Brilliant Jumping Spider

Male

Brilliant Jumping Spiders (Phidippus clarus) are sometimes referred to has Red & Black Jumping Spiders and are common throughout the Eastern United States but also occur throughout much of the remaining portion of the United States and Southern Canada. They are one of approximately 5,000 spiders in the family of spiders called Salticidae, within this family there are 60 or so within the genus Phidippus. Nearly 10% of all spiders fall into this family of spiders making them one of the largest groups of spiders in the natural World. Jumping spiders have very large front facing eyes and excellent eyesight that is reported to be be better than a dragonflies, which is saying a lot! Because of their super eyesight they are excellent hunters, that typically sit on the top of blades of grass or other short growing plants waiting for prey to pass by, or they may actively seek out prey. Capable of jumping 50 times their own body length, they are the Olympic jumpers of the arachnid world. If humans were able to jump like these spiders, we'd be able to jump 300 feet; that is nearly the size of an NFL football field (360 feet)!

Female

 Males and females in this species look entirely different from each other. Males are predominately black with bolder coloration. They have rusty orange side stripes with a black median  stripe and white at the front of the abdomen near the carapace. Females are usually grayish with a burnt orange or orange-yellow abdomen with two black bands each containing 4 pairs of white dots.

Male

Female guarding eggs

 Early in the season males out number females, but by late summer many of the males have died off and the ratio of male to female becomes a little more equal. By late July or August mating is on their mind. Males begin to compete with other males for the right to mate with nearby females. Larger males typically win these competitions which include loud vibrations and some unique footwork. Males choose the larger females to mate with as they produce the most eggs. If a bred female comes in contact with a larger male, she may mate again with this larger more vigorous partner. He may prove to be a better mate and provide stronger offspring and offer her more protection while she guards the eggs within the nest.  Females may lay up to 135 eggs per egg sac and may lay more than one sac. They will guard the eggs within curled leaves held together by a silken nest created by the female. It is also reported that the male will remain near the female standing guard.  This species, unlike other species in this genus will only produce one brood and then die as soon as the spiderlings leave the safety of the nest.

Adult male guarding female

The spiderlings will overwinter after leaving the nest late in the summer or early fall. The cycle will begin all over again the following spring.
These spiders are being used as biological control of the four-lined plant bug within greenhouses. They are excellent hunters and feed on a wide variety of insects including cockroaches, beetles, and moths. They are harmless to humans and not really known to bite unless severely threatened.

Male

Female