What is this jumper and how do i keep it?

[Moltar]

Anybody here into kayaking? If you're not, then lemme' tell you something.

Bugs like kayaks.

There were at least five different kinds of spiders including what i think was a smallish latrodectus, gaggles of baby harvestman and several of these little jumping spiders on and in my boat when we went to go for a paddle this afternoon. I caught one of the jumpers while we were hosing out the kayak trying to get the widow out of there.

Can anybody tell me what species this might be and, more importantly how best to set it up? I'm hip deep into the tarantula thing but i don't know anything really about true spiders. I'm in the chesapeake region of Maryland, US by the way.

We never did find that widow.

Here's a couple of pics of the spider. They're level adjusted to compensate for shooting through the plastic but the colors are about right.

http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x282/etown_rocks/Spiders/Jumpers/jumper1.jpg

Stellar focus on this one.

http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x282/etown_rocks/Spiders/Jumpers/jumper2.jpg

Here it is in a temporary enclosure on the left. I'm thinking i'll set it up basically like a small avicularia in the amac enclosure on the right. The spider's body length is about 1/3".

http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x282/etown_rocks/Spiders/Jumpers/jumpersetup.jpg

Thoughts? Advice?

Thanks all.

[Scorpendra]

looks like a P. audax to me.

[Moltar]

Thanks Molitor.

Sooo my guess at a setup is about 1" of moist substrate in the upside down amac box with a few small plastic plants in the top and moist like most arboreal tarantulas. I'll be feeding it tiny roach nymphs.

Does that sound about right?

[antbebo]

ditto on the P audax. I kept one over the winter in a large hex shaped plastic betta tank. It did not use the hide that I gave it. Instead, it hung out at the top of the tank so I cut a thin piece of cardboard to fit along half of the top of the tank. I covered that with a piece of plastic wrap with plenty of air holes. It made a web and hung out there. I would sometimes open up the top to feed or water and it would come out and run around the top of the tank. Very curious and entertaining! I've read that they tend to bite, but have held many, and have not had one offer to bite me yet. The one I kept was a voracious eater, preferring crickets larger than itself. I lightly misted one side of the tank occasionally so that it could have access to water. I would not think that they need much moisture since I live in a very dry, hot part of Texas and they are abundant around here. Beautiful spider!

[Moltar]

So here's the new setup. I made it a little moist just because that's what the area i collected it was like. About ten feet from a river bank.

http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x282/etown_rocks/Spiders/Jumpers/Paudax01.jpg

[apidaeman]

Their common name is Daring Jumping Spider. That enclosure is plenty adequate, I usually keep them in in vials or jars with nothing else they love flies, they are really fun to watch and keep.
It will build a tent like web, only one and a half times the size of the spider itself. Seems very small but it is just a basic shelter.

Did mention they love and mean really love flies.

Also if you find the sub-species with the red spots don't put them with the whites the whites will eat them.

[apidaeman]

ditto on the P audax. I kept one over the winter in a large hex shaped plastic betta tank. It did not use the hide that I gave it. Instead, it hung out at the top of the tank so I cut a thin piece of cardboard to fit along half of the top of the tank. I covered that with a piece of plastic wrap with plenty of air holes. It made a web and hung out there. I would sometimes open up the top to feed or water and it would come out and run around the top of the tank. Very curious and entertaining! I've read that they tend to bite, but have held many, and have not had one offer to bite me yet. The one I kept was a voracious eater, preferring crickets larger than itself. I lightly misted one side of the tank occasionally so that it could have access to water. I would not think that they need much moisture since I live in a very dry, hot part of Texas and they are abundant around here. Beautiful spider!

They only bite if you disturb them while eating to the point they drop their prey and then try to pick them up, otherwise they never bite. IME.

[Moltar]

Also if you find the sub-species with the red spots don't put them with the whites the whites will eat them.


So you're saying they can be kept communally as long as they're the same sub-species?

[drasar]

I found one about 3/4" and then a few days later found another about an inch long and when I put them together the larger one chased down the smaller and devoured it:( was hoping they might mate.

[Le Wasp]

most jumpers are known for being cannibalistic.

[Tarangela]

I have had the same experience...I have never been able to keep 2 together....they will attack each other...

Beautiful setup btw :)

[drasar]

Well I'm all bummed...the bigger Jumper not only ate the smaller one but today I found it sitting up against the glass dead...:( Too bad cause these are a really interesting species of spider, if it was Tarantula size it would be a monster...I've seen tiny ones body slam an adult cricket and devoure it:cool: