We Should Talk About Jumping Spiders
This post is going to be a long one, summing up a lot of my thoughts on jumping spiders and their popularity and perception. I have been keeping bugs since 2019, so I've seen both the before and after the rise in popularity of jumping spiders as pets. I've also been volunteering at an Insectarium for over 2 years now and have talked to many bug lovers (and haters!) over the years. I love spiders, and have kept jumping spiders, tarantulas, sicariidae, theridiidae, and lycosidae. In working at the Insectarium I have raised several jumping spider egg sacs, and personally have raised egg sacs of my own spiders over the last several years.
This post is going to address the public image jumping spiders have and why I think a lot of claims about them are exaggerated, as well as discuss some of the issues I see with jumping spiders becoming highly popular pets.
Intelligence
I'm first going to discuss jumping spider intelligence, because that is the thing I see the most on and the thing I think is most misunderstood. I have seen several people asserting that jumping spiders are "as intelligent as 3 year olds" or "capable of doing math".
It's important to understand that almost all of these claims are based on studies done on the genus Portia specifically. This matters because jumping spiders are a highly varied group, and evolved for different situations and niches. The abilities Portia displays are impressive, including using a detour to get to a prey item, being able to map in 3D space, using previous successes in trial and error, and being able to determine how much prey is expected vs is seen in an expectancy violation trial.
It's important to clarify that these studies are done on Portia spiders specifically because of the niche Portia fill. Portia primarily hunt other spiders, especially orb weavers. This is a high risk prey item because landing on a web incorrectly would cause the jumping spider to be eaten. A lot of the tools Portia need to be able to hunt other spiders directly contributes to it's relative intelligent abilities, for example web plucking Portia need to have some ability for trial and error so they can determine which web-plucking sequences work best for attracting prey.
Macphail’s ‘null hypothesis’, that there are no differences in intelligence, qualitative or quantitative, between non-human vertebrates has
In this overview of different experiments that have been done on Portia jumping spiders, they note that other jumping spiders that do not web-pluck do poorly on a trial and error test involving escaping a moat.
Figure 8. Results from confinement experiments. Spider began trial on an island surrounded by an atoll in a pan of water and given two opportunities to choose its method of crossing the water (i.e., by leaping or by swimming). Successful first choice: plastic scoop made waves to help spider across to the atoll. Unsuccessful first choice: plastic scoop made waves to move spider back to the island. After making its first choice, it was recorded whether the spider repeated that choice or switched. Data analyzed using χ 2 tests of independence. Reprinted by permission from Springer (Cross and Jackson, 2015).
"The findings from experiments showed that the seven aggressive-mimic species were proficient at solving the novel confinement problem by repeating “correct” choices (i.e., the choices that delivered them to the atoll) and by switching when they made “incorrect” choices (i.e., the choices that sent them back to the island), but there was no evidence of the two non-aggressive-mimic species solving the same novel problem (Figure 8). These findings suggest that species which use trial and error to solve aggressive mimicry problems are predisposed to be proficient at using trial and error in a novel context."
This makes sense, as cognition is an extremely expensive adaption to maintain in an evolutionary context and would not develop if it was not needed. This is why it is misleading to take studies done on Portia spiders and generalize them to all jumping spiders, especially in the case of Phidippus which are generalist hunters. There is no need for Phidippus to develop the ability to be able to perform well in a trial-and-error test like this because they do not web pluck as part of their hunting strategy, and do not regularly hunt dangerous prey such that needing diverse strategies for attack was something they needed to develop. Portia are exceptional for jumping spiders and should not be treated as the norm.
Reading the article also does a good job at breaking down which experiments have been done on Portia, why they are interesting, and what they could mean. Portia are very interesting spiders and the studies done on them are intriguing, but I also think it's important to note other arthropods have shown similar or superior abilities in cognition, problem solving, and memory.
Hermit crabs display dynamic risk taking/risk aversion behaviors (link) and I could link hundreds of articles on memory, cognition, and problem solving behaviors shown in hymenoptera. It is a symptom of the jumping spider bias that wasps are not treated with the same level of curiosity for their cognitive abilities. Portia aren't even the only spiders that display flexible behaviors for the purpose of hunting other spiders, pirate spiders (link) also perform web-plucking and use multiple strategies to hunt prey, but far less research has been done on their cognitive abilities.
Anthropomorphism
Because jumping spiders are widely seen as cute, and people may know the generals of studies done on the intelligence of Portia, there is a tendency to anthropomorphize and "intentionalize" their behavior. A jumping spider looking upwards isn't seeking a higher vantage point, it's looking *at you* specifically. A jumping spider turning it's head to track movement isn't displaying a normal behavior that allows it to find prey and avoid threats, it's "curious" and "thinking about things". This happens with mantises as well, as mantises are also visually based and turn their heads towards movement, but even mantises are not anthropomorphized to the same extent that jumping spiders are.
This often leads to wildly mischaracterizing the spider's behavior.
