Jumping spiders are a group of spiders that constitute the family Salticidae. As of 2019, this family contained over 600 described genera and over 6,000 described species, making it the largest family of spiders at 13% of all species. Jumping spiders have some of the best vision among arthropods and use it in courtship, hunting, and navigation. Although they normally move unobtrusively and fairly slowly, most species are capable of very agile jumps, notably when hunting, but sometimes in response to sudden threats or crossing long gaps. Both their book lungs and tracheal system are well-developed, and they use both systems. Jumping spiders are generally recognized by their eye pattern. All jumping spiders have four pairs of eyes, with the anterior median pair being particularly large.
The zebra spider is a common jumping spider of the Northern Hemisphere. Their common name refers to their vivid black-and-white colouration, whilst their scientific name derives from Salticus from the Latin for “jump”, and the Greek scenicus, translating to “theatrical” or “of a decorative place,” in reference to the flashy, zebra-like coloration of the species.
The anatomy of spiders includes many characteristics shared with other arachnids. These characteristics include bodies divided into two tagmata, eight jointed legs, no wings or antennae, the presence of chelicerae and pedipalps, simple eyes, and an exoskeleton, which is periodically shed.
Phidippus californicus is a species of jumping spider. It is found in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico.
Evarcha falcata is a species of 'jumping spiders' belonging to the family Salticidae.
Maevia inclemens or the dimorphic jumping spider is a relatively common and colorful jumping spider of North America. In the males there are two forms, a very rare phenomenon in zoology. These use different courting displays, and differ in appearance: the "tufted" morph has a black body and pedipalps ("palps"), three black tufts across its "head", and pale legs; and the "gray" morph has black and white stripes all over its body and legs, orange palps, and no tufts. However, each form accounts for 50% of the adult males, and they are equally successful in mating. A female of Maevia inclemens is 6.5 to 8.0 millimetres long, while males are 4.75 to 6.50 millimetres long.
Trite planiceps, commonly known as the black-headed jumping spider, is a common jumping spider (Salticidae) endemic to New Zealand and one of about 150 species of jumping spiders in New Zealand.
Zygoballus sexpunctatus is a species of jumping spider which occurs in the southeastern United States where it can be found in a variety of grassy habitats. Adult spiders measure between 3 and 4.5 mm in length. The cephalothorax and abdomen are bronze to black in color, with reddish brown or yellowish legs. The male has distinctive enlarged chelicerae and front femora. Like many jumping spiders, Z. sexpunctatus males exhibit ritualized courtship and agonistic behavior.
Spiders are air-breathing arthropods that have eight limbs, chelicerae with fangs generally able to inject venom, and spinnerets that extrude silk. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species diversity among all orders of organisms. Spiders are found worldwide on every continent except Antarctica, and have become established in nearly every land habitat. As of September 2024, 52,309 spider species in 134 families have been recorded by taxonomists. However, there has been debate among scientists about how families should be classified, with over 20 different classifications proposed since 1900.
Mexcala angolensis is a species of jumping spider in the genus Mexcala that is endemic to Angola, after which it is named. The spider was first defined in 2009 by Wanda Wesołowska, one of over 500 that the arachnologist described during her career. The spider is medium-sized, with a brownish carapace typically 3.4 mm (0.13 in) long and a light brown abdomen typically 3.0 mm (0.12 in) long that has an indistinct dark streak that runs down the middle. It mimics ants and ant-like wasps, living alongside and preying upon them. The male can be distinguished from other Mexcala species by the small teeth at the end of its tibial apophysis, or spike, and the lack of a bump on its palpal bulb. The female has not been described.
Mexcala fizi is a species of jumping spider in the genus Mexcala that lives in Democratic Republic of the Congo and Tanzania. The spider was first defined in 2009 by Wanda Wesołowska, one of over 500 that the arachnologist described during her career. It mimics ants and ant-like wasps, living alongside and preying upon them. The spider is medium-sized, with a dark browncarapace between 2.7 and 2.9 mm long and a brown abdomen between 3.1 and 3.4 mm long. The female has not been described.
Mexcala namibica is a species of jumping spider in the genus Mexcala that is endemic to Namibia, after which it is named. The spider was first defined in 2009 by Wanda Wesołowska, one of over 500 that the arachnologist described during her career. It mimics ants, living alongside and preying upon them, particularly Camponotus detritus. Only the male has been described. It is a medium-sized spider, with ablackish carapace typically 3.3 mm (0.13 in) long and a reddish-orange abdomen typically 4.1 mm (0.16 in) long. It is similar to others in the genus, but can be distinguished by the dark pattern on its abdomen, consisting of a stripe to the front, two patches in the middle and black chevrons at the back.
Mexcala signata is a species of jumping spider in the genus Mexcala that lives in Kenya and Tanzania. The spider was first defined in 2009 by Wanda Wesołowska, one of over 500 that the arachnologist described during her career. It mimics ants and ant-like wasps, living alongside and preying upon them. Only the female has been identified. The spider is medium-sized, with a dark carapace typically 3.2 mm (0.13 in) long and a black abdomen typically 3.3 mm (0.13 in) long. The abdomen has a distinctive pattern with a white stripe to the front, dark shape in the middle and orange marks on the sides, after which it is named. It can be most distinguished from other spiders in its genus by its short seminal ducts.
