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Bold Jumping Spider
Scientific Name:
Phidippus audax
Type:
Invertebrate
Habitat:
Flat woody brush, tree bark, boards and occasionally flat stones
Range:
North America
Status:
No listed status
This species is
NATIVE
to the Truckee Meadows.
Identification:
Bold jumping spiders are all-black, small spiders with females being slightly larger than males (8 to 15 millimeters). There are generally white bands on their legs and a larger white spot on their abdomens. Occasionally, these spots may be red or yellow rather than white in younger spiders. The chelicerae, which are mouthpart appendages, can have iridescent greenish to bluish hue.
Fast Facts:
Bold jumping spiders have four pairs of eyes: one large pair in the front of their head, and three additional pairs along the sides of their head. The two large eyes in the front are shaped like telescopes and it has been proven that Phidippus jumping spiders in general can see the Moon due to the properties of their eyes.
They will also track and chase a laser pointer.
They hunt only during the day by tracking their prey and jumping on it. They will eat insects and other spiders.
A male will communicate interest to females by lifting a leg and other dance-like movements.
According to iNaturalist, observed in Manzanita Park and Truckee Meadows Parks Foundation Pembroke location.
Sources:
Evans, Arthur. National Wildlife Federation. Field Guide to Insects and Spiders of North America. New York. Sterling Publishing. 2008 p 403
Jacob, Steve. Bold Jumping Spider. Penn State Extension. https://extension.psu.edu/bold-jumper-spider Accessed 25 April 2021.
Yong, Ed. Tiny Jumping Spiders Can See the Moon. The Atlantic, https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2017/06/jumping-spiders-can-see-the-moon/529329/ Accessed 25 April 2021.
Knight, K. 2001. "Phidippus audax" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed June 30, 2021 at https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Phidippus_audax/
Image: Ryan Hodnett, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bold_Jumping_Spider_(Phidippus_audax)_-_Mississauga,_Ontario.jpg, license https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en, cropped from original.
Contributor(s):
Marianne Denton (research & content)
Alex Shahbazi (edits & page design)