Just caught : Phidippus audax (I think?)

[patrickfraser]

I just caught this jumping spider in my shed waiting on an easy meal of the many flies around. :lol: It is small, fuzzy and black-ish, with an orange spot on the back. I could probably keep it and probably will. I just need to know what in the terms of care they need. Food, of course. That's covered. But keeping I am unsure of. Please let me know and I will get a pic for a proper id. Thanks for any information. :helpsmilie:

 

[patrickfraser]

Here "it" is. Can you tell if boy or girl. I have put it in a cup with some sticks and leaves. I have added some flies, but I think it's a bit stressed by being caught and all. How big do these get and can you tell the age? It's pretty small and was quite jumpy. It wouldn't sit still. I think this is a good one, though.

 

[ismart]

It is a P. audax. Looks like a female. Probably a coulple of molts till adulthood.

 

[lancaster1313]

It looks like a good one to me. :lol: I am envious, and I can never find any here.

 

[patrickfraser]

I'll be on the lookout. They like to hang around on my plumeria. Whenever I see one I never have a cup. By the time I get a cup and come back, it is long gone. Or, I just can't remember where it was. :lol:

 

[lancaster1313]

I have often found them, up until I became interested in keeping arthropods. Now, I can't find them anywhere.

I did find a Plexippus paykulli (Pantropical jumper) on one of those soda refidgerators near the registers in K-mart. I took her home, named her K-mart, and fed her well. Now she has a nice eggsack laid up against the side of her container, so it is easy for me to view them. ^_^

I am looking forward to watching the changes that will take place in the sack. It looks as if the eggs have grown a little. :sweatdrop: I hope they hatch.

 

[patrickfraser]

She is settling in nicely. She has set up a "home" right at the top of the cup. I caught her with a fly, so I thought I'd snap and share.

 

[yeatzee]

Since when did P. audax have orange?

 

[patrickfraser]

I don't know? I just did a search and found this as the closest find. Any opinions as to what else it might be?

 

[yeatzee]

I don't know? I just did a search and found this as the closest find. Any opinions as to what else it might be?

A similar phidippus, just not audax IMO

 

[patrickfraser]

Just in from Wikipedia...

"These spiders are typically black with a pattern of spots and striped on their abdomen and legs. Often these spots are orange-tinted in juveniles, turning white as the spider matures."

 

[yeatzee]

Just in from Wikipedia...

"These spiders are typically black with a pattern of spots and striped on their abdomen and legs. Often these spots are orange-tinted in juveniles, turning white as the spider matures."

very interesting. I've caught at least 30 P. audax spiders and not one of them has ever had orange...

 

[ShieldMantid1997]

Maybe you caught more mature ones?

 

[yeatzee]

guess so...... though some of them have been pretty small.

 

[ismart]

very interesting. I've caught at least 30 P. audax spiders and not one of them has ever had orange...

I have on rare occasion caught a few adult females with orange markings.

 

[patrickfraser]

WOOT WOOT. I got a rare one. I found another really small one (maybe a male?). Can they be kept together or must they be separated?

 

[ismart]

WOOT WOOT. I got a rare one. I found another really small one (maybe a male?). Can they be kept together or must they be separated?

They must be separated! She will eat the smaller one. The males of this species are usually close to the same size as the females. Mature males have over sized front arms.

 

[patrickfraser]

I have them in separate cups. So they are both good. Thanks. Now I wait for them to grow.

 

[patrickfraser]

Just caught another one yesterday. Now I have 3 sizes, small, medium, and large. They all made web-homes that are getting thicker to the point of not being able to see through them anymore. They just come out to eat. That's still enough. It's fun to watch them pounce on their prey and scurry back up the web "lifeline". Is this something someone would want to buy? If so, I'll be looking out.