Growing & Crawling the jumping spider By janet douberly If there was ever a spider to win the hearts of arachnophobes, it would be the adorable jumping spider. These small predators are often considered to be one of the "cute" arachnids and are much loved by spider fans.
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Jumping spiders (Salticidae family) are the largest family of spiders coming in at 13% of all spider species. Most jumping spiders are small, averaging about a quarter inch to a half inch in length. They have fuzzy bodies, move around in a start-stop, staccato rhythm and, of course, jump. They are thought to have some of the best vision in the arthropod world. Not content to sit at home in their web waiting, these little go-getters actually capture their food by hunting, sometimes in packs. These tiny creepers will track, follow, and ambush prey by pouncing on them from a variety of perches and cover, and are able to make great leaps to obtain flying insects. But despite their bravery, these spiders aren't reckless. They use a safety "rope" of silk in
case they miss and also use the silk to crawl back up to their perch. One jumping spider commonly seen around here is the Phidippus audax, also called the Bold Jumping Spider. They can be easily recognized by their bright iridescent chelicerae that look like two large, blue fangs on their face!
Though they like to act tough, these cutie-pies are not a threat to humans and are often considered the teddy bears of the spider world.
Janet Douberly is Program Coordinator at Downtown Greens. learn more about things growing & crawling in Fxbg, check out our Facebook & Instagram.
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