Habits: The jumping spider is active during the day, mainly in warm, sunny weather. It lives in houses and gardens, but mountain climbers report sightings as high as 23,000 feet above sea level in the Himalayas. This spider finds a safe hiding place and spins itself into a silk cell for the night, emerging when temperatures rise the next day. During cold weather, the spider stays in its silk cell until conditions improve. Although solitary by nature, the jumping spider is curious and does not appear to be timid. Still, when disturbed, the jumping spider runs away. Sometimes it stops and stare at its pursuer.

Food and Hunting: The carnivorous (meat eating) jumping spider eats flies, tiny moths, ants, and beetles. Most other spiders wait for prey to become entangled in their web. But the jumping spider uses its keen eyesight to stalk its prey. It creeps closer, leaping the final few inches from a standing start, and grabs the prey with its front legs. It then injects the prey with poison from its fangs. With its good vision, the jumping spider can accurately leap forward, sideways, and backward. Before jumping, the spider spins a short line of silk and attaches it to its waiting spot. If it misjudges the target, it remains safely suspended from the line.

Breeding: Like most other spiders, the male reaches sexual maturity before the female. He courts the female by raising his front legs and abdomen, dancing and waving his large chelicerae (jaws) to attract her attention. The sexually excited male sometimes mistakenly dances in front of a male, which results in harmless sparring. When hunting for a mate, the male often finds a female wrapped in silk, molting (shedding her skin) for the last time before becoming sexually mature. The male joins the female and mates with her after she molts. 

To mate, the male spider spins a small rectangular web and deposits sperm onto it. He dips his palps (short, leg like appendages near his mouth) into the sperm, filling them up like a fountain pen. He then transfers the fluid into the female’s body. The female spins a large silk cell, lays the eggs inside, and fertilizes them with the sperm. Then she guards the cell until the eggs hatch. Young spiders undergo a series of molts before taking on their adult form.

Naturewatch: Jumping spiders can be found on the ground or in bushes in gardens or parks on warm days. Approach them carefully because they run away when disturbed.

Key Facts:
Size/Color:
Length: Female, ¼ in. Male smaller
Coloration: Black body with bands of white on the abdomen

Breeding:
Mating season: During the warmest months of the year
Frequency: Female mates once a year

Lifestyle:
Habit: Non aggressive, solitary
Diet: Small insects such as flies, moths, ants, and beetles
Lifespan: 2 or 3 years in captivity. Females live longer than males
Related Species: Species of Salticus found in temperate regions include S. cingulatus and S. zebranus.
Distribution: Widespread and often found in large numbers throughout the northern hemisphere.
Conservation: The jumping spider is common throughout the northern hemisphere and does not need protection.

Features of the Jumping Spider:
Abdomen: The jumping spider is easily recognized by the broad horizontal bands across its abdomen.
Legs: Once the spider has pounced on its prey it uses strong front legs to hold the prey still.
Mouthparts: Fangs used to stab prey and inject venom. Basic teeth crunch prey when eating.
Palps: Used to transfer sperm from male to female.
Poison glands: In frontal mouth region. The poison is not dangerous to humans.

Did You Know: Male jumping spiders will perform their mating displays to their own mirror reflections.
The jumping spider cleans dirt from its eyes by rubbing them carefully with its palps.
Of all spiders, the Salticidae family has the most acute vision; it is sensitive to color and polarized light.
The majority of the 4,000 members of the Salticidae family around the world live in the tropics, but a few live in temperate cold climates including the arctic.

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