to find this sweet little guy the other day because they are not easy to come by. Salticidae are my favourite spiders and I am grateful to this little one being so cooperative. I can’t seem to find who his is, though. Hopefully you can help me out.
Signature: Vanessa – Photographer and friend of all spiders.
Hi Vanessa – Photographer and friend of all spiders,
We will attempt to identify your Jumping Spider at a later point in time. We believe this is a male and he has beautiful eyelashes.
Letter 5 – Jumping Spider from Indonesia: Hyllus giganteus
Subject: Yellow Salticidae
Location: Manglayang Mountain, West Java, Indonesia
March 22, 2013 9:30 pm
Hello again Daniel,
I wanted to ask what kind of fat salticidae this is.
This funny fellow eat a grasshopper on a banana leaf, after that she move to a higher ground making out a bed out of her web then she fell a sleep.
Signature: Mohamad Idham Iskandar
Hi Mohamad,
We are not certain if we will be able to identify this lovely Jumping Spider in the family Salticidae to the species level, but we think your photographs are amazing. We are posting them and perhaps we will have some time in the future to research additional information.
Thanks Daniel,
I’m also still trying to browse for more info of this salticidae, but still couldn’t find any suitable lead.
Update: May 10, 2013
Thanks to a comment that this is Hyllus giganteus, we are able to link to matching photos at Reptile Forums and this video on UIOVN.
Letter 6 – Jumping Spider from Costa Rica
Subject: Unknown Spider Species
Geographic location of the bug: Costa Rica
Date: 01/03/2018
Time: 12:10 PM EDT
I took this photo while on vacation in Costa Rica at the “Kids Saving The Rainforest” animal sanctuary. The guide had no idea what it was, and I have been unable to find out either.
How you want your letter signed: Dalton Bragg
Dear Dalton,
This is a Jumping Spider in the family Salticidae, but we haven’t the time this morning to research the species. We will attempt a species identification later in the day, and perhaps one of our readers will write in with a species identification.
Letter 7 – Jumping Spider from India
help me to identify this insect /shining and colored spider ??
Location: Yeoor hills, District : Thane, state: Maharashtra, Country : India
May 4, 2011 11:45 am
Please help me to identify this insect.
i am very curious about this insect and wanted to know its exact identity.
Signature: ..
Dear ..
This is some species of Jumping Spider in the family Salticidae.
Sir,
Thank you so much for your support. You ( whatsthatbug team ) are doing a great job. This site is extremely useful for amateurs like me.
1ce again Thanks a lot for quick feedback.
Keep smiling 😀
you all have gr8 future ahead.
Letter 8 – Jumping Spider from Trinidad
Subject: Jumping spider
Geographic location of the bug: Trinidad, West Indies
Date: 08/23/2019
Time: 11:50 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman: Dear Bugman,
Hoping you can help by identifying this pretty iridescent jumping spider. This one was on the wall of my front porch
How you want your letter signed: Gwiz
Dear Gwiz,
We have in the past tentatively identified a similar looking Brazilian Jumping Spider as Psecas viridipurpureus and today while searching, we can’t help but to wonder if we have stumbled ironically upon your website, Gil Wizen Spiders, where there is an image identified as Psecas viridipurpureus and that also looks the same. Your individual looks like Psecas croesus which is pictured on Jumping Spiders and which ranges in Guiana and Suriname according to Jumping Spiders. That same Jumping Spiders site only has black and white drawings of Psecas viridipurpureus, and the range is listed as Brazil and Peru. On that same Jumping Spiders site, Psecas barbaricus is only pictured in a black and white drawing, but the range is listed as Brazil and Trinidad. The best we can assure is the genus Psecas.
Hi Daniel.
Thanks so much for your response and your help identifying my spider!
What a coincidence about the Gil Wizen website name. Lovely site but nope it isn’t mine. I am actually afraid of spiders:) I appreciate them and their role in the environment but I can assure you I appreciate them from a distance.
Your help was greatly appreciated.
Giselle.
You are welcome Giselle. The name similarity was quite a coincidence.
Letter 9 – Jumping Spider is Zebra Spider
Distinctive Spider – wonderland?
April 11, 2010
The bright metallic green flash from this guy’s head caught my eye and I was surprised by the white, black and red stripes on the abdomen. Can’t find an example anywhere. Any idea of genus-species? Found on a mile marker along a hiking trail in Southern California.
Adriano
Ventura County, California
Hi Adriano,
This is a Jumping Spider in the family Salticidae. We quickly scanned through the images on BugGuide, but could not find a match. Perhaps one of our readers can assist.
Identification and questions
Incorporating IDs from comments?
May 3, 2010
(I might have accidentally submitted this through the “ID this bug” form before I read the directions closely enough; if so, very sorry!)
Hi guys! You run a wonderful, much-needed, and tremendously educational site. My question: Are there any criteria you apply as you decide when to update an entry based on identifications provided in readers’ comments? This was done with the April 30 entry “Longicorn from New Guinea may be Batocera kibleri”, for example, but my ID of the April 11 jumping spider as Salticus palpalis — about which I have much greater confidence than any other identification I’ve attempted here — has gone unremarked, even though my comment was approved. Are commenters’ qualifications, amount of activity on the site, or history of correct identifications among the criteria you consider? Or is it just a matter of what you happen to notice or feel significant in the very limited time you have? 🙂 Not being critical and certainly not upset or anything, just curious. Thanks again for all you do!
Randy
Hi Randy,
WE really are not able to incorporate every comment into the initial posting, but on some occasions we try to incorporate information dealing with difficult identifications. Some longtime contributors email us as well as making postings, and some even older contributors never provide comments. Eric Eaton communicates through our personal email address. We are sorry if you felt snubbed or overlooked. It was not intentional.
Letter 10 – Jumping Spider from Australia
Subject: Fascinating Spider
Location: Fairlight NSW Australia
April 28, 2016 7:05 pm
Have been observing this little guy building silk bridges between our tables and chairs on the balcony this morning and wondered if i should stay calmly seated and curious or run around screaming and flailing my arms in the air because its a man eater. What kind of spider is it please?
Signature: Curious Mich
Dear Curious Mich,
Fear Not. This Jumping Spider in the family Salticidae is perfectly harmless. Jumping Spiders do not build webs in which to snare prey, but rather they jump great distances, pouncing on their prey.
Thank you so much. I will continue observing it spinning silk threads to build bridges between my balcony furniture at a longer distance. Appreciate your time and help.
Curious Mich
Letter 11 – Jumping Spider is Bold Jumper
Subject: Spider with orange heart on back
Location: Walla Walla, Washington
March 6, 2014 12:25 pm
Taken today (March, 2014) in Walla Walla, Washington on my back garage door. What is it?
Signature: Spooked by spider
Dear Spooked by spider,
This is a Jumping Spider, and it is an example of one of the common color variations of the Bold Jumper, Phidippus audax, which is pictured on BugGuide.
Letter 12 – Jumping Spider from Brazil
Subject: Brazilian jumping spider
Geographic location of the bug: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Date: 10/09/2017
Time: 07:44 PM EDT
I found this small jumping spider (15mm) at my work in Rio de Janeiro today (October 9 2017). Not the first time I found it, actually. Do you know the species?
Thanks!
How you want your letter signed: Luis
Dear Luis,
This is really a beautiful Jumping Spider in the family Salticidae. We found a similar looking individual on Insetologia that is identified as Psecas species.
