Jumping Spiders

There are over 4,000 species of jumping spider; 300 of which are found in North America. The most commonly identified jumping spider is the black jumping spider. It is sometimes mistaken for a black widow because it also has a compact black body and shorter legs. Jumping spiders are also a variety of other colors, such as gray, brown or tan; and they may have colorful markings in white, yellow, blue, green or red.

 

Jumping spiders can be fairly small, 1/8 of an inch, or larger, 3/4 of an inch. They are usually hairy or scaly with thick, short legs. Not only can these spiders jump 10-40 times the length of their body (which could be about 3 feet), jumping spiders can move quickly in all directions. They use a silk line to ensnare insects when they pounce on their prey. They have excellent daytime eyesight but very poor night vision, so they prefer to be active in daylight hours.

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Jumping spiders will bite but their venom isn't generally dangerous to humans, you'll just have some swelling, itching or stinging.  They like to hide in places like curtains or bookshelves inside and in bushes and under rocks outside, so be careful that you don't accidentally place your hand too close to one.

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To learn even more about jumping spiders, check out our blog post