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Bold Jumping Spider

Phidippus audax[4][1]

Jumping spiders are compact, day-active hunters that build no web; they stalk prey by sight and pounce from a short distance. They live on plants, bark and walls and only occasionally wander indoors.[1][2][6]

Group
Arachnid
Order
Araneae
Family
Salticidae
US records
51 states
Sources
8 cited
Updated
2026-11-11
Bold jumping spider with iridescent green mouthparts, with a 1 mm scale bar
Bold jumping spider with iridescent green mouthparts, with a 1 mm scale bar. Photo: Jesse Rorabaugh, public domain (CC0), via iNaturalist
On this page
  1. Identification
  2. Where it lives
  3. Biology
  4. Damage and signs
  5. Health risk
  6. Control
  7. Related profiles
  8. Common questions
  9. Sources

How to identify it

  • Compact body with short, strong front legs; many are brightly colored or iridescent, and many are furry.[1][2][6]
  • Two very large forward-facing eyes give them the best vision of any spider. UC IPM describes the eight eyes in three rows: four across the face, including the big middle pair, then two tiny eyes, then two medium-sized ones.[1][2]
  • Most are small; Clemson gives 1/10 to 1/4 inch long. The bold jumping spider, the species pictured, is black with three white to red spots on the abdomen.[5]
  • They walk in a jerky gait and often turn to look straight at a person with their large front eyes.[6][5]

Where it lives

Live on plants and on the ground; they occasionally wander indoors and may overwinter there.[1][2]

US map: public records from 51 states since 1990 (GBIF).

Biology and life cycle

They hunt by sight and pounce; UC IPM says they jump many times their body length, and Clemson estimates about 10 times.[2][5][6]

Silk is used only for a safety line when exploring or jumping and for small silk cocoons that they hide in and lay eggs in.[6]

Females guard their eggs in a silk sac. Clemson says each female makes several sacs of 80 to 100 eggs, and the spiderlings leave within a few months.[5]

Eggs, young and adults can all spend the winter in silk cocoons under bark and in other tight spots. In late autumn, tan jumping spiders may be seen exploring walls inside houses.[6]

Prey includes flies, aphids, moths, beetles, stink bugs, armyworms and other spiders.[5][6]

Males court females with dances, waving their front legs and drumming on the ground.[6]

Damage and signs

  • No damage; they hunt insects, including many pests of homes and gardens.[2][1][5]

Health risk

Jumping spiders seldom bite. Missouri Department of Conservation says the tan jumping spider almost never bites unless pinched, and UC IPM says the red-and-black Phidippus johnsoni may bite if disturbed. In an Australian hospital study of 34 bites by spiders identified by an arachnologist, 4 were by jumping spiders, and none of the bites in the study had severe effects.[6][2][7]

Control

Keep them out

Seal cracks in the foundation and gaps around windows and doors, keep screens and weather stripping in good repair, and point outdoor lights away from doors and windows so they attract fewer insects.[2][3][5]

Sanitation

Remove clutter, woodpiles, leaf litter and heavy vegetation near the foundation, and vacuum or sweep webs and spiders regularly; vacuumed spiders usually don't survive.[2][3]

Traps and physical control

Catch individual spiders under a jar or glass and release them outdoors; Clemson recommends this over spraying.[2][5]

Pesticides

Insecticides don't give long-term spider control and generally shouldn't be used outdoors; spiders keep re-infesting treated areas.[2][3]

Common questions

Should I kill jumping spiders?
There's no need. They are beneficial predators of flies, beetles and other pests, and Clemson suggests picking them up with a glass or dish and putting them outside.[2][5]
Do jumping spiders bite?
Rarely, and mostly when pinched or handled. MedlinePlus notes that most spider bites are harmless, and in an Australian study of bites from identified spiders, none of the jumping spider bites had severe effects.[6][8][7]
Why is a jumping spider staring at me?
Jumping spiders often turn to face a person with their large front eyes; Clemson says they usually run off once they've spotted you.[5]

Sources

  1. University of Kentucky Entomology, “ENTFACT-622: Common Spiders Found Around Homes and Buildings.” entomology.mgcafe.uky.edu/ef622 (accessed 2026-11-11)
  2. University of California Statewide IPM Program, “Pest Notes: Spiders, Publication 7442.” ipm.ucanr.edu/legacy_assets/PDF/PESTNOTES/pnspiders.pdf (accessed 2026-11-11)
  3. University of California Statewide IPM Program, “Pest Notes: Widow Spiders and Their Relatives, Publication 74149 (revised March 2017).” ipm.ucanr.edu/legacy_assets/PDF/PESTNOTES/pnblackwidow.pdf (accessed 2026-11-11)
  4. iNaturalist, “Phidippus audax taxon page (order and family).” www.inaturalist.org/taxa/1362557 (accessed 2026-11-11)
  5. Clemson Cooperative Extension Home & Garden Information Center, “Jumping Spiders (HGIC factsheet).” hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/jumping-spiders/ (accessed 2026-11-11)
  6. Missouri Department of Conservation, “Tan Jumping Spider (Field Guide).” mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/tan-jumping-spider (accessed 2026-11-11)
  7. Medical Journal of Australia, via PubMed, “Isbister GK, Churchill TB, Hirst DB, Gray MR, Currie BJ (2001), Clinical effects of bites from formally identified spiders in tropical Northern Territory, Medical Journal of Australia 174(2):79-82.” pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11245508/ (accessed 2026-11-11). Cited from the PubMed abstract.
  8. MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine, “Insect bites and stings (Medical Encyclopedia).” medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000033.htm (accessed 2026-11-11)

Updated 2026-11-11. Built from sourced records. Spot an error? Tell us.