Hi,
Thanks a lot for the information!! What’s that bug is great.
Cheers,
L.
Letter 13 – Jumping Spider from Brazil
Subject: Identifying spider species
Geographic location of the bug: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Date: 03/17/2018
Time: 10:40 AM EDT
Your letter to the bugman: Hello!
Yesterday I was in my backyard and found this very pretty spider hanging out on top of my speakers. Any idea what it might be? Sorry the picture isn’t the clearest, the little guy jumped away shortly after I took it.
Many thanks,
How you want your letter signed: Daniel
Dear Daniel,
This pretty spider is a Jumping Spider in the genus Psecas.
Thank you! Great website 🙂
Letter 14 – Jumping Spider from Costa Rica
Subject: a golden leaf dwelling spider from Costa Rcia
Location: Manuel Antonio Park, Costa Rica
January 4, 2016 9:43 am
Hi there,
Took this pick of a leaf nesting spider in costa rica and I am having a hard time identifying it. She was very aware of her surroundings and watched my every move as I set up the camera for the shot.
Signature: Michael K
Dear Michael,
Your images are quite wonderful. This is a Jumping Spider in the family Salticidae. Jumping Spiders do not build webs to snare prey, but rather hunt, often jumping on their prey from a substantial distance away. Because they hunt instead of passively awaiting prey to wander into a web, Jumping Spiders like other hunting spiders including Wolf Spiders, need better eyesight. As you observed, the vision of Jumping Spiders is quite good. Though they do not build webs to snare prey, some Jumping Spiders, like your individual, do spin shelters for protection. We will attempt to provide you with a species identification, but our initial attempt proved fruitless.
That is marvelous, Daniel, thank you!
M
Letter 15 – Jumping Spider from Brazil
Subject: Psecas viridipurpureus ?
Location: Amazonas Brazil
May 17, 2012 7:58 pm
This very beautiful jumping spider seems to like my computer in Amazonia – Brazil. Does it like hotness ? Every year, it comes in the same places, sending little ones to know my computer ! Should you confirm its identification as a Psecas viridipurpureus ? If confirmed, it seems that these would be the first photos online of this specie.
Thank you.
Signature: Isabelle
Hello Isabelle,
This Jumping Spider is amazingly beautiful. We suspect it is a male. The only thing more beautiful than the spider is its likeness in your gorgeously composed photograph. We are sorry we had to crop it so closely to the spider. We are perfectly content perpetuating the hypothesis that this is Psecas viridipurpureus.
Letter 16 – Jumping Spider from Brazil
Subject: Salticidae
Location: Juiz de Fora / MG / Brazil
February 28, 2013 1:38 pm
Hello, I found this spider has already two weeks into my farm, I have a hobby of macrophotography and always put the photos on this site: www.500px.com/macrovida.
Thank you!
Signature: Raphaela Campos
Hi Raphaela,
Thank you so much for sending your excellent images of a Jumping Spider in the family Salticidae. You might also want to consider posting them to the Insetologia site devoted to Brazilian “bugs” and perhaps you will stand a better chance of getting a species identification.
Letter 17 – Jumping Spider from Brazil: Phiale gratiosa
Subject: Black spider with a red stain
Location: Porto Alegre, Brazil
August 13, 2015 12:32 pm
Hi team bugman,
Regardless of you answering me or not, you guys do a great job here!
I am far from being an expert. In fact I know very little about spiders, but we spotted this one in a friend’s t-shirt and we were very curious about which spider would that be. We live in south Brazil, Porto Alegre.
We did some research, but we weren’t able to identify a match.
See if you can helps us identify it!
Thanks,
Signature: Guilherme
Good Evening Guilherme,
The best we can do at this moment is to inform you that this is a Jumping Spider in the family Salticidae, and it is a gorgeous species, probably male in gender. We want to go outside right now and enjoy the crepuscular minutes and we will research this more later.
Update: We believe your Jumping Spider is a color variation of Phiale gratiosa based on this image on Salticidae of the World.
That’ definitely a match!
Thanks again, Daniel.
Regards,
Guilherme
Letter 18 – Jumping Spider from Brazil
Subject: Jumping spider
Geographic location of the bug: São Paulo, SP, Brazil
Date: 09/10/2021
Time: 09:44 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman: Hi, I found this jumping spider outside of my condo in São Paulo, Brazil. I cannot find anything similar to it online. Can you please help me identify it. It looks like it has an Iron Man helmet in its abdomen.
How you want your letter signed: Carlos
Dear Carlos,
Other than agreeing that this is a Jumping Spider in the family Salticidae, we cannot add much more except that it appears to be a male. Perhaps our Brazilian coeval Cesar Crash of Insetologia will recognize the species.
Letter 19 – Jumping Spider from Costa Rica probably Itata completa
Subject: Costa Rican bug
Location: Southern Costa Rica
March 12, 2015 11:36 am
this guy was on a kitchen counter on Playa Cacao by Golfito Costa Rica and is unlike anything I know of, anybody know?
Signature: T Olesen
Dear T Olesen,
This is a Jumping Spider in the family Salticidae, and because of the long front legs, we would bet that it is a male. Jumping Spider are harmless to humans. They do not spin webs to snare prey. They are hunting spiders.
Letter 20 – Jumping Spider from Cyprus
Subject: Jumping Spider? from North Cyprus
Location: North Cyprus
April 22, 2013 12:03 am
This fellow was seen outside Kantara Castle on 21st April 2013, near 2pm local time. This is at about 630m ASL. A friend says try jumping spiders, but I can’t find it.
Thanks very much.
Signature: muymalestado
Dear muymalestado,
Your friend is correct. This is a Jumping Spider in the family Salticidae, and it is most likely in the genus Phidippus. We could not determine any species identification.
Letter 21 – Jumping Spider from India
Subject: spider
Geographic location of the bug: India
Date: 02/19/2019
Time: 06:38 AM EDT
Your letter to the bugman: Hi,
I would love to know more about this beautiful spider whose picture I have attached for you. I have no complaints, curiousity pulls me here. I found it jumping among the flowerpots one day and it was very swift. I love its colour. The spider was 1 cm and blue-green. 🙂
How you want your letter signed: ugh
Dear ugh,
This is a male Jumping Spider in the family Salticidae. Jumping Spiders are considered harmless, and they do not spin webs to snare prey. Instead, they have excellent eyesight and they are able to pounce on prey from a considerable distance with amazing accuracy. Many Jumping Spiders have metallic markings and bright colors. We have not found any matching images online in our quick search, so we cannot provide you with an exact species at this time. Perhaps one of our readers will write in with a link to a species identification.
Letter 22 – Jumping Spider from Los Angeles
Subject: Hello
Location: California Los Angeles
August 21, 2015 3:32 pm
Hi I walls like to identify the spider In these pictures
Signature: Rafayel
Dear Rafayel,
This is a Jumping Spider in the family Salticidae, and we would think it to be a male, yet it seems to match this image on BugGuide that is identified as a female Phidippus adumbratus.
Letter 23 – Jumping Spider from Nicaragua
spider in nicaragua
Location: Nueva Guinea, Nicaragua
July 30, 2011 4:55 pm
Dear What’sThatBug
What’s this bug?
I found it crawling on me. Looks like some sort of jumping spider. It was definitely not afraid to lunge at my camera as I snapped some pictures.
