Little Jumping Spiders in Florida

Regal (Phidippus regius) and canopy (Phidippus otiosus) jumping spiders live in the state of Florida. Jumping spiders do not spin webs. They produce silk for the purposes of protecting themselves from falls, building a comfortable nest for sleeping and for a spot to lay eggs. You can teach jumpers to hop from one hand to the other, according to the University of Florida.

  1. Types

    • Regal jumping spiders are native to the Sunshine State. The canopy jumping spider resides in Florida; however, this species also lives in other Southern states including Texas and North Carolina. Canopies prefer trees and areas where clusters of moss typically hang down. Regals make their dwelling in grassy fields that are often located near residential areas. They avoid heavy, wooded forests.

    Characteristics

    • All jumping spiders have excellent vision, which comes in handy when used to catch their prey. Florida jumpers, along with species living in other states, have three rows of six eyes located in the front of their face. The male regal reaches a length of just under an inch while the female grows to an inch. Canopy spiders cap their growth at just under a dime in size.

    Facts

    • Canopy spiders hunt during the day while regals tend to eat at night, under bright lights. Jumping spiders jump up to 50 times farther than their overall size. All jumping spiders stalk their prey by using their enhanced vision. They use their eyes to see potential mates. Jumping spiders eat insects including flies, moths and bees. Jumpers eat prey larger in body than they are and will turn towards you instead of moving away as other spiders often do.

    Color

    • Male regal jumping spiders sport a black and grey color combo. Regal females have black markings along with scales that can feature a combination, or single shade of, light brown, brown gray or orange. The regal jumping spider has hair on its legs.

      Novice observers confuse jumping spiders with the poisonous black widow because of their similar coloring. You can tell the two apart by noting that the black widows are shiny spiders that do not have a hairy legs. Canopy spiders have yellow hair and a black body. Orange spots are located towards the back of the spider's stomach.