Jumping spider

Jumping spiders are a large group of spiders known as the Salticidae family. They include almost 700 different groups and around 7,000 known species, making them the biggest family of spiders. That means they make up about 13% of all spider species!

These spiders have some of the best eyesight of any arthropod, which includes insects and spiders. They can see in color and use their excellent vision for finding mates, catching prey, and moving around.

Even though jumping spiders usually move slowly and quietly, they can jump very quickly when hunting or if they feel threatened suddenly. They are known for their amazing jumps, which help them catch food or cross big gaps. Jumping spiders have special eyes that help them see clearly, with their two front middle eyes being especially large.

Description

Jumping spiders are easy to tell apart from other spiders because of the shape of their upper body and their eye patterns. They have eight eyes, with the front four being especially important. The two middle eyes in the front row are large and help the spider see clearly and judge distances when hunting.

These spiders can jump great distances to catch prey or escape danger. They use silk for safety lines when they jump and also build small silk shelters to sleep in and protect themselves from bad weather. Their bodies range in size from about the length of a small ant to as long as a fingernail.

Vision

Jumping spiders have four pairs of eyes: three fixed pairs and one movable pair. Their main eyes, called the anterior median eyes, have very good vision. These eyes work like a telescope with lenses that focus images onto a special part of the eye called a retina. This helps them see colors and even ultraviolet light, which is a type of light humans can't see.

These spiders can also see motion from all sides because of their other eye pairs. Even if they lose some of their eyes, they can still hunt using just their best secondary eyes. Their vision helps them find food, talk to each other, and move around.

Behavior

Jumping

Jumping spiders can make precise jumps, unlike other jumping insects like grasshoppers or leafhoppers. They use these jumps to move around, escape danger, and catch food. They extend their legs using a special internal system that changes fluid pressure, allowing big jumps without strong muscles. Some can jump up to 38 times their body length! They see very well and process visual information quickly to make accurate jumps. Before jumping, they tie a thin silk thread to where they are standing. This thread helps them balance and gives them a way back if the jump doesn’t go as planned.

Hunting

Jumping spiders hunt during the day, thanks to their excellent vision. When they see possible food, they turn to face it and may move closer slowly. They often pause to tie a silk thread before jumping on their prey. Some jump in indirect paths, while others wait and pounce quickly. Certain types prefer eating ants, using special tricks to catch them. Others hunt other spiders, sometimes entering webs to catch them. Though most don’t build webs to catch food, a few species do spin special funnel-shaped webs to trap other spiders or moths. When they catch prey, they bite it to inject venom, which quickly stops the prey from moving. Their silk thread also helps them reach prey on walls or ceilings.

Diet

Jumping spiders usually eat other small animals, but some of them also drink sweet plant liquids called nectar. One special kind of jumping spider, called Bagheera kiplingi, mostly eats special food made by acacia trees. These trees make rich, fatty bits called Beltian bodies that the spiders love.

In Southeast Asia, a spider named Toxeus magnus takes care of its babies by giving them a milky, nutritious fluid for about 40 days after they are born.

Reproduction

Jumping spiders have interesting ways of finding mates. The males show off special colors and movements to catch the females' attention. Some even make buzzing or drumming sounds. These displays help the males show off their best features to win a female's heart.

When a female is interested, she stays still and lets the male come closer. The male then gently touches her and, if she agrees, they come together to start a new spider family. However, showing off bright colors can sometimes make males more noticeable to other animals that might want to hurt them.

Taxonomy

See also: List of Salticidae genera

Jumping spiders belong to a big spider family called Salticidae. Scientists have studied this family and found that it is closely related to another spider family called Philodromidae.

In 2015, experts split the Salticidae family into seven smaller groups, called subfamilies. These include Onomastinae, Asemoneinae, Lyssomaninae, Spartaeinae, Eupoinae, Hisponinae, and Salticinae. Scientists are still learning more about how these groups are related to each other.

Habitat

Jumping spiders can live in many different places. They are most common in tropical forests, but you can also find them in temperate forests, scrubland, deserts, intertidal zones, and even in mountainous areas. One species, Euophrys omnisuperstes, has been found on the slopes of Mount Everest, which is one of the highest places on Earth.

Models for mimicry

Some small insects may have developed looks or behaviors that make them resemble jumping spiders. This might help protect them from being eaten by jumping spiders. Examples include certain patterns on the wings of some tephritid flies, the nymph of a fulgorid, and possibly some moths.

Fossils

Very few jumping spider fossils have been found. All the known fossils come from amber from the Cenozoic era. The oldest fossils are from Baltic amber, dating back to the Eocene epoch, between 54 to 42 million years ago. Other fossil jumping spiders have been found preserved in Chiapas amber and Dominican amber.