As you can see from the photos, the front legs were much longer than the other legs… And they were striped (black and white). The abdomen was a shiny green color. God bless!
Signature: hector
Hi Hector,
YOu are correct that this is a Jumping Spider in the family Salticidae, but we don’t recognize the species. Judging from the enlarged pedipalps, this is a male.
Letter 24 – Jumping Spider from Nicaragua
Scorpion Spider?
Location: 12° 3’ 45.67” North, 86° 18’ 51.88” West (Nicaragua, Managua, El Crucero)
November 11, 2011 1:07 pm
I found this little spider in my garden in Managua, Nicaragua.
It is about 1 cm long.
To the naked eye the front legs look like scorpion arms.
Signature: Sergiortc
Hi Sergio,
This is some species of Jumping Spider in the family Salticidae. Jumping Spiders do not build a web to snare prey. They have extremely good eyesight, and they stalk prey. They are generally small spiders and they are harmless to humans. The closest match we were able to find on BugGuide is this image, though we realize it is not the same as your individual. BugGuide has many species of Jumping Spiders from North America, and it is entirely possible that your individual is a tropical species. Though the markings are different, the shape is quite similar to this Jumping Spider from Nicaraguawe posted earlier in the year.
Hi Daniel,
Thank you for your information on the jumping spider.
I am sending you a link to an album I have in FaceBook with pictures of several insects in my garden, If you want any of them, just let me know. I can send you the originals.
Have a nice day,
Sergio
Letter 25 – Jumping Spider in Argentina
Subject: scorpion?
Geographic location of the bug: Argentina
Date: 12/12/2017
Time: 04:12 PM EDT
This was found over my bed. Geographic location of the bug: Buenos Aires, Argentina. Could you tell me what this guy is? It is 5 mm long.
Many thanks
How you want your letter signed: Marcela
Hi Marcela,
This is a harmless Jumping Spider, not a Scorpion. Jumping Spiders in the family Salticidae are hunting Spiders. They do not spin a web for hunting prey. They use their excellent eyesight to stalk prey before jumping toward, capturing and sucking vital fluids from Flies and other small insects.
Letter 26 – Jumping Spider in Elyria Canyon Park
March 24, 2012
Location: Elyria Canyon Park, Los Angeles, California
The Mt Washington Beautification Committee were thrilled to find this lovely female Jumping Spider, Phidippus johnsoni, while attempting to remove invasive milk thistle from Elyria Canyon Park. There was a large stand of the thistle on the dirt road leading to the red barn, and while digging the weeds, this bright red spider could not be missed. Thanks to volunteer Sean Gilleran who grabbed the camera while Daniel held the active arachnid, we are able to post these awesome images. According to BugGuide, the Johnson Jumper is “Mostly black with a red abdomen. The male’s abdomen is entirely red, whereas the female’s abdomen has a black mark down the center.” BugGuide also notes: “Not harmful to humans, although like all spiders it will inflict a painful bite if provoked, and this species is reported to be more aggressive than other jumpers”, though Daniel is happy to report he was not bitten. This robust specimen was over a half an inch in length.
More information on the Johnson Jumper can be found on this excellent article by Robert R. Jackson from American Arachnology online.
Letter 27 – Jumping Spider in Los Angeles
Subject: Spider on patio
Location: Los Angeles
April 9, 2015 1:21 pm
Who is his friendly spider?
Signature: Curious patio farmer
Dear Curious Patio Farmer,
Your Jumping Spider is in the genus Phidippus, but we are uncertain of the species. We found a nearly identical match, also from Los Angeles, posted to BugGuide, but it is only identified to the genus level. It might be Phidippus formosus, and BugGuide provides this comment regarding that name: “If I’m reading the World Spider Catalog correctly, Phidippus formosus is an older name for what is currently called Phidippus johnsoni. I don’t have Hogue’s book to see what was pictured, but since it appears to have been published in 1974, shortly after the name change, it was probably a photo of Phidippus Johnsoni and Hogue just didn’t have the most up-to-date name for it.” Though BugGuide has numerous images of the Johnson Jumper, not exactly matches the coloration and markings on your individual.
Letter 28 – Jumping Spider from India
Subject: Is this is a scorpion
Geographic location of the bug: Kerala,India
Date: 11/22/2017
Time: 06:49 AM EDT
I found a scorpion like insect and it is almost 2mm it has no pincers but has hand
How you want your letter signed: Vivek
Dear Vivek,
This is not a Scorpion. It is a harmless Jumping Spider in the family Salticidae.
Letter 29 – Jumping Spider from Mexico
Subject: What bug is this?
Geographic location of the bug: Guerrero, Mexico
Date: 02/06/2018
Time: 09:18 AM EDT
Your letter to the bugman: Hi, found this bug. Never seen it before and can’t seem to find info anywhere
How you want your letter signed: Ricardo Autrey
Dear Ricardo,
This is a harmless Jumping Spider in the family Salticidae. Here is a similar looking individual posted to BugGuide.
Letter 30 – Jumping Spider patrols intimate apparel
spider in the underwear drawer
Hello Bugman,
We found this little beast peeking out of one of our dresser drawers last night. It saw us coming a mile away, so we failed to catch it. Presumably he makes his home in the dresser. It’s about 1″ across (including legs). From pictures I can find on the internet, I think it looks a little like a red jumping spider, but the body and legs are lighter in color and more variegated. What do you think? We live in Los Angeles, CA. Thanks,
Malia
Hi Malia,
We think that thanks to this Jumping Spider, your drawers are free from bugs. This is a Jumping Spider in the genus Phidippus. It may be Phidippus clarus which is highly variable, or perhaps Phidippus johnsoni, another highly variable species, or it may be another species in this highly variable genus.
Letter 31 – Jumping Spider raised in captivity
Female Phiddipus jonsoni
Location: Oxnard, California, USA
November 24, 2011 4:22 am
My friend caught this beautiful girl, who we’ve named Ruby, near her boyfriend’s apartment in Oxnard, California. Since her capture, she has laid three egg sacs, I am now taking care of the last remaining baby from the last sac(3 months old now, still too immature to determine gender). I figured you would like these pictures, though they aren’t the most high quality out there. I’ve loved spiders since I was a little girl, I assure you she’s well fed (mostly crickets, though she adores flies if I can catch them), and has a comfortable enclosure with fake plants and moss.
Signature: California Spider Lover
Dear California Spider Lover,
We are positively charmed by your letter, however, we do have a few questions. Did you raise many of the spiderlings? What did you feed them? Were they released back into the wild?
We also believe that raising local spiders like this and then releasing them back into the wild is an excellent educational opportunity for young children.
The first set of spiderlings (over 100!), I released after the majority of them hatched, I placed their sac under a bush near my husband’s grandma’s house in Ojai. The second sac only hatched a few spiderlings (around 30), I planned to raise them, but I didn’t have a car and lived half an hour away from the nearest store that sold fruit flies, and they didn’t survive. When Ruby laid the third sac, it was hard to see and I wasn’t sure whether it was a sac or just one of her webs, so it stayed in her enclosure until I noticed the spiderlings (a few weeks old at that point) around it. I carefully removed the sac and as many of the spiderlings I could to a large jar, and had around 60. With school and moving keeping me busy at the time, I neglected to get more jars or other suitable enclosures to separate them once they got to be around a month old, so most died, but I ended up with two who cohabited for quite a while. I separated them, but one died, and now I’m left with the last one, who is currently still being fed on fruit flies, and the occasional tiny cricket that gets into the cricket bag when I buy some for Ruby. I plan to keep him, and move him to a similar enclosure as Ruby once he’s big enough.
