Salticidae, Jumping Spiders

Cosmophasis baehrae

Most salticids, 5000 or more species, live in the tropics. In Australia 76 genera and 252 described species are present. The spiders are daylight hunters and can be easily spotted. Their size is relatively small (3-20 mm) but most of them are smaller than 10 mm. A lot of them are coloured beautifully. Most salticids hunt on vegetation. The rectangular thorax, stout body, the rather short legs, their distinctive eye arrangement and their jumping capabilities make them one of the most easily recognizable families.

The jumping spider can be found everywhere if the sun is shining, on trees, grass and rocks. At night or during rainfall the spiders hide in a dry spot under a small web. Their large eyes give them excellent eyesight. As most spiders they also have four pairs of eyes. Two large ones in de middle and two small ones are looking forward. Above the front row is a second row of two tiny eyes and behind these there is a set of two large eyes looking upward. All these eyes give them a 360-degree eyesight. Spiders have singular eyes like mammals, unlike the insects that have compound eyes. The eyes can move out or inwards for focusing and they can turn up and down and left and right. The spider can also turn its carapace (breast) more than 45 degrees to look around. Prey can be noticed from a distance of about 30 - 40 cm. At a distance of 20 cm the spider turns its body so that the two front eyes points to the insect. The muscles in the eye focus the eye on the prey and the eye moves around their optical axis. In this way the spiders scans the object like a modern scanner. The effect is extraordinary. The eyesight is enhanced like a zoom lens and it is capable to adjust its looking angle from 10 to 60 degrees. In experiments it was shown that the spider is capable to distinct dangerous insects and prey. The eyes are also capable to see colour. After the object is recognized as eatable the spider carefully moves towards it victim. As you can see the on the picture they also catch prey, much bigger than themselves.

It was spectacular to see the little Salticus scenicus catching this big fly.

Salticids are the tigers among spiders. The spider slowly advances towards its prey. When it is at a reachable distance, it jumps on its prey and grabs it with its jaws. They use their third and/or fourth pair of legs for jumping. If you notice the spider on a wall, often the Salticus scenicus, it seems as mocks at gravity. It jumps of the walls and falls back on it several centimeters further instead of falling down. This is because of its lifeline. If you watch the spider carefully, you can notice that it always releases a lifeline when it jumps. If the jump fails it can crawl back to its original position and it prevents the spider from falling down.
Jumping spiders do not make webs to catch prey.
They do use a silken retreat of thick, white, slightly viscid silk in crevices, under stones on the ground, under bark or on the foliage and plants. Many retreat to these little white bags at night or during winter to hibernate. The females lay their eggs in these retreats mostly in spring and summer.

Jumping spiders are not toxic.

Cosmophasis baehrae?

Cosmophasis baehrae?

Cosmophasis thalassina
Probably introduced in QLD parks from Malaysia.

Cosmophasis micans

Cytaea severa

Holoplatys lhotsky

A small jumping spider, with a body adpated for entering cracks and folds in bark. This spider can be found in the cracks and folds in bark, especially the eucalypt bark.
Its long slender body is adapted to its surroundings.

more info here -->

Ligonipes semitectus an ant-mimicking spider.

Ligonipes semitectus

This male' peacock spider', Maratus volans, is one of Australia's spectacular spiders. The spider has a cape or flaps around its abdomen. He was falsely named 'gliding spider' because it was thought the spider could glide on his flaps through the air.
When the brightly coloured male courts with his relatively duller mate he expands his flaps like a peacock's tails and raises his with white hairs tipped legs. A spectacular courtship dance of this 'peacock spider'.

More info and pictures here --->

Maratus pavonis WA Picture by Farhan Bokhari

Mopsus mormon female

Mopsus mormon male. Note the white whiskers on its head.

Some spiders mimic other insects. As is the case with most spiders that mimic ants, the color of the spider is almost the same as the ant it mimics.
Also it abdomen has often an slight constriction to mimic the three segment of an ant. These spiders mix freely with ants, and feed on them when a single ant gets away from the others. Jumping spiders are not the only spiders family that mimic ants also Clubionidae (sac spiders) in the genera Castianeira and Apochinomma imitate ants.

Five genera of ant-mimicking spider occur in Australia: Judalana, Ligonipes, Rhombonotus, Damoetas and Myrmarachne.

Opisthoncus polyphemus female. Her size is 8-9 mm, the male 6-7 mm. Habitat: screrophyl (hard-leaved) forest, heathland and woodland

Opisthoncus parcedentatus female

Opisthoncus ZZ050

Opisthoncus ZZ050

Pellenes bitaeniatus

Pellenes bitaeniatus

Thyene ZZ026

Thyene ZZ026

Cytaea ZZ046

Cytaea ZZ046

species ZZ051

species ZZ051

Simaetha ZZ047

species ZZ027

species ZZ038