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Bold Jumping (Phidippus audax)

The bold jumping spiders, belonging to the Salticidae family, are named after their jumping capability. The exquisite coloration of the body makes them one of the beautiful spider species. They do not make webs for hunting, rather prefer to hunt by pouncing on their prey. It is the stereoscopic vision that helps them in stalking beforehand.

Bold Jumping Spider

Scientific Classification

Physical Description and Identification

Adults

Size: Females are 0.31-0.59 in (0.78 -1.4 cm) and males are generally 0.23-0.51 in (0.58-1.2 m)

Color: Both the abdomen and cephalothorax are black and there are some marks on the abdomen along with a triangular white patch. The legs have white markings and the chelicerae are either metallic blue or green.

Other Characteristic Features: The entire body is hairy.

Male Bold Jumping Spider

Eggs

30-170 eggs are there per clutch and all of them are released into egg sacs within the period of mid-spring to the beginning of summer. The female spider cares for the eggs until they hatch.

Spiderlings

The juvenile spiders have orange marks on the abdomen. After hatching they disperse and during the winter they seek shelter in secure places or become inactive for an extended period.

Bold Jumping Spiderlings

The Web

As previously mentioned the spider doesn’t make any web for preying, but during its jump, it generates a silk thread as a safety precaution so that if it fails to jump on the right thing, the silk thread will catch it.

Bold Jumping Spider Web

Are Bold Jumping Spiders Poisonous

The spider is unlikely to bite humans , but if they do it is not poisonous although an initial redness with minor pain might accompany afterward.

Female Bold Jumping Spider

Quick Facts

Also Known as Daring jumping spider, bold jumper
Distribution United States, Southern Canada, certain regions of northern Mexico, Nicobar Islands, Hawaii and Cuba
Habitat Open grassland, sometimes found in wall and fence
Diet Boll weevils, pink bollworms, tarnished plant bugs, and tobacco budworms and smaller spiders
Lifespan 1-2 years
Predators Lizards, birds, and dragonflies
IUCN Conservation Status Not listed
Bold Jumping Spider Picture

Did You Know

  • Bold jumping spiders are known for capturing preys larger than their own size, and surprisingly they don’t follow the same strategies all the time.

Image Credit: Infinitespider.com, Spidersinohio.net, Infinitespider.com, Bugguide.net, I.ytimg.com, Projectnoah.org

The bold jumping spiders, belonging to the Salticidae family, are named after their jumping capability. The exquisite coloration of the body makes them one of the beautiful spider species. They do not make webs for hunting, rather prefer to hunt by pouncing on their prey. It is the stereoscopic vision that helps them in stalking beforehand.

Bold Jumping Spider

Physical Description and Identification

Adults

Size: Females are 0.31-0.59 in (0.78 -1.4 cm) and males are generally 0.23-0.51 in (0.58-1.2 m)

Color: Both the abdomen and cephalothorax are black and there are some marks on the abdomen along with a triangular white patch. The legs have white markings and the chelicerae are either metallic blue or green.

Other Characteristic Features: The entire body is hairy.

Male Bold Jumping Spider

Eggs

30-170 eggs are there per clutch and all of them are released into egg sacs within the period of mid-spring to the beginning of summer. The female spider cares for the eggs until they hatch.

Spiderlings

The juvenile spiders have orange marks on the abdomen. After hatching they disperse and during the winter they seek shelter in secure places or become inactive for an extended period.

Bold Jumping Spiderlings

The Web

As previously mentioned the spider doesn’t make any web for preying, but during its jump, it generates a silk thread as a safety precaution so that if it fails to jump on the right thing, the silk thread will catch it.

Bold Jumping Spider Web

Are Bold Jumping Spiders Poisonous

The spider is unlikely to bite humans , but if they do it is not poisonous although an initial redness with minor pain might accompany afterward.

Female Bold Jumping Spider

Quick Facts

Also Known as Daring jumping spider, bold jumper
Distribution United States, Southern Canada, certain regions of northern Mexico, Nicobar Islands, Hawaii and Cuba
Habitat Open grassland, sometimes found in wall and fence
Diet Boll weevils, pink bollworms, tarnished plant bugs, and tobacco budworms and smaller spiders
Lifespan 1-2 years
Predators Lizards, birds, and dragonflies
IUCN Conservation Status Not listed
Bold Jumping Spider Picture

Did You Know

  • Bold jumping spiders are known for capturing preys larger than their own size, and surprisingly they don’t follow the same strategies all the time.

Image Credit: Infinitespider.com, Spidersinohio.net, Infinitespider.com, Bugguide.net, I.ytimg.com, Projectnoah.org

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