Attached is a picture of the spiderling I just took (through the glass of his jar, shows his underside), he’s about a centimeter long from head to spinnerets, still has the juvenile black and white pattern on his back, but, I just checked and he does have one spot of red, should hopefully know gender in another 2 or 3 molts!
Wow, that is a much more thorough update than we expected. Thanks so much for providing that additional information.
Letter 32 – Jumping Spider from Singapore
Subject: Spider found on car in Asia
Geographic location of the bug: Singapore
Date: 02/15/2018
Time: 03:54 AM EDT
Your letter to the bugman: Hi I found this spider on my car today afternoon and I’ve never seen anything like this. It jumps pretty well! Pls let me know what this spider is, and is it poisonous?
How you want your letter signed: Thanks, much appreciated!
This is a Jumping Spider in the family Salticidae. We did not identify the species, but we found a matching image, also from Singapore, on FlickR.
Oh yes, indeed it is! Ok let me find out more on this spider species. I tried to look for matching images on the web but didn’t manage to find any…
Thank you so much!
Regards
HueyFang
Letter 33 – Jumping Spider from Sri Lanka
Subject: Found on a lotus flower
Geographic location of the bug: Ratnapura, sri lanka
Date: 10/25/2017
Time: 06:04 AM EDT
Can you plz tell me what this is ?
How you want your letter signed: Normal
Dear Normal,
This is a gorgeous Jumping Spider in the family Salticidae. Based on images posted to Peckhamia, it appears to be Chrysilla volupe. The site states: “With only four recognizable species, having in addition similar palps and epigyne, Chrysilla may be best recognized by bright, shinning coloration. In difference, forms with white spots on darker background are classified in the genus Phintella, independently from similarities in palps palps and epigyne. Often photographed by macrophotographers, the correlation of coloration with genital characters is not certain, hence identification of living specimens without revision of type specimens is tentative. Diagnostic drawings below are integral part of definitions.“
Letter 34 – Jumping Spider from Elyria Canyon Park probably Metacyrba taeniola similis
Jumping Spider from Los Angeles
June 26, 2011
Today while working in Elyria Canyon Park, we found this little Jumper in the plant nursery. We cannot identify it on BugGuide. It looks most like a member of the genera Marpissa or Thiodina.
Update: December 29, 2018
AA big thanks to Barbara for her comment indicating this is likely Metacyrba taeniola similis which we located on BugGuide.
Reader Emails
Over the years, our website, whatsthatbug.com has received hundreds of letters and some interesting images asking us about these insects. Scroll down to have a look at some of them.
Letter 1 – Jumping Spider from Borneo
Spider look like a scorpion?
Thu, Mar 19, 2009 at 8:46 AM
Hello, we currently live in Brunei which is part of Borneo. We have seen this bug many times all around our house. It looks like a scorpion but we think it is a spider. We have two small children so we would like to know what this bug is and if it bites! It is black and about 1cm in length. We really appriciate your help in identifying this creature so we can learn more about it!
J
Borneo, South East Asia
Hi J,
This is a Jumping Spider in the family Salticidae. Jumping Spiders are hunting spiders that do not build webs and they are harmless.
Letter 2 – Jumping Spider found in bunch of bananas in Canada
Subject: Exotic Banana Stowaway or Fear Running Amok
Location: Ontario
March 26, 2016 6:22 pm
Hi BugMan!!
I received a photo from a friend recently looking for some help IDing a spider because I enjoy searching through guides and web photos to try my amateur hand at insect identification. Fun fact: if you browse spiders on your phone on public transit people will move away from you 😉
Anyway, I am at a loss for this guy. My best guess has been something in the Salticidae family, but I cannot see a hint of green at the chelicerae, nor could I find those specific markings. I am frustrated and I must ask for help – hopefully, this is one of the lucky posts that makes it through.
Bit of background. Friend is a produce manager in southern Ontario and had this spider returned from a customer who stated that it had been found in bananas purchased there. Bananas came from Ecuador, but it’s pretty difficult to ascertain where the spider actually came from. Unfortunately, their company policy is to destroy any spiders that are returned in produce – BOO! and I have not seen the spider in person. The size has been stated to be approximately 1cm-1.25cm and she claims that there is no green (or blue, or any other colour) present at the chelicerae. Also, that the manner of walking is similar to a tarantula, but I don’t see the similarity in the hairiness and really think that the body structure is much more similar to a jumper.
Here’s hoping you can help end this frustration
Signature: A frustrated friend
Dear frustrated friend,
Your submission has caused us to lament the day that portable communication devices superseded home computers as the delivery method of choice for readers submitting identification requests to our site. At that time, spelling and grammar took a back seat to garbled and incoherent communication replete with abbreviations and new acronyms. The positive side of folks using cellular telephones is that they virtually all have cameras built in, which allowed more folks to capture images of the bugs they encounter, but verbal communication took several steps back as instant gratification caused terse phrases to replace complete sentences. Thanks so much for your chatty request. This is indeed a Jumping Spider in the family Salticidae, but we are not certain of the species. Not all Jumping Spiders have metallic chelicerae. The distinctive spinnerets at the end of the abdomen should make identification a bit easier, but our initial attempts have not provided a good species match for you. We also want to comment on the produce policy of destroying spiders found on bananas. There is a large Huntsman Spider, Heteropoda venatoria, that is now found throughout the world in warmer cities where bananas were shipped. Many years ago, there were numerous stories of Tarantulas emerging from shipped bananas, and most of those Tarantulas were likely Huntsman Spiders. The Huntsman Spiders, or Banana Spiders, are harmless, and they are actually quite beneficial in tropical countries where they hunt at night, feeding on Cockroaches.
Thank you Daniel. I really appreciate the confirmation.
It seems as though there may be some ramifications for my friend as a result of me adding the location in and I wonder if it’s possible if the town name could be removed?
I had asked if I could send it to your site and was granted permission for that (as it was her photo), but she was later warned about the potential for losing her job as a result of negative attention to the store and I was not informed until I sent your response. It’s a very small town with a single grocery store and I would hate for my friend to lose her job because she and I were trying to ID a spider.
My apologies for being a pain.
Cheers,
Vanessa
Done.
Letter 3 – Jumping Spider from Hawaii
Subject: What the heck is this?
Location: Hawaii
December 31, 2013 9:17 pm
Aloha-
I love to work on my lanai and this little thing was exploring my computer- what the heck is it? Scorpion or spider?
Signature: Curious
Aloha Curious,
This is a harmless, male Jumping Spider in the family Salticidae. We are not certain of the species, but it does look similar to the members of the genus Hentzia that are pictured on BugGuide.
Letter 4 – Jumping Spider from Canada
Subject: Sweet Salticidae?
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
August 17, 2014 9:04 am
It was such a treat to find this sweet little guy the other day because they are not easy to come by. Salticidae are my favourite spiders and I am grateful to this little one being so cooperative. I can’t seem to find who his is, though. Hopefully you can help me out.
Signature: Vanessa – Photographer and friend of all spiders.
Hi Vanessa – Photographer and friend of all spiders,
We will attempt to identify your Jumping Spider at a later point in time. We believe this is a male and he has beautiful eyelashes.
