This female jumping spider (Phidippus princeps) from Greenville County, South Carolina, USA, was filmed as it groomed after feeding on an insect. Grooming behavior included use of pedipalps as an eye brush for the large front eyes, and cleaning of the iridescent chelicerae. This close-up portrays some of the unique character of these fascinating animals.
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Courtship and mating of the jumping spider Lyssomanes viridis (Araneae: Salticidae)
This video depicts the courtship and mating behavior of the green jumping spider, Lyssomanes viridis. Males of this species conduct an impressive visual display in front of the females as they approach. Subtle responses of the females are also depicted.
This video depicts sequences of feeding by immature and adult male and female jumping spiders. Lyssomanes viridis is an unusual green spider that lives under leaves. Feeding on both nematoceran and brachyceran flies is shown.
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Movement of pretarsal claws and footpads by Thiodina sylvana
This video depicts the ability of jumping spiders Araneae: Salticidae) to extend and to retract their pretarsal claws and footpads as they are walking. Many other aspects of jumping spider behavior are also featured.
This video depicts typical, slow movements of the jumping spider (salticid) Thiodina sylvana, a frequent resident of woodland areas in Eastern North America. Many of the general features of salticid movement are illustrated, including movement of the eyes and the foot pads.
This depicts an adult female jumping spider (Salticidae: Thiodina sylvana) feeding on an orb-weaving spider (Araneidae: Leucauge venusta) in Greenville County, South Carolina, USA. Text pages describe a sequence of film clips.
The four clips shown here (in sequence) depict an adult female jumping spider (Phidippus princeps, Araneae, Salticidae) from Greenville County, South Carolina, USA, feeding on a male mosquito (Diptera, Culicidae). Most of the complete sequence of feeding is shown. Soft-bodied prey like this are thoroughly macerated with the chelicerae. Note the use of the two front pairs of legs (legs I and II) to manipulate the prey during feeding. [I highly recommend the AVI codec used to process this video (Microsoft MPEG 4 Video CODEC V3)]
This adult female Phidippus princeps from Greenville County, South Carolina, USA, was filmed as it actively surveyed the surroundings from a vantage point near the top of a plant. In this case, the spider stayed in much the same position for more than 6 minutes, turning and surveying the surroundings in multiple directions. This active sequence also illustrates both alpha (lateral, often stepping) and beta (dorso-ventral, based on elevation of the prosoma) facing turns. When threatened, these spiders may stop all display with the pedipalps, and freeze in position for a period of time. The pedipalps bear many chemosensory setae at their ends, but it is thought that the display shown here (pedipalp flicker, with pedipalps raised above the surface) is meant to elicit movement or a response from other animals in the direction faced by the spider. This movement may actually attract flies to the vicinity of the spider.
As shown in this series of clips of several adult female Phidippus princeps (Salticidae, from Greenville County, South Carolina, USA), jumping spiders make frequent "facing turns" directed toward moving objects, or toward any objects that they subsequently survey with their large, foveal front eyes (anterior medial, or primary eyes. Note how these spiders move their pedipalps up and down frequently ("flickering" or "flashing" movements). The purposes of pedipalpal movement is not known for certain, but may include both display and chemical sampling of the surface. This display may actually stimulate the movement of nearby insects, and thus their detection by these spiders. Frequent turns and pedipalpal movement are characteristic behaviors of jumping spiders. Several clips also depict jumps.
This adult female Phidippus princeps (jumping spider, Salticidae) from Greenville County, South Carolina, USA, was filmed after it captured a wolf spider (Lycosidae) and moved to the top of a branch to feed on it. At the beginning of this clip the jumping spider was just beginning to chew or macerate the legs of the wolf spider, and the cephalothorax or prosoma of the wolf spider was still relatively intact. Phidippus jumping spiders are voracious predators on many kinds of spiders, as well as insects. They may also feed on flower nectar or pollen, as has been demonstrated in other jumping spiders.
This female jumping spider (Phidippus princeps) from Greenville County, South Carolina, USA, was filmed as it groomed after feeding on an insect. Grooming behavior included use of pedipalps as an eye brush for the large front eyes, and cleaning of the iridescent chelicerae. This close-up portrays some of the unique character of these fascinating animals.
This adult female jumping spider (Phidippus princeps) from Greenville County, South Carolina, was filmed as it fed upon a captured fly. Note how this spider chewed its prey with its fanged chelicerae. The sharp-edged fangs are opposed by teeth at the end of the chelicerae. Chewing (maceration) alternated with suction (feeding) as well as regurgitation of digestive fluids into the prey.
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