Phidippus Audax (Bold Daring Jumping Spider) 10-19-2016

Roy1982

Arachnopeon
Joined
Mar 5, 2016
Messages
24
Found him/her in the shower wall today, around 10/19/2016 - 3pm EST.

I've seen these before here. I think it's a daring jumping spider. He/she's got a white spot on his/her back, and looks like green in front of him/her (iridescent green chelicerae). Daring jumping spider (Phidippus audax)

Here's two FHD videos.
FHD video #1
FHD video #2

Here's four HQ images.
#1 : http://i.imgur.com/I9EPoHs.jpg
#2 : http://i.imgur.com/t6qrpqP.jpg
#3 : http://i.imgur.com/QvPIK4d.jpg
#4 : http://i.imgur.com/W0ItJPA.jpg

I could probably get a much better shot of him/her, but this is pretty good for now I guess.

Do people care for these? I mean.. Do people keep them? What do I feed him/her? I got him/her in a deli cup right now, that I got from Josh's Frogs a while back for my small order of dubia roaches for my late female chinese praying mantis I let go back into the wild.

I did spray the inside of the container with a mist of water. Figured if he/she was in the shower, maybe he/she was looking for water.
 

pannaking22

Arachnoemperor
Old Timer
Joined
Nov 25, 2011
Messages
4,226
Agreed with P. audax. They make pretty good pets. Easy to care for and entertaining to watch as they explore/hunt/etc. A small cricket or roach will be fine. Nothing larger than the spider. A light misting once a week should be good since they don't do great at high humidity. If you mist and there's still droplets on the side the next day, it's probably too much.
 

Roy1982

Arachnopeon
Joined
Mar 5, 2016
Messages
24
Agreed with P. audax. They make pretty good pets. Easy to care for and entertaining to watch as they explore/hunt/etc. A small cricket or roach will be fine. Nothing larger than the spider. A light misting once a week should be good since they don't do great at high humidity. If you mist and there's still droplets on the side the next day, it's probably too much.
Thanks for the helpful information. Much apreciated.
 

jaredc

Arachnosquire
Joined
Nov 5, 2014
Messages
84
I've bred them before, fun easy spider, they can definitely take down prey x3 larger than themselves as long as they're soft-bodied.
 

TeaandTs

Arachnopeon
Joined
Dec 1, 2016
Messages
31
I love keeping these. At this time, I only have one, though (Need to catch some more when it warms up!). It's a suspect female, but not yet mature. She's moulted once for me. I have her in a tall jar with a flower pot turned on its side, a couple of small rocks, some tiny fake flowers (which she loves to climb on) and a bit of moss and some potting soil. Substrate isn't really necessary; they'll pretty much live up on the glass sides of the jar for the majority of the time. I put a little bit of substrate in there because they'll incorporate clumps of dirt into their silk retreats. On that note, a hide isn't strictly necessary, because they'll make their own out of silk. I only keep the flower pot in there because it gives her a vantage point and a spot for basking in the sun (and pooing on...). And yes, I said basking in the sun. These guys are not shadow-seekers like most spiders. They should be kept where they can get some sunbeams, but where the glass won't get overly heated. They're diurnal, and they love their sunlight. I keep her jar on my desk, and every morning I open my blinds so that the sunlight coming through the window (diffused by sheer curtains) warms up her little enclosure. She seems to really like it, and usually she won't come out of her retreat until the sun comes out.

These guys seem to be picky eaters, with each specimen having their own preference, so some trial and error will probably be involved. For her part, Octavia will only eat mini mealworms, so that's what she gets. She's more afraid of crickets than they are of her. :rofl: I haven't tried roaches, but I've heard those are fine. I've also observed specimens taking down flies in the wild. So experiment, find what they like, and then enjoy the fun of watching them hunt. Some of the most impressive take-downs in the spider world. As far as water, I mist her jar every couple of days. This is how I keep them and they do well for me, but I'm sure there are other, better ways out there.

Enjoy! They're wonderful, inquisitive, bold, entertaining little pets who seem to enjoy observing us as much as we do them. Octavia is more this way than any other I've encountered yet. I joke that she thinks she has a pet human. ;)
 

basin79

ArachnoGod
Active Member
Joined
Sep 14, 2013
Messages
5,893
Jumpers are fantastic. Although not the same species here's my little man.

 
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