Letter 5 – Jumping Spider from Indonesia: Hyllus giganteus
Subject: Yellow Salticidae
Location: Manglayang Mountain, West Java, Indonesia
March 22, 2013 9:30 pm
Hello again Daniel,
I wanted to ask what kind of fat salticidae this is.
This funny fellow eat a grasshopper on a banana leaf, after that she move to a higher ground making out a bed out of her web then she fell a sleep.
Signature: Mohamad Idham Iskandar
Hi Mohamad,
We are not certain if we will be able to identify this lovely Jumping Spider in the family Salticidae to the species level, but we think your photographs are amazing. We are posting them and perhaps we will have some time in the future to research additional information.
Thanks Daniel,
I’m also still trying to browse for more info of this salticidae, but still couldn’t find any suitable lead.
Update: May 10, 2013
Thanks to a comment that this is Hyllus giganteus, we are able to link to matching photos at Reptile Forums and this video on UIOVN.
Letter 6 – Jumping Spider from Costa Rica
Subject: Unknown Spider Species
Geographic location of the bug: Costa Rica
Date: 01/03/2018
Time: 12:10 PM EDT
I took this photo while on vacation in Costa Rica at the “Kids Saving The Rainforest” animal sanctuary. The guide had no idea what it was, and I have been unable to find out either.
How you want your letter signed: Dalton Bragg
Dear Dalton,
This is a Jumping Spider in the family Salticidae, but we haven’t the time this morning to research the species. We will attempt a species identification later in the day, and perhaps one of our readers will write in with a species identification.
Letter 7 – Jumping Spider from India
help me to identify this insect /shining and colored spider ??
Location: Yeoor hills, District : Thane, state: Maharashtra, Country : India
May 4, 2011 11:45 am
Please help me to identify this insect.
i am very curious about this insect and wanted to know its exact identity.
Signature: ..
Dear ..
This is some species of Jumping Spider in the family Salticidae.
Sir,
Thank you so much for your support. You ( whatsthatbug team ) are doing a great job. This site is extremely useful for amateurs like me.
1ce again Thanks a lot for quick feedback.
Keep smiling 😀
you all have gr8 future ahead.
Letter 8 – Jumping Spider from Trinidad
Subject: Jumping spider
Geographic location of the bug: Trinidad, West Indies
Date: 08/23/2019
Time: 11:50 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman: Dear Bugman,
Hoping you can help by identifying this pretty iridescent jumping spider. This one was on the wall of my front porch
How you want your letter signed: Gwiz
Dear Gwiz,
We have in the past tentatively identified a similar looking Brazilian Jumping Spider as Psecas viridipurpureus and today while searching, we can’t help but to wonder if we have stumbled ironically upon your website, Gil Wizen Spiders, where there is an image identified as Psecas viridipurpureus and that also looks the same. Your individual looks like Psecas croesus which is pictured on Jumping Spiders and which ranges in Guiana and Suriname according to Jumping Spiders. That same Jumping Spiders site only has black and white drawings of Psecas viridipurpureus, and the range is listed as Brazil and Peru. On that same Jumping Spiders site, Psecas barbaricus is only pictured in a black and white drawing, but the range is listed as Brazil and Trinidad. The best we can assure is the genus Psecas.
Hi Daniel.
Thanks so much for your response and your help identifying my spider!
What a coincidence about the Gil Wizen website name. Lovely site but nope it isn’t mine. I am actually afraid of spiders:) I appreciate them and their role in the environment but I can assure you I appreciate them from a distance.
Your help was greatly appreciated.
Giselle.
You are welcome Giselle. The name similarity was quite a coincidence.
Letter 9 – Jumping Spider is Zebra Spider
Distinctive Spider – wonderland?
April 11, 2010
The bright metallic green flash from this guy’s head caught my eye and I was surprised by the white, black and red stripes on the abdomen. Can’t find an example anywhere. Any idea of genus-species? Found on a mile marker along a hiking trail in Southern California.
Adriano
Ventura County, California
Hi Adriano,
This is a Jumping Spider in the family Salticidae. We quickly scanned through the images on BugGuide, but could not find a match. Perhaps one of our readers can assist.
Identification and questions
Incorporating IDs from comments?
May 3, 2010
(I might have accidentally submitted this through the “ID this bug” form before I read the directions closely enough; if so, very sorry!)
Hi guys! You run a wonderful, much-needed, and tremendously educational site. My question: Are there any criteria you apply as you decide when to update an entry based on identifications provided in readers’ comments? This was done with the April 30 entry “Longicorn from New Guinea may be Batocera kibleri”, for example, but my ID of the April 11 jumping spider as Salticus palpalis — about which I have much greater confidence than any other identification I’ve attempted here — has gone unremarked, even though my comment was approved. Are commenters’ qualifications, amount of activity on the site, or history of correct identifications among the criteria you consider? Or is it just a matter of what you happen to notice or feel significant in the very limited time you have? 🙂 Not being critical and certainly not upset or anything, just curious. Thanks again for all you do!
Randy
Hi Randy,
WE really are not able to incorporate every comment into the initial posting, but on some occasions we try to incorporate information dealing with difficult identifications. Some longtime contributors email us as well as making postings, and some even older contributors never provide comments. Eric Eaton communicates through our personal email address. We are sorry if you felt snubbed or overlooked. It was not intentional.
Letter 10 – Jumping Spider from Australia
Subject: Fascinating Spider
Location: Fairlight NSW Australia
April 28, 2016 7:05 pm
Have been observing this little guy building silk bridges between our tables and chairs on the balcony this morning and wondered if i should stay calmly seated and curious or run around screaming and flailing my arms in the air because its a man eater. What kind of spider is it please?
Signature: Curious Mich
Dear Curious Mich,
Fear Not. This Jumping Spider in the family Salticidae is perfectly harmless. Jumping Spiders do not build webs in which to snare prey, but rather they jump great distances, pouncing on their prey.
Thank you so much. I will continue observing it spinning silk threads to build bridges between my balcony furniture at a longer distance. Appreciate your time and help.
Curious Mich
Letter 11 – Jumping Spider is Bold Jumper
Subject: Spider with orange heart on back
Location: Walla Walla, Washington
March 6, 2014 12:25 pm
Taken today (March, 2014) in Walla Walla, Washington on my back garage door. What is it?
Signature: Spooked by spider
Dear Spooked by spider,
This is a Jumping Spider, and it is an example of one of the common color variations of the Bold Jumper, Phidippus audax, which is pictured on BugGuide.
Letter 12 – Jumping Spider from Brazil
Subject: Brazilian jumping spider
Geographic location of the bug: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Date: 10/09/2017
Time: 07:44 PM EDT
I found this small jumping spider (15mm) at my work in Rio de Janeiro today (October 9 2017). Not the first time I found it, actually. Do you know the species?
Thanks!
How you want your letter signed: Luis
Dear Luis,
This is really a beautiful Jumping Spider in the family Salticidae. We found a similar looking individual on Insetologia that is identified as Psecas species.
Hi,
Thanks a lot for the information!! What’s that bug is great.
Cheers,
L.
Letter 13 – Jumping Spider from Brazil
Subject: Identifying spider species
Geographic location of the bug: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Date: 03/17/2018
Time: 10:40 AM EDT
Your letter to the bugman: Hello!
