Identifying jumping spiders

Jumping spiders are small, but they can easily startle you when you see them in your Arizona home. Did you know that there are more than 5,000 types of jumping spiders in the world? About 300 of them can be found in the United States. Keep the following information in mind to help you identify these spiders.

Are Jumping Spiders Dangerous?

While their sudden leaping movements can certainly frighten you, jumping spiders are usually harmless. These small spiders have an instinct to flee, rather than attack. Unless you provoke them, they are unlikely to bite you. Still, it’s understandable if you would rather not have them sharing your Arizona home.

Physical Appearance

Jumping spiders tend to be smaller than many other types of spiders found in Arizona. The adult body of these spiders is only about 3/4 of an inch long. Unlike common house spiders and most other spiders, jumping spiders have short legs. Their side and back legs are typically shorter and thinner than their two front legs.

Like most other spiders, these spiders have eight eyes. They have two larger eyes in the middle with eyes on both sides that are smaller. Their eyes form a U-shape, rather than a straight line. While they have strong eyesight during the day, they don’t have good night vision.

If the alignment of their eyes didn’t give them away, the color might help you determine if it’s a jumping spider. Like most spiders, jumping spiders come in many different colors, ranging from darker shades of black, brown, or gray, to lighter shades, like tan. What makes them unique is their bright, distinctive markings in various colors, such as red, green, yellow, blue, or white.

Jumping spiders have hairy bodies, similar to wolf spiders. The hairs on a jumping spider usually have an iridescent shine to them. This can make these spiders, such as emerald jumping spiders, easy to spot, despite their small size. Some jumping spiders are covered in bright scales rather than iridescent hair.

Behavior

Watching the way a spider moves can help you figure out if you have a jumping spider. These spiders tend to stalk prey, then leap or pounce on it, similar to a cat. They typically use their two back legs to propel them forward when they jump. Don’t be surprised if you see one of these spiders take a long leap. They can jump up to 20 times their body length. In some cases, they hold their silk when jumping, so that they won’t fall.

Keep in mind that jumping spiders are out during the day. They spend the day hunting prey, then find a safe and sheltered place to stay during the night. If you see a spider creeping around at night, chances are it’s not a jumping spider.

Spider Web

Since jumping spiders don’t trap prey, they don’t need large, wide webs. Instead, they build webs to get from one area to another. Although they can leap from place to place, using the webs is a more convenient way to get around.

Whether you have an unidentified spider lurking around or you’re noticing a lot of webbing near your home, we can help. If you need assistance with spiders in or around your house, call Budget Brothers today. We can treat your Arizona home to help get rid of spiders and other pests.