Red Back Jumping Spider is a species of very common American spiders, and is the most populated among all the jumping spider species in its range. It gets its name for the red coloration on the dorsal side of its rounded abdomen, and for its natural tendency to move by jumping from place to place.
Size: Approximate length is ¾ of an inch, but tend to vary greatly between individuals.
Color: Both male and female possess a bright red abdomen, with the female having a central black stripe as sexual dimorphism.
Other Characteristic Features: Redback jumping spiders build tubular silk nests and remain inside their homes during nighttime or bad weather conditions.
After a successful mating, the female has the ability to store sperm within its body, and use it for up to 2 years for laying multiple batches of eggs. It can lay eggs every 25 to 30 days, depending upon the season. Each egg sac can contain anything between 40 and 300 eggs. However, the recorded number of eggs in a sac is almost 5000.
After being laid, it takes almost two weeks for the eggs to hatch. The young spiders leave their maternal web by being carried on the wind. They eventually grow up and make their independent webs.
The redback jumping spider is neither dangerous, nor is its venom toxic to humans. At the most, a bite may result in pain and some local swelling at the site that might last for a few days. However, if bacterial infections occur around the site, it should not be left untreated.
| Lifespan | About a year (average) |
| Distribution | Western regions of North America surrounded by the Great Plains, the Pacific Ocean, northern Mexico, and southern Canada |
| Habitat | Prefer living under rocks, woods, on the ground, and are also seen in grape vines |
| Common predators | Birds, lizards and other reptiles |
| Diet | A variety of insects including flies, bugs and moth caterpillars and adults, as also other spiders |
Image Credits: Hmrprint.com, Animalcorner.co.uk, Spiderid.com, Nathistoc.bio.uci.edu
Red Back Jumping Spider is a species of very common American spiders, and is the most populated among all the jumping spider species in its range. It gets its name for the red coloration on the dorsal side of its rounded abdomen, and for its natural tendency to move by jumping from place to place.
Size: Approximate length is ¾ of an inch, but tend to vary greatly between individuals.
Color: Both male and female possess a bright red abdomen, with the female having a central black stripe as sexual dimorphism.
Other Characteristic Features: Redback jumping spiders build tubular silk nests and remain inside their homes during nighttime or bad weather conditions.
After a successful mating, the female has the ability to store sperm within its body, and use it for up to 2 years for laying multiple batches of eggs. It can lay eggs every 25 to 30 days, depending upon the season. Each egg sac can contain anything between 40 and 300 eggs. However, the recorded number of eggs in a sac is almost 5000.
After being laid, it takes almost two weeks for the eggs to hatch. The young spiders leave their maternal web by being carried on the wind. They eventually grow up and make their independent webs.
The redback jumping spider is neither dangerous, nor is its venom toxic to humans. At the most, a bite may result in pain and some local swelling at the site that might last for a few days. However, if bacterial infections occur around the site, it should not be left untreated.
| Lifespan | About a year (average) |
| Distribution | Western regions of North America surrounded by the Great Plains, the Pacific Ocean, northern Mexico, and southern Canada |
| Habitat | Prefer living under rocks, woods, on the ground, and are also seen in grape vines |
| Common predators | Birds, lizards and other reptiles |
| Diet | A variety of insects including flies, bugs and moth caterpillars and adults, as also other spiders |
Image Credits: Hmrprint.com, Animalcorner.co.uk, Spiderid.com, Nathistoc.bio.uci.edu
