Jumping spider fact sheet | Field of Mars EEC

What are jumping spiders?

Jumping spiders are small arachnids in the family Salticidae. They have eight legs and eight eyes, including two very large front eyes that give them excellent vision. Most are active in daylight and hunt without a capture web. They stalk their prey, judge the distance, then leap with great accuracy.

Australia has many jumping spider species. Some are plain brown, grey or black and blend in with bark, leaves and rocks. Others are brightly coloured, including peacock spiders, whose males use colourful courtship displays to attract females.

A jumping spider.

Jumping spiders use their large front eyes to watch for prey, predators and movement around them.

Where do jumping spiders live?

Jumping spiders live across Australia and can be found in gardens, woodlands, forests, shrublands and around homes. At Field of Mars Reserve they are likely to hunt on tree trunks, bark, leaves, rocks and low vegetation.

Jumping spiders do not build sticky snare webs to catch prey. Instead, they make small silken shelters for resting, moulting and laying eggs. They are often seen on sunny surfaces where they can use their eyesight to watch for prey, predators and mates.

A male peacock spider on low vegetation showing the bright colours used in courtship displays.

What do jumping spiders eat?

Jumping spiders are predators. They eat small insects and other arthropods such as flies, moths, mosquitoes, ants, leafhoppers and other spiders. They use their eyesight to spot prey, then stalk slowly until they are close enough to leap.

Before jumping, a jumping spider often attaches a silk dragline. This works like a safety rope. If the spider misses its prey or falls, the silk line can help it stay attached to the surface.

Jumping spiders stalk small insects such as a leaf hopper before leaping onto their prey.

What is the life cycle of a jumping spider?

After mating, the female lays eggs inside a silken retreat or egg sac. She often guards the eggs while they develop. When the eggs hatch, tiny spiderlings stay in the shelter at first, then disperse and begin hunting for themselves.

As jumping spiders grow, they moult. This means they shed their hard outer skeleton and form a new, larger one. After several moults, the spiderlings become adults and can reproduce.

A jumping spider shelter and egg sac protected inside a silk retreat.

What adaptations do jumping spiders have to help them survive?

Jumping spiders have excellent vision, especially in their large front eyes. These eyes help them judge distance, track moving prey and recognise mates and enemies. Their side eyes help them notice movement around them. Strong back legs allow them to make quick, accurate jumps, and a silk dragline acts like a safety rope when they leap. Many species have colours, hairs and patterns that help them blend in with bark, leaves or flowers. Males of some species, such as peacock spiders, have bright colours and perform courtship displays to attract females.

Large front eyes help jumping spiders judge distance before they leap.

Jumping spiders have excellent vision for hunting, navigating and recognising other spiders.

Why are jumping spiders important?

Jumping spiders are important predators in bushland, gardens and school grounds. They help control populations of flies, mosquitoes, leafhoppers and other small invertebrates.

They are also part of food webs. Jumping spiders are eaten by animals such as birds, lizards, frogs, wasps and larger spiders. By feeding on small animals and being eaten by larger animals, they help transfer energy through the ecosystem.

Jumping spiders help control small invertebrate populations in gardens and bushland.

How can you help jumping spiders?

You can help jumping spiders by protecting native plants, keeping leaf litter and bark habitat, and avoiding unnecessary pesticide use. Let small garden spaces stay a little wild so spiders and their prey have places to shelter.

If you find a jumping spider, observe it carefully without touching it or disturbing its silk retreat. Like most small spiders, jumping spiders are best left where they are found.

Healthy native plants, leaf litter and bark provide shelter for jumping spiders and their prey.

Related fact sheets

More invertebrate fact sheets

• Invertebrate fact sheets – overview
• Arachnids fact sheet – explains the main features of spiders and other arachnids.
• Flower spider fact sheet – another spider found on plants and flowers.
• Huntsman spider fact sheet – another active hunting spider that does not use a snare web.
• Net-casting spider fact sheet – another spider with excellent vision and a very different hunting method.

Habitats and ecosystems

• Leaf litter habitats fact sheet – shelter for small invertebrate prey.

• Tree habitats fact sheet – bark and foliage provide hunting spaces and silk retreats.

• Eucalypt forest fact sheet – a common local habitat for jumping spiders.

• Field of Mars Reserve fact sheet – explains the local reserve and habitat diversity.

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