Mexcala synagelese is a species of jumping spider in the genus Mexcala that lives in Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Nigeria and Sudan. The spider was first defined in 2009 by Wanda Wesołowska, one of over 500 that the arachnologist described during her career. It mimics ants and ant-like wasps, living alongside and preying upon them. The spider is medium-sized, with a dark brown carapace between 2.7 and 3.2 mm long and a pale brown to dark brown abdomen between 3.2 and 4.0 mm long. The male has three strips on its abdomen while the female has a more complex pattern of dark bands and light patches. The spider has long thin brown legs. It has good eyesight, which it uses when hunting and also during courtship. The male palpal bulb has a long tibial apophysis, or spike, that curves in towards the bulb. The female epigyne has two shallow depressions and short seminal ducts that lead to long receptacles.
Mexcala formosa is a species of jumping spider in the genus Mexcala that is endemic to Ethiopia. The spider was first defined in 2008 by Wanda Wesołowska and. It mimics ants, living alongside and preying upon them. Only the male has been described. It is a medium-sized spider, with a cephalothorax typically 2.9 mm (0.11 in) long and an abdomen typically 3.5 mm (0.14 in) long. The carapace is dark brown and the eye field black. The spider is similar to the related Mexcala agilis and Mexcala elegans, but can be distinguished by its thinner tibial apophysis and the white scales on its cymbium.
Mexcala torquata is a species of jumping spider in the genus Mexcala that lives in Guinea and Ivory Coast. It was first defined in 2009 by Wanda Wesołowska, one of over 500 that the arachnologist described during her career. The spider is medium-sized, with a dark brown carapace that is between 3.0 and 3.3 mm long and a brown abdomen between 3.0 and 3.7 mm long. It has long thin legs and serrated chelicerae. Similar to other species in the genus, it mimics ants and ant-like wasps, living alongside and preying upon them. The female has a distinctive fillet on the back of its abdomen, after which the species is named. However, it can be most easily distinguished from other spiders in the genus by its relatively small copulatory organs, specifically its very small epigyne, seminal ducts and embolus.
Mexcala vicina is a species of jumping spider in the genus Mexcala that is endemic to South Africa, found in Mpumalanga. The spider was first defined in 2009 by Wanda Wesołowska, one of over 500 that the arachnologist described during her career. It mimics ants and ant-like wasps, living alongside and preying upon them. The spider is medium-sized, with a dark brown carapace typically 2.5 mm (0.098 in) long and a brown abdomen between 2.3 and 2.7 mm long. The abdomen has a pattern made up of three dark streaks in a triangular shape. The male has a straight embolus. The female has not been identified.
Mexcala smaragdina is a species of jumping spider in the genus Mexcala that is endemic to Nigeria. The spider was first defined in 2012 by Wanda Wesołowska and G. B. Edwards. Spiders of the genus mimic ants and ant-like wasps, living alongside and preying upon them. The spider is medium-sized, with a cephalothorax typically 2.5 mm (0.098 in) long and an abdomen 2.7 mm (0.11 in) long. The male has a hooked embolus that is shorter than the related Mexcala caerulea but otherwise the male copulatory organs are similar. The female has not been identified. The spider is most easily distinguished by the green-metallic sheen on its body, which is referred to in the species name.
Mexcala macilenta is a species of jumping spider in the genus Mexcala that lives in Ethiopia and Tanzania. The spider was first defined in 2000 by Wanda Wesołowska and Anthony Russell-Smith. It mimics ants and ant-like wasps, living alongside and preying upon them. The spider is medium-sized to large, with a brown carapace between 3.2 and 3.4 mm long and a rusty-brown or greyish-russet abdomen between 3.2 and 5.5 mm long. The female is larger than the male. Both male and females have long thin brown legs and a distinctive pattern of a large triangular black marking in the middle of the abdomen. The male copulatory organs have a thin tibial apophysis and lack the triangular lobe on the palpal bulb that other species in the genus possess.
Mexcala monstrata is a species of jumping spider in the genus Mexcala that lives in Egypt and Yemen. The spider was first defined in 1994 by Wanda Wesołowska and Antonius van Harten. It mimics ants, living alongside and preying upon them. It is a medium-sized spider, with a dark brown carapace that range between 2.8 and 3.6 mm long and an orange abdomen between 3.0 and 5.8 mm long. The female is larger than the male. Juveniles have also been found that have a carapace that measures between 2.46 and 2.82 mm in length and an abdomen that is between 2.13 and 2.4 mm in length. The abdomen in all cases has a dark stripe across the middle, although the male's is thinner. The spider is similar to the related Mexcala agilis and Mexcala elegans, but can be distinguished by the wider tibial apophysis on the male palpal bulb and the presence of two heavily sclerotised shallow depressions in the female epigyne.
