Phidippus audax, commonly known as the daring jumping spider is a jumping spider found throughout the USA. As their name suggests, the daring jumping spider is known for its audacious jumps. It can jump up to 50 times its own body length.
Description of the Daring Jumping Spider
Phidippus audax are black with three marks on the abdomen. When they are young, the three spots on the abdomen are of orange color. As they grow older, those markings will turn white. The abdomen is larger than the cephalothorax. It can easily be mistaken with a male Regal Jumping spider that has a very similar appearance and markings.
The legs are short for spiders and it uses its back legs for its jumps. The spider suddenly increases blood pressure in the back legs which catapults it towards its destination.
They have eight eyes. Four across the front and two along each side. The two middle eyes in the front are much larger than any others.
The most telling feature to distinguish the Daring Jumping Spider from other Jumping Spiders are the fangs. The Daring Jumping Spider’s chelicerae has a green metallic coloring.
Size
The Daring Jumping Spider will grow to about 3/4 inch (19 mm).
Web
Being hunters, the only time the daring jumping spider spins a web is just before the jump. They will attach a drag-line to the surface it is jumping from in case the jump fails. And sometimes they create webs as pup tents at night to rest in.
Bites
Jumping Spiders will usually run and hide rather than attack a human, but there are cases where people do get bit. They get listed in the little to no risk category. However, there are cases of the bites causing pain and significant swelling. The more serious, but rare cases can cause headaches, fever, chills, nausea and vomiting that can last a few days.
Scientific Classification of Phidippus audax
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Subphylum: Chelicerata
- Class: Arachnida
- Order: Araneae
- Infraorder: Araneomorphae
- Family: Salticidae
- Genus: Phidippus
- Species: Phidippus audax
Other Names
Daring Jumping Spider or Bold Jumping Spider.
Distribution of the Daring Jumping Spider in the USA
The daring jumping spider can be found in every US state – Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
More pictures of the daring jumping spider
Apologies if this has already been identified- I couldn’t find it myself. Found on the rock beach near Mount Saint Sauveur Acadia National Park, Maine.
Hello Grace,
Thank you for getting in touch. The spider you found is a jumping spider (Phidippus purpuratus). We don’t have an overview article about them yet – but will create one soon. You can find more information about jumping spiders in this post about a close relative of your spider: http://usaspiders.com/phidippus-audax-daring-jumping-spider/
I’ve been spending hours trying to find out what kind of jumer my little girl is, i live in Texas close to the gulf, and she’s a female, i think she’s a dare devil jumper but I’m just not sure, i found her in my backyard. Could you tell me what she is? (Image of her from the top below)
And my other one show is really small and pretty, found her on my window a while back, i haven’t got a clue to what type of jumper she is however. If anyone has any ideas to what she may be that would be awesome!!! (Pic of her below)
Great pic! I would like to know too. Very distinct markings on the head.