Color: Light brown to black, sometimes multicolored
Legs: 6
Shape: Long, segmented; heart-shaped abdomen
Size: 1/16 – 1/8” (2.5 – 4 mm)
Antennae: Yes
About 300 species of jumping spiders are found in the United States and Canada. Unlike most spiders, jumping spiders are active during the daytime and seem to like sunshine.
Jumping spiders don’t construct snare webs but do build web retreats which are loosely woven, saclike, composed of several envelopes, and usually have two openings. Unlike most spiders, jumping spiders are active during the daytime and seem to like sunshine. They are hunters and have the keenest vision of all spiders, being able to detect and react to movement up to 18″ in distance; however their night vision is very poor. They can rapidly move both sideways and backwards for short distances. As their name implies, they are excellent jumpers.
While they can bite, their venom is harmless to humans. They are not considered dangerous.
Retreats may be built under furniture, in drapery folds, between books on bookshelves, in cracks found in wood floors, around door and window molding, etc. Outside retreats may be found under loose bark, and between leaves. Indoors, spiders will usually be found hunting around windows and doors because more insects are attracted to these areas and their vision is best in sunlit areas. Outdoors, jumping spiders are commonly seen running over tree bark, under stones and boards, on bushes, fences, decks and the outside of buildings, especially sunny areas.
Need to know how to get rid of jumping spiders? In addition to sealing cracks and screening doors and windows, exclusion and the removal of outdoor harborages is key. Indoors, removal with a vacuum is best followed by disposal of the contents of the vacuum outside.
Jumping spiders are active hunters that mainly eat small insects, such as flies, mosquitoes, gnats, moths, and ants. They feed on other insects that people often consider pests, and actively hunt their prey rather than trapping them. Although jumping spiders can bite, their venom is harmless to humans.
As seen with other creatures in the wild, a male jumping spider will present itself to a female with a display of “courtship.” This can look like dancing movements, as the male signals its potential as a mate. If mating is successful, the female jumping spider will lay eggs in a silk sac.
Jumping spiders stand out from other jumping arthropods because they are able to make accurate, targeted jumps. They have internal hydraulic systems to alter the pressure of fluid within their legs, rather than relying on leg strength alone.