Yesterday I was in my backyard and found this very pretty spider hanging out on top of my speakers. Any idea what it might be? Sorry the picture isn’t the clearest, the little guy jumped away shortly after I took it.
Many thanks,
How you want your letter signed: Daniel
Dear Daniel,
This pretty spider is a Jumping Spider in the genus Psecas.
Thank you! Great website 🙂
Letter 14 – Jumping Spider from Costa Rica
Subject: a golden leaf dwelling spider from Costa Rcia
Location: Manuel Antonio Park, Costa Rica
January 4, 2016 9:43 am
Hi there,
Took this pick of a leaf nesting spider in costa rica and I am having a hard time identifying it. She was very aware of her surroundings and watched my every move as I set up the camera for the shot.
Signature: Michael K
Dear Michael,
Your images are quite wonderful. This is a Jumping Spider in the family Salticidae. Jumping Spiders do not build webs to snare prey, but rather hunt, often jumping on their prey from a substantial distance away. Because they hunt instead of passively awaiting prey to wander into a web, Jumping Spiders like other hunting spiders including Wolf Spiders, need better eyesight. As you observed, the vision of Jumping Spiders is quite good. Though they do not build webs to snare prey, some Jumping Spiders, like your individual, do spin shelters for protection. We will attempt to provide you with a species identification, but our initial attempt proved fruitless.
That is marvelous, Daniel, thank you!
M
Letter 15 – Jumping Spider from Brazil
Subject: Psecas viridipurpureus ?
Location: Amazonas Brazil
May 17, 2012 7:58 pm
This very beautiful jumping spider seems to like my computer in Amazonia – Brazil. Does it like hotness ? Every year, it comes in the same places, sending little ones to know my computer ! Should you confirm its identification as a Psecas viridipurpureus ? If confirmed, it seems that these would be the first photos online of this specie.
Thank you.
Signature: Isabelle
Hello Isabelle,
This Jumping Spider is amazingly beautiful. We suspect it is a male. The only thing more beautiful than the spider is its likeness in your gorgeously composed photograph. We are sorry we had to crop it so closely to the spider. We are perfectly content perpetuating the hypothesis that this is Psecas viridipurpureus.
Letter 16 – Jumping Spider from Brazil
Subject: Salticidae
Location: Juiz de Fora / MG / Brazil
February 28, 2013 1:38 pm
Hello, I found this spider has already two weeks into my farm, I have a hobby of macrophotography and always put the photos on this site: www.500px.com/macrovida.
Thank you!
Signature: Raphaela Campos
Hi Raphaela,
Thank you so much for sending your excellent images of a Jumping Spider in the family Salticidae. You might also want to consider posting them to the Insetologia site devoted to Brazilian “bugs” and perhaps you will stand a better chance of getting a species identification.
Letter 17 – Jumping Spider from Brazil: Phiale gratiosa
Subject: Black spider with a red stain
Location: Porto Alegre, Brazil
August 13, 2015 12:32 pm
Hi team bugman,
Regardless of you answering me or not, you guys do a great job here!
I am far from being an expert. In fact I know very little about spiders, but we spotted this one in a friend’s t-shirt and we were very curious about which spider would that be. We live in south Brazil, Porto Alegre.
We did some research, but we weren’t able to identify a match.
See if you can helps us identify it!
Thanks,
Signature: Guilherme
Good Evening Guilherme,
The best we can do at this moment is to inform you that this is a Jumping Spider in the family Salticidae, and it is a gorgeous species, probably male in gender. We want to go outside right now and enjoy the crepuscular minutes and we will research this more later.
Update: We believe your Jumping Spider is a color variation of Phiale gratiosa based on this image on Salticidae of the World.
That’ definitely a match!
Thanks again, Daniel.
Regards,
Guilherme
Letter 18 – Jumping Spider from Brazil
Subject: Jumping spider
Geographic location of the bug: São Paulo, SP, Brazil
Date: 09/10/2021
Time: 09:44 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman: Hi, I found this jumping spider outside of my condo in São Paulo, Brazil. I cannot find anything similar to it online. Can you please help me identify it. It looks like it has an Iron Man helmet in its abdomen.
How you want your letter signed: Carlos
Dear Carlos,
Other than agreeing that this is a Jumping Spider in the family Salticidae, we cannot add much more except that it appears to be a male. Perhaps our Brazilian coeval Cesar Crash of Insetologia will recognize the species.
Letter 19 – Jumping Spider from Costa Rica probably Itata completa
Subject: Costa Rican bug
Location: Southern Costa Rica
March 12, 2015 11:36 am
this guy was on a kitchen counter on Playa Cacao by Golfito Costa Rica and is unlike anything I know of, anybody know?
Signature: T Olesen
Dear T Olesen,
This is a Jumping Spider in the family Salticidae, and because of the long front legs, we would bet that it is a male. Jumping Spider are harmless to humans. They do not spin webs to snare prey. They are hunting spiders.
Letter 20 – Jumping Spider from Cyprus
Subject: Jumping Spider? from North Cyprus
Location: North Cyprus
April 22, 2013 12:03 am
This fellow was seen outside Kantara Castle on 21st April 2013, near 2pm local time. This is at about 630m ASL. A friend says try jumping spiders, but I can’t find it.
Thanks very much.
Signature: muymalestado
Dear muymalestado,
Your friend is correct. This is a Jumping Spider in the family Salticidae, and it is most likely in the genus Phidippus. We could not determine any species identification.
Letter 21 – Jumping Spider from India
Subject: spider
Geographic location of the bug: India
Date: 02/19/2019
Time: 06:38 AM EDT
Your letter to the bugman: Hi,
I would love to know more about this beautiful spider whose picture I have attached for you. I have no complaints, curiousity pulls me here. I found it jumping among the flowerpots one day and it was very swift. I love its colour. The spider was 1 cm and blue-green. 🙂
How you want your letter signed: ugh
Dear ugh,
This is a male Jumping Spider in the family Salticidae. Jumping Spiders are considered harmless, and they do not spin webs to snare prey. Instead, they have excellent eyesight and they are able to pounce on prey from a considerable distance with amazing accuracy. Many Jumping Spiders have metallic markings and bright colors. We have not found any matching images online in our quick search, so we cannot provide you with an exact species at this time. Perhaps one of our readers will write in with a link to a species identification.
Letter 22 – Jumping Spider from Los Angeles
Subject: Hello
Location: California Los Angeles
August 21, 2015 3:32 pm
Hi I walls like to identify the spider In these pictures
Signature: Rafayel
Dear Rafayel,
This is a Jumping Spider in the family Salticidae, and we would think it to be a male, yet it seems to match this image on BugGuide that is identified as a female Phidippus adumbratus.
Letter 23 – Jumping Spider from Nicaragua
spider in nicaragua
Location: Nueva Guinea, Nicaragua
July 30, 2011 4:55 pm
Dear What’sThatBug
What’s this bug?
I found it crawling on me. Looks like some sort of jumping spider. It was definitely not afraid to lunge at my camera as I snapped some pictures.
As you can see from the photos, the front legs were much longer than the other legs… And they were striped (black and white). The abdomen was a shiny green color. God bless!
Signature: hector
Hi Hector,
YOu are correct that this is a Jumping Spider in the family Salticidae, but we don’t recognize the species. Judging from the enlarged pedipalps, this is a male.
Letter 24 – Jumping Spider from Nicaragua
Scorpion Spider?
