I’m Surprised Nobody Talks About Flying Jumping Spiders!

[Nicole C G]

This is something that is cool that nobody seems to talk about. Flying jumping spiders!!
Most of the time if a jumping spider in not content with where it is, it will face the direction of the wind, stick it’s abdomen in the air, and let some silk flow in the wind until the end of the silk line hits something. It then connects to where they are standing and they walk across it like a rope. However sometimes, the lighter smaller ones like slings, skip the attachment steps and just use the silk as some sort of parachute? And they just fly away! I’ve seen them fly higher than 10 feet


this is what they look like when they are letting their silk blow in the wind

 

[Edan bandoot]

It's called ballooning, lots of true spiders do it as a method of dispersal.

The selenops genus has controlled gliding though, which is a lot more interesting imo.

Edit: i found a video on it.

 

[Nicole C G]

It's called ballooning, lots of true spiders do it as a method of dispersal.

The selenops genus has controlled gliding though, which is a lot more interesting imo.

Edit: i found a video on it.

It’s true, but I was just surprised that I had never heard of Jumping Spider specifically. It’s pretty interesting

 

[The Snark]

It’s true, but I was just surprised that I had never heard of Jumping Spider specifically. It’s pretty interesting

I'm wondering about the ballooning trigger. Many spiders do it during infancy but some retain the ability and use it throughout their lives. It seems quite logical jumpers would do it as they are the most active rappel artists and constantly employ their life lines in all their activities.

 

[darkness975]

Available resources likely play a role in triggering it.