Zebra Jumping Spider
The zebra jumping spider (Salticus scenicus) is a small black-and-white spider that stalks flies on walls and fences across the Northern Hemisphere. Jumping spiders have the sharpest vision of any spiders and use no web to catch prey.
The zebra jumping spider (Salticus scenicus) is a small black-and-white spider that stalks flies on walls and fences across the Northern Hemisphere. Jumping spiders have the sharpest vision of any spiders and use no web to catch prey.
🧬 Field Guide Specimen: Open Zebra Jumping Spider in the CRV Science Field Guide to log the specimen, see its place among the Ecdysozoa lineages in the Cladogram Explorer, and test your recall in the Red List conservation game.
Eyes That Scan: How Does It See?
The two large front eyes have long tube-shaped retinas that move to scan the scene, giving high-resolution vision in a small head. Other eyes detect motion all around. The spider can judge distance by comparing image sharpness at different depths in the retina.
Jump Without Muscles
The spider leaps many times its body length by suddenly raising the blood pressure in its legs, extending them hydraulically. A silk safety line anchors it as it jumps.
Intelligent Hunters
Jumping spiders plan routes to prey, sometimes taking detours out of sight. See European Garden Spider.
Zebra Jumping Spider at a Glance
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Scientific name | Salticus scenicus |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Arthropoda |
| Class | Arachnida |
| Order | Araneae |
| Family | Salticidae |
| Field Guide group | Ecdysozoa: Arachnida (Spiders, Scorpions & Allies) |
| Diagnostic feature (Field Guide) | Small black-and-white striped hunter with two huge forward-facing eyes; stalks and leaps onto prey instead of building webs. |
| Family | Salticidae |
| Prey capture | Stalk and leap |
See Also
- European Garden Spider — a web builder
- Peacock Mantis Shrimp — another animal with advanced vision