Bold Jumping Spider

The bold jumping spider is one of the most commonly encountered jumping spiders in North America, recognized by its compact, densely hairy black body marked with a bold white, orange, or reddish triangular or spotted pattern on the abdomen. Its chelicerae (mouthparts) often gleam with an iridescent metallic green or blue sheen, especially visible in bright light, adding to its distinctive appearance.

Like other members of the jumping spider family, it has unusually large, forward-facing principal eyes that give it excellent vision for a spider, allowing it to spot, track, and stalk prey visually rather than relying on webs or vibrations. It does not build a web to catch prey; instead it stalks insects at close range and then launches a precise pounce, covering many times its own body length in a single leap, secured by a silk safety line called a dragline.

Bold jumping spiders are commonly found around gardens, fields, fences, and the exterior walls of buildings, where they are often seen basking in sunlight or actively hunting during the day, as they are diurnal hunters rather than nocturnal like many other spider families.

• Compact, robust body covered in dense black hairs, often with a slight sheen
• Bold white, orange, or reddish spots or a triangular marking on the top of the abdomen
• Iridescent green or blue chelicerae (mouthparts), especially visible up close in good light
• Large, forward-facing principal eyes typical of jumping spiders, giving an alert, forward-staring appearance
• Lookalikes: other Phidippus species (similar body shape and coloring, distinguished by subtle abdominal markings and mouthpart color)

Widespread across the United States and southern Canada, the bold jumping spider is found in a wide variety of open and semi-open habitats including gardens, meadows, agricultural fields, fence lines, tree bark, and the sunny exteriors of buildings and walls.

This spider is a diurnal, visually oriented hunter that actively stalks prey rather than relying on a web. Using its excellent eyesight, it slowly approaches potential prey, then leaps with precision to capture it, always anchored by a silk dragline that prevents falls during the jump. Diet consists of small insects and other arthropods, including flies, moths, and other spiders. Bold jumping spiders are notably curious and alert, often turning to observe and track movement, including that of a nearby observer, more than most other spider species.

After courtship, which involves visual displays from the male, mated females produce a flattened silken egg sac, typically hidden under bark, in a curled leaf, or in a similar sheltered crevice, and guard it closely until the spiderlings emerge. Young spiders disperse shortly after hatching and grow through a series of molts over the following months. Depending on climate, the species may complete one or more generations per year, with individuals overwintering as eggs, juveniles, or adults in silk-lined retreats in colder regions.