Jumping spider eating another spider

[Steve Nunn]

Unknown saltidid eating the theridiid Nesticodes rufipes.

Enjoy,

http://www.selenocosmia.com/salticid_theridiid1.jpg

http://www.selenocosmia.com/salticid_theridiid2.jpg

http://www.selenocosmia.com/salticid_theridiid3.jpg

Steve

[Freddie]

One little ugly spider.
Nice pics though :)

It's weird that spiders can be so ugly and cute at the same time...

[Elizabeth]

Did the jumping spider have to get the theridiid while it was off-web? A jumping spider wouldn't venture onto a web to get another spider, would it?

[mimic58]

Did the jumping spider have to get the theridiid while it was off-web? A jumping spider wouldn't venture onto a web to get another spider, would it?

IMO if a spider is hungry enough it will take pritty much any opertunity available.

[Steve Nunn]

Did the jumping spider have to get the theridiid while it was off-web? A jumping spider wouldn't venture onto a web to get another spider, would it?

Hi Elizabeth,
The salticids have interesting methods when it comes to grabbing other spiders from webs. A common strategy is to sit on the very edge of the web and pluck it to mimick struggling prey. Once the owner of the web comes over to grab it's prey, it becomes prey :)

Other salticids such as Portia fimbriata have extremely advanced hunting methods and even hunt other salticids, they will actually stalk their prey down. If the prey (perhaps another salticid) turns around to see what is following it, Portia knows to not move and can play this game from a couple of yards away (she has the second best known vision for any animal) until the gap is down to nothing.

Cheers,
Steve

[mimic58]

How bad is the venom/bite from a JS ?

[NRF]

How bad is the venom/bite from a JS ?

I think the venom is quite powerful and fast acting, considering the small size of most Salticids. I once tried to feed a tiny jumping spider to a big Clubionid (the length of the jumper was about half the length on the Clubionids pedipalp). The Clubionid attacked the Salticid and both died immediately. The small Salticid bit the Clubionid in one of its pedipalps and died there with its fangs penetrating the pedipalp. I was amazed of the braveness and strength of the jumping spider.

[Steve Nunn]

How bad is the venom/bite from a JS ?

Hi,
The venom isn't a problem for humans at all. However, in rare cases (such as Mopsus mormon, I've posted pics of one in this forum ;)) bites do need to be monitored. Some salticids carry bacteria on their fangs that can cause necrosis, it's not the venom, but the bacteria obtained through some as yet unidentified prey item, probably a ground crawler (given that other free range hunting spiders such as wold spiders quite often have the same bacteria present).

Cheers,
Steve

[mimic58]

So does this mean in many cases its the secondary infection you develop after the bite that posses the real danger??? ... if so thats a bit scarey some species have bearly been described who knows what they harbour besides venom , Id hate to be the first person to get some mutant lurgy from a T'bite