A bold jumper staring back from a plastic wall
This one turned up on the inside wall of a clear plastic container in Pittsburgh in mid-May, which is the kind of place jumping spiders always seem to end up. It was perched head-up, body black with clean white spots and stripes, and its long legs, dusted with fine hairs, were pressed against the smooth surface. When it tilted its head to look at me, I could practically feel the curiosity radiating back.
This is Phidippus audax, the bold jumping spider, a member of the family Salticidae in the order Araneae. The species name audax means bold or daring in Latin, and it is well earned. Jumping spiders are the small predators of the spider world that refuse to sit in a web and wait. They stalk, they aim, they pounce, and they are famous for their excellent eyesight, which is rare among spiders.
Salticids have four pairs of eyes, and the huge front pair gives them sharp, almost binocular vision. A jumping spider can size up a jump, judge the distance, and land precisely on a target several times its own body length away. The fine hairs on the legs, which you can see in this photo, help with grip and sensing vibrations.
What I love about bold jumpers is that they are genuinely curious about people. Most spiders run. This one turned to face me, raised its front legs, and watched me as closely as I watched it. For a few seconds we were just two animals sizing each other up, and I think the spider was winning.