Location: 12° 3’ 45.67” North, 86° 18’ 51.88” West (Nicaragua, Managua, El Crucero)
November 11, 2011 1:07 pm
I found this little spider in my garden in Managua, Nicaragua.
It is about 1 cm long.
To the naked eye the front legs look like scorpion arms.
Signature: Sergiortc
Hi Sergio,
This is some species of Jumping Spider in the family Salticidae. Jumping Spiders do not build a web to snare prey. They have extremely good eyesight, and they stalk prey. They are generally small spiders and they are harmless to humans. The closest match we were able to find on BugGuide is this image, though we realize it is not the same as your individual. BugGuide has many species of Jumping Spiders from North America, and it is entirely possible that your individual is a tropical species. Though the markings are different, the shape is quite similar to this Jumping Spider from Nicaraguawe posted earlier in the year.
Hi Daniel,
Thank you for your information on the jumping spider.
I am sending you a link to an album I have in FaceBook with pictures of several insects in my garden, If you want any of them, just let me know. I can send you the originals.
Have a nice day,
Sergio
Letter 25 – Jumping Spider in Argentina
Subject: scorpion?
Geographic location of the bug: Argentina
Date: 12/12/2017
Time: 04:12 PM EDT
This was found over my bed. Geographic location of the bug: Buenos Aires, Argentina. Could you tell me what this guy is? It is 5 mm long.
Many thanks
How you want your letter signed: Marcela
Hi Marcela,
This is a harmless Jumping Spider, not a Scorpion. Jumping Spiders in the family Salticidae are hunting Spiders. They do not spin a web for hunting prey. They use their excellent eyesight to stalk prey before jumping toward, capturing and sucking vital fluids from Flies and other small insects.
Letter 26 – Jumping Spider in Elyria Canyon Park
March 24, 2012
Location: Elyria Canyon Park, Los Angeles, California
The Mt Washington Beautification Committee were thrilled to find this lovely female Jumping Spider, Phidippus johnsoni, while attempting to remove invasive milk thistle from Elyria Canyon Park. There was a large stand of the thistle on the dirt road leading to the red barn, and while digging the weeds, this bright red spider could not be missed. Thanks to volunteer Sean Gilleran who grabbed the camera while Daniel held the active arachnid, we are able to post these awesome images. According to BugGuide, the Johnson Jumper is “Mostly black with a red abdomen. The male’s abdomen is entirely red, whereas the female’s abdomen has a black mark down the center.” BugGuide also notes: “Not harmful to humans, although like all spiders it will inflict a painful bite if provoked, and this species is reported to be more aggressive than other jumpers”, though Daniel is happy to report he was not bitten. This robust specimen was over a half an inch in length.
More information on the Johnson Jumper can be found on this excellent article by Robert R. Jackson from American Arachnology online.
Letter 27 – Jumping Spider in Los Angeles
Subject: Spider on patio
Location: Los Angeles
April 9, 2015 1:21 pm
Who is his friendly spider?
Signature: Curious patio farmer
Dear Curious Patio Farmer,
Your Jumping Spider is in the genus Phidippus, but we are uncertain of the species. We found a nearly identical match, also from Los Angeles, posted to BugGuide, but it is only identified to the genus level. It might be Phidippus formosus, and BugGuide provides this comment regarding that name: “If I’m reading the World Spider Catalog correctly, Phidippus formosus is an older name for what is currently called Phidippus johnsoni. I don’t have Hogue’s book to see what was pictured, but since it appears to have been published in 1974, shortly after the name change, it was probably a photo of Phidippus Johnsoni and Hogue just didn’t have the most up-to-date name for it.” Though BugGuide has numerous images of the Johnson Jumper, not exactly matches the coloration and markings on your individual.
Letter 28 – Jumping Spider from India
Subject: Is this is a scorpion
Geographic location of the bug: Kerala,India
Date: 11/22/2017
Time: 06:49 AM EDT
I found a scorpion like insect and it is almost 2mm it has no pincers but has hand
How you want your letter signed: Vivek
Dear Vivek,
This is not a Scorpion. It is a harmless Jumping Spider in the family Salticidae.
Letter 29 – Jumping Spider from Mexico
Subject: What bug is this?
Geographic location of the bug: Guerrero, Mexico
Date: 02/06/2018
Time: 09:18 AM EDT
Your letter to the bugman: Hi, found this bug. Never seen it before and can’t seem to find info anywhere
How you want your letter signed: Ricardo Autrey
Dear Ricardo,
This is a harmless Jumping Spider in the family Salticidae. Here is a similar looking individual posted to BugGuide.
Letter 30 – Jumping Spider patrols intimate apparel
spider in the underwear drawer
Hello Bugman,
We found this little beast peeking out of one of our dresser drawers last night. It saw us coming a mile away, so we failed to catch it. Presumably he makes his home in the dresser. It’s about 1″ across (including legs). From pictures I can find on the internet, I think it looks a little like a red jumping spider, but the body and legs are lighter in color and more variegated. What do you think? We live in Los Angeles, CA. Thanks,
Malia
Hi Malia,
We think that thanks to this Jumping Spider, your drawers are free from bugs. This is a Jumping Spider in the genus Phidippus. It may be Phidippus clarus which is highly variable, or perhaps Phidippus johnsoni, another highly variable species, or it may be another species in this highly variable genus.
Letter 31 – Jumping Spider raised in captivity
Female Phiddipus jonsoni
Location: Oxnard, California, USA
November 24, 2011 4:22 am
My friend caught this beautiful girl, who we’ve named Ruby, near her boyfriend’s apartment in Oxnard, California. Since her capture, she has laid three egg sacs, I am now taking care of the last remaining baby from the last sac(3 months old now, still too immature to determine gender). I figured you would like these pictures, though they aren’t the most high quality out there. I’ve loved spiders since I was a little girl, I assure you she’s well fed (mostly crickets, though she adores flies if I can catch them), and has a comfortable enclosure with fake plants and moss.
Signature: California Spider Lover
Dear California Spider Lover,
We are positively charmed by your letter, however, we do have a few questions. Did you raise many of the spiderlings? What did you feed them? Were they released back into the wild?
We also believe that raising local spiders like this and then releasing them back into the wild is an excellent educational opportunity for young children.
The first set of spiderlings (over 100!), I released after the majority of them hatched, I placed their sac under a bush near my husband’s grandma’s house in Ojai. The second sac only hatched a few spiderlings (around 30), I planned to raise them, but I didn’t have a car and lived half an hour away from the nearest store that sold fruit flies, and they didn’t survive. When Ruby laid the third sac, it was hard to see and I wasn’t sure whether it was a sac or just one of her webs, so it stayed in her enclosure until I noticed the spiderlings (a few weeks old at that point) around it. I carefully removed the sac and as many of the spiderlings I could to a large jar, and had around 60. With school and moving keeping me busy at the time, I neglected to get more jars or other suitable enclosures to separate them once they got to be around a month old, so most died, but I ended up with two who cohabited for quite a while. I separated them, but one died, and now I’m left with the last one, who is currently still being fed on fruit flies, and the occasional tiny cricket that gets into the cricket bag when I buy some for Ruby. I plan to keep him, and move him to a similar enclosure as Ruby once he’s big enough.
