Dimorphic jumping spider is a colorful and commonly found species of the jumping spider indigenous to North America. The word dimorphic stands for two. They are named so due to the two forms or variations displayed by the males, a rarely observed phenomenon in zoology.
Size: The females are 0.26 – 0.31 inches (6.5 – 8.0 mm) long, while males are a little smaller and possess a body length of 0.18 – 0.25 inches (4.75 – 6.50 mm).
Color: The overall colors can be black or beige, as well as red, white, tan, or yellow.
The two forms of males, as discussed above, would show a variety of coloration. The “tufted” morph’s body and pedipalps are black. They even have three black tufts on their head, alongside pale legs. The grey morph is striped in black and white throughout with orange palps, but devoid of tufts.
On the other hand, the females have a light brown carapace, chalky or rust shaded abdomen, with chevron pattern at the center, pale legs without marking, black band on each side of its body with thinly covered orange scales.
Other Characteristic Features: Of the eight eyes, the main ones are large, situated in the frontal-center position. The rest of the three pairs lie on their heard sides, mainly used for detecting motion.Like most other jumping spider species, their forelegs are large while the back legs remain powerful but short.
The small, round eggs remain enclosed in a thick and fluffy sac.
They are small and disperse to live independently upon maturation.
Like all other jumping spiders, this one too does not spin a web but produces silk to catch prey, lay eggs, and molt.
They might bite when scared or provoked, but the venom present in their fangs would not pose any medical threat to humans. Most of the jumping spider species have a docile nature, running away from people instead of attacking them.
| Other Names | Dimorphic jumper |
| Distribution | Eastern and mid-western parts of United States including Alabama, Virginia, Wisconsin, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Virginia, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Jersey; parts of Canada including Manitoba, and Quebec |
| Habitat | Forests, near vine and ivy vegetations, as well as human-made structures |
| Predators | Species of the wandering and wolf spider family |
| Diet | Smaller insects, mites, scorpions and also other spiders |
| Lifespan | Approximately one year |
Image Source: Bugeric.blogspot.com, Live.staticflickr.com
Dimorphic jumping spider is a colorful and commonly found species of the jumping spider indigenous to North America. The word dimorphic stands for two. They are named so due to the two forms or variations displayed by the males, a rarely observed phenomenon in zoology.
Size: The females are 0.26 – 0.31 inches (6.5 – 8.0 mm) long, while males are a little smaller and possess a body length of 0.18 – 0.25 inches (4.75 – 6.50 mm).
Color: The overall colors can be black or beige, as well as red, white, tan, or yellow.
The two forms of males, as discussed above, would show a variety of coloration. The “tufted” morph’s body and pedipalps are black. They even have three black tufts on their head, alongside pale legs. The grey morph is striped in black and white throughout with orange palps, but devoid of tufts.
On the other hand, the females have a light brown carapace, chalky or rust shaded abdomen, with chevron pattern at the center, pale legs without marking, black band on each side of its body with thinly covered orange scales.
Other Characteristic Features: Of the eight eyes, the main ones are large, situated in the frontal-center position. The rest of the three pairs lie on their heard sides, mainly used for detecting motion.Like most other jumping spider species, their forelegs are large while the back legs remain powerful but short.
The small, round eggs remain enclosed in a thick and fluffy sac.
They are small and disperse to live independently upon maturation.
Like all other jumping spiders, this one too does not spin a web but produces silk to catch prey, lay eggs, and molt.
They might bite when scared or provoked, but the venom present in their fangs would not pose any medical threat to humans. Most of the jumping spider species have a docile nature, running away from people instead of attacking them.
| Other Names | Dimorphic jumper |
| Distribution | Eastern and mid-western parts of United States including Alabama, Virginia, Wisconsin, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Virginia, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Jersey; parts of Canada including Manitoba, and Quebec |
| Habitat | Forests, near vine and ivy vegetations, as well as human-made structures |
| Predators | Species of the wandering and wolf spider family |
| Diet | Smaller insects, mites, scorpions and also other spiders |
| Lifespan | Approximately one year |
Image Source: Bugeric.blogspot.com, Live.staticflickr.com
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