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Jumping spider

Salticidae

Description:

Jumping spiders are among the easiest to distinguish from similar spider families because of the shape of the cephalothorax and their eye patterns. The families closest to Salticidae in general appearance are the Corinnidae (distinguished also by prominent spines on the back four legs), the Oxyopidae (the Lynx spiders, distinguished by very prominent spines on all legs), and the Thomisidae (the Crab spiders, distinguished by their front four legs, which are very long and powerful). The legs of jumping spiders are not covered with any very prominent spines. Their front four legs generally are larger than the hind four, but not as dramatically so as those of the Thomisidae, nor are they held in the outstretched-arms attitude of the Thomisidae. In spite of the length of their front legs, in jumping, they depend on their rear legs. The generally larger front legs are used partly to assist in grasping prey, and in some species, in species-recognition signalling. The jumping spiders, unlike the other families, have faces that are roughly rectangular surfaces perpendicular to their direction of motion. Their eye pattern is the clearest single identifying characteristic. They have eight eyes, as illustrated. Most diagnostic are the front row of four eyes, in which the anterior median pair are more dramatically prominent than any other spider eyes apart from the posterior median eyes of the Deinopidae. There is however a functional difference between the major (AME) eyes of Salticidae and the major (PME) eyes of the Deinopidae; The large posterior eyes of Deinopidae are adapted mainly to vision in dim light, whereas the large anterior eyes of Salticidae are adapted to detailed three-dimensional vision for purposes of estimating the range, direction, and nature of potential prey, permitting the spider to direct its attacking leaps with great precision. The ALE (anterior lateral eyes), though large, are smaller than the AME and provide a wider forward field of vision. The rear row of four eyes is rearranged into two rows, with two large posterior lateral eyes furthest back. They serve for lateral vision. The posterior median eyes also have been shifted out laterally, almost as far as the posterior lateral eyes. They are usually much smaller than the posterior lateral eyes and there is doubt whether they are functional in many species. Jumping spiders range in size from a head-body length of 1 mm to 22 mm. In addition to using their silk for safety lines while jumping, they also build silken "pup tents" where they shelter from bad weather and sleep at night. They molt within these shelters, build and store egg cases within them, and also spend the winter in them.

Habitat:

Jumping spiders live in a variety of habitats. Tropical forests harbor the most species, but they are also found in temperate forests, scrub lands, deserts, intertidal zones, and even mountains. Euophrys omnisuperstes is a species reported to have been collected at the highest elevation, on the slopes of Mount Everest.

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1 Comment

Scott Frazier
Scott Frazier 11 years ago

Moved to the Arthropod category for you :-)

KévinlePape
Spotted by
KévinlePape

Saint-Pierre, La Réunion, Reunion

Spotted on Apr 2, 2011
Submitted on Apr 2, 2012

Spotted for Mission

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