Regal Jumping Spider

REGAL JUMPING SPIDER
Phidippus regius
MALE
HGHjim
FEMALE—ORANGE FORM
FEMALE—GREY FORM
Size: Females nine tenths of an inch length; males up to seven tenths of an inch
Description: Males: black with white markings on abdomen, white banding on legs, and
blue-green chelicerae (mouth parts); Females: can be orange or grey based with black
markings on abdomen, cephalothorax (head), and legs, green or red-violet iridescent
chelicerae. The eyes of a jumping spider are situated with four eyes in front, two on either
side of their head region and one pair on top (see drawing below).
Habitat: They are found in field and open wooded environments with palms and shrubs.
Diet: Regal jumping spiders have been known to eat insects several times their size,
including bees, wasps, grasshoppers, and other spiders. They leap on their prey after
stalking them.
Nesting: Females lay up to four different nests a year, with 400-700 eggs total. Silk is spun
under bark or in cracks. The males’ mating dance includes vibrating scales and showing off
leg hairs, called fringes.
Webs: Webbing, though not used for catching prey, is
used as a jump line when leaping, for spinning egg sacs,
and creating a tunnel to rest in at night.
Did you know?
• Regal jumping spiders are the largest jumping spiders in
eastern North America.
• Jumping spiders can leap 10 or more times their body
length and often capture prey their size or slightly
larger.
http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/misc/regal_jumping_spider.htm
David Edwin Hill