Attached is a picture of the spiderling I just took (through the glass of his jar, shows his underside), he’s about a centimeter long from head to spinnerets, still has the juvenile black and white pattern on his back, but, I just checked and he does have one spot of red, should hopefully know gender in another 2 or 3 molts!
Wow, that is a much more thorough update than we expected. Thanks so much for providing that additional information.
Letter 32 – Jumping Spider from Singapore
Subject: Spider found on car in Asia
Geographic location of the bug: Singapore
Date: 02/15/2018
Time: 03:54 AM EDT
Your letter to the bugman: Hi I found this spider on my car today afternoon and I’ve never seen anything like this. It jumps pretty well! Pls let me know what this spider is, and is it poisonous?
How you want your letter signed: Thanks, much appreciated!
This is a Jumping Spider in the family Salticidae. We did not identify the species, but we found a matching image, also from Singapore, on FlickR.
Oh yes, indeed it is! Ok let me find out more on this spider species. I tried to look for matching images on the web but didn’t manage to find any…
Thank you so much!
Regards
HueyFang
Letter 33 – Jumping Spider from Sri Lanka
Subject: Found on a lotus flower
Geographic location of the bug: Ratnapura, sri lanka
Date: 10/25/2017
Time: 06:04 AM EDT
Can you plz tell me what this is ?
How you want your letter signed: Normal
Dear Normal,
This is a gorgeous Jumping Spider in the family Salticidae. Based on images posted to Peckhamia, it appears to be Chrysilla volupe. The site states: “With only four recognizable species, having in addition similar palps and epigyne, Chrysilla may be best recognized by bright, shinning coloration. In difference, forms with white spots on darker background are classified in the genus Phintella, independently from similarities in palps palps and epigyne. Often photographed by macrophotographers, the correlation of coloration with genital characters is not certain, hence identification of living specimens without revision of type specimens is tentative. Diagnostic drawings below are integral part of definitions.“
Letter 34 – Jumping Spider from Elyria Canyon Park probably Metacyrba taeniola similis
Jumping Spider from Los Angeles
June 26, 2011
Today while working in Elyria Canyon Park, we found this little Jumper in the plant nursery. We cannot identify it on BugGuide. It looks most like a member of the genera Marpissa or Thiodina.
Update: December 29, 2018
AA big thanks to Barbara for her comment indicating this is likely Metacyrba taeniola similis which we located on BugGuide.
Reader Emails
Over the years, our website, whatsthatbug.com has received hundreds of letters and some interesting images asking us about these insects. Scroll down to have a look at some of them.
Reader Emails
Over the years, our website, whatsthatbug.com has received hundreds of letters and some interesting images asking us about these insects. Scroll down to have a look at some of them.
Got to be a male “Salticus palpalis” zebra spider: http://nathistoc.bio.uci.edu/spiders/Salticus.htm.
I’m the person who submitted these pictures, and I’m sad to report that Ruby has died 🙁 I don’t know how old she was when we caught her, but she was full grown and had mated, so she had to have been near a year old when my friend caught her. We had her for 9 months.
She most likely lived longer in captivity where she was protected from predators.
She’s too beautiful for words! I have such a soft spot for jumping spiders.
She really was one impressive spider. About a month back, I saw another individual, much smaller, on a stalk of mustard, but didn’t have a camera. I was very happy I had the camera Saturday.
<3 jumping spiders! :D
So pretty!
This is a Bavia sexpunctata.
This spider along with other small spiders in Borneo will not bite humans.
Thank you for this and your other recent species identifications. We are approving your comments.
It’s a Chrysilla lauta.
Its a female Hyllus giganteus
Thanks to your comment, we have linked to some photos and a video.
Thanks Paul for the ID 🙂
I found spider like this… I search at world wide but I just get this site which the spider I got days ago… I think it’s very special spider, because it’s motive like tiger… it catch other spider in its web, the prey’s body is as big as this tiger Salticidae, i have the picture, but I worry, it can’t reproduce because I don’t see another similar spider
Hi Natalia,
You can submit your photo using the link Ask What’s That Bug? on our homepage. Spiders have a way of finding one another when they are ready to mate. Males are often much smaller than females.
Hello mohamad, i am curious if you can find more of Hylllus giganteus, i am interested in buying or trade some of my jumping spider with you. Thank you
Thank you! I will be interested in what you find out. We have a number of Salticidae in Ontario but I have never come across one with these impressive markings before. He was also larger than most that I meet – probably close to 2cm. He was so curious of the camera and so chocked full of personality. I just adore them and wish I met more of them.
Thanks for the additional insight. We will attempt an identification soon.
Even though the color of your guy is more neutral-toned, the abdominal and leg markings/designs seem to duplicate my brown/tan Platycryptus undatus. Could this just be a variation in color and/or gender? Could the facial color vary according to age and/or gender?
That is possible, but we don’t believe they are the same species.
Seems to be a good match: http://www.jumping-spiders.com/php/tax_drawings.php?id=2250
Hi Cesar,
Thanks for sending us the link. Itata completa does look correct.
Boooo is right. Poor little guy didn’t need to meet a gruesome end – someone should have taken him home with them.
I would eat more bananas if they came with spider stowaways. Someone has to help my little jumper eat the thousands of flightless fruit flies who are just about to hatch here.
Boooo is right. Poor little guy didn’t need to meet a gruesome end – someone should have taken him home with them.
I would eat more bananas if they came with spider stowaways. Someone has to help my little jumper eat the thousands of flightless fruit flies who are just about to hatch here.
Is there a more specific name than jumping spider? I found one of these in my garden and im trying to identify. Are they venomous?
We get those here in England. Usually when I’ve had windows open they come in. I no longer have windows open. September is mating and/or hatching season.
Just found one of these in my study, which has a door that opens to the outside. Ostensibly, it crawled (or jumped) in when I had the door open. I’m in Ottawa, and the picture is the spitting image of the one I’ve found. Also, note, we don’t eat bananas 😉
I found this same spider here in Fountain Hills, AZ and could not find any information on what subspecies this jumper is.
It is not a zebra spider which is brown and white with diagonal striping on it’s abdomen. My spider is like the one photographed above with horizontal rusty brown, black and white stripes and green/gold metallic head. Found mine 9-15-18 in Fountain Hills, AZ
This is in the genus Metacyrba. Given the location, it is likely Metacyrba taeniola similis.
Thanks for another Jumping Spider identification.
d.k.dodge was correct. This is an adult female Platycryptus undatus. They have white faces, unlike the male’s orange face. The palps look fatter than they actually are because they are “fluffy”. That’s all hair.
Thanks for the confirmation Barbara.
Thank you, Barbara!
Me and my girlfriend live in South Carolina. While we were having breakfast, Saturday June the 27th, 2020, I noticed a very small Spider crawling up the wall next to my girlfriends head. I don’t like to kill Spiders, I scoop them into a cup, then let them go outside.Upon closer examination, we noticed his crazy critter had claws like a Crawdad, or a Lobster, with the body of a Spider. I took pictures, looked it up online, and found it to be a Jumping Spider from Hawaii. WHAT’S a Spider from Hawaii doing in South Carolina ???????
Are you sure you didn’t encounter a Pseudoscorpion?
something in this genus perhaps? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telamonia
How small are they ….what I saw in our rv shower looks to be about 1/4 in wide/round…jumps 10 to 12 inches …today I found one by our condo patio door …was quick enough to squash it,,,,
With something similar I can help, it’s similar to Bryantella.