BOLD JUMPING SPIDER (Phidippus Audax)
KNOWN AS THE BOLD JUMPER, OR THE DARING JUMPING SPIDER. scientific name being Phidippus Audax. they're native to North America, but have also been seen in Hawaii, Nicobar Islands, Azores, and the Netherlands! They are a very common species of Jumping Spider, unique for their large eyes, green chelicerae, and white spots/stripes. Though they tend to have a white-ish triangle shape on their abdomen.
their size is approximately 6-13 mm for males and 8-19 for females.
HABITAT
They are often in temperate climates (moderate temperatures), grasslands, agricultural fields, and woodlands. They are often within close proximity to humans, and you can find them in your backyard! (They often hide near sunny walls with avaliable crevices to hide in).
DIET
They eat caterpillars, grasshoppers, spiders, moths, mosquitos, and MANY more insects. Like many spiders, they are predators (carnivores). However, unlike most spiders, they do not make webs to catch prey. They are excellent hunters, many thanks to their amazing vision.
CLASSIFICATION
- Kingdom: Animalia (Animals)
- Phylum: Arthropoda (Arthropods)
- Subphylum: Chelicerata (Chelicerates)
- Class: Arachnida (Arachnids)
- Order: Araneae (Spiders)
- Infraorder: Araneomorphae (True Spiders)
- No Taxon (Entelegynae)
- Family Salticidae (Jumping Spiders)
- Genus Phidippus
- No Taxon (audax group)
- Species audax (Bold Jumper)