These two posts on Instagram demonstrate some of this. In one, a jumping spider looks at her reflection, to which the author claims this is proof she is "self aware". A further look at the comments shows other people stating their jumping attacks their reflection. What is most likely happening in this is the jumping spider is attracted by the movement of her pedipalps in the shiny surface, so she looks at them to determine if the movement is from prey or a threat. Jumping spiders frequently wiggle or move their pedipalps as they walk, the behavior is not unusual and not a sign that she is "admiring her reflection". In the other video, it shows the common behavior of a jumping spider waving it's front legs. This is often characterized as "asking to be held", but this behavior can have a few different meanings. Jumping spiders raise their front legs before they jump, so it's often done if you, for example, put your hand out for them because it is a natural part of their jumping movement. They can also raise their front legs as a threat display, which can happen when confronted with another jumper (or their reflection) or a large intimidating object (like your hand). It also seems to be a common behavior when they are on a ledge, perhaps in preparation to jump off the ledge even if they haven't found a suitable place to jump yet.
A jumping spider looking around (or looking at you) is also not displaying "curiosity" in the way that word is often use. Jumping spiders look around because that is how they primarily interact with the world, they aren't displaying a behavior that is fundamentally different than an isopod feeling it's way with it's antennae across the ground. They look at you (or up at high points generally) because Phidippus primarily hunt in wide open spaces. They are most commonly found in the wild on top of fence posts, on the sides of walls, on tall stumps, ect. They seek higher vantage points so they have the largest field of view to see prey. If you are interacting with one that is likely the top of your head. I've also heard it suggested that they focus on faces because your face has a lot of movement that attracts their attention, your eyes and mouth move around a lot.
Edit: Also I hope this goes without saying but jumping spiders are highly cannibalistic and solitary by nature. There is no evolutionary basis for them to have formed the ability to recognize and remember other individuals of their species, much less form a bond with them, much less form a bond with a wholly alien species to them such as a human. Animals that can remember other individuals do so to remember their place in social communities, remember which individuals they have good or bad relationships which, and which individuals are part of their colony/pack/herd and which ones aren't. Jumping spiders frequently avoid all other jumping spider shaped objects except for in the specific context of mating because the risk of cannibalism is so high. There is no reason to believe one is forming a special bond or relationship with you.
Ambassador Animals
Jumping spiders are often recommended as first pets, particularly for people who are trying to work on their arachnophobia. The reasoning is jumping spiders are cute and so will make people like spiders in general more. While this can be the case for some people, I don't think jumping spiders make good first pets.
If you are arachnophobic, jumping spiders move very erratically and can be very mobile. You often have to interact with the spider to catch it, and for people who are nervous around spiders the unpredictable movements can be difficult. Jumping spiders are also not the easiest spiders to take care of, in fact they are more intensive than almost any other arachnid. Because they primarily hunt using vision, they almost exclusively eat live prey. It can be very difficult to get a jumping spider to take prekilled prey, and they have a strong preference for flying prey. They also have high metabolisms and need to eat a lot compared to other spiders. While raising slings, we fed our Phidippus regius once every 2-3 days, and watered them every other day. All other spiders I've raised have needed to eat once a week at most and get watered once a week or less, and can easily go longer if need be. Other spiders are also much better at taking prekilled prey, so are easier to feed. Fruit flies are genuinely a pain in the ass to deal with, especially if you haven't kept inverts before, and at larger sizes jumping spiders vastly prefer blue bottle flies which can also be a pain. With almost any other spider you can use mealworms (or dubia, crickets, waxworms, ect) and prekill them as needed to feed them off.
Liking jumping spiders also does not necessarily translate to liking other or all spiders. I have met too many people at the Insectarium that tell me they *only* like jumping spiders, usually siting jumping spiders as being more "intelligent and cute" than other spiders. I've already talked about how jumping spider intelligence is often exaggerated and over applied to the family, but because this perception and because of anthropomorphization, people hold other spiders up to an impossible standard that even jumping spiders themselves don't meet. I would even argue that liking Phidippus jumping spiders doesn't translate to even liking other jumping spiders. Again, they are a varied and diverse group, and too many people tell me jumping spiders are their favorite spiders but can't name a single non-Phidippus jumping spider found in their area.
Here's some jumping spiders found in the Pacific Northwest that I wish more "jumping spider fans" cared about:
Habronattus americanus from Capital, BC, Canada on April 18, 2021 at 05:05 PM by Thomas Barbin
Sassacus papenhoei in June 2023 by RL7836. - adult female - Ind1 - trick question: what is the color of this lady's abdomen?
Salticus peckhamae from Levee Rd, Davis, CA, US on January 17, 2022 at 04:00 PM by gwentomologist
Here are some other jumping spiders in the US:
Magnolia Green Jumping Spider from 4609 King St, Portsmouth, VA 23707, USA on June 8, 2018 at 06:52 PM by Rick McNelly
Common Hentz Jumping Spider in April 2022 by backyardmacrophotos
Slender Ant-mimic Jumping Spider in November 2020 by Thomas Shahan. on red painted gate
Pike Slender Jumper from Central Oklahoma City, Oklahoma City, OK, USA on June 18, 2018 at 11:30 AM by Buddy
Habronattus pyrrithrix from Las Vistas, Avondale, AZ 85392, USA on August 22, 2021 at 12:11 PM by kneubaue. Hopped onto an orange garden ha
There are also literally thousands of interesting jumping spiders that fill all sorts of different niches all over the world. This is just me being a bit salty but don't tell me that you "love jumping spiders" and they're your "favorite spiders" if you're just talking about a handful of Phidippus in the US and maybe a Hyllus species.
This extreme focus on Phidippus regius also has consequences when recommending spiders as ambassador animals to people with arachnophobia. Phidippus regius are only native to the extreme Southeastern United States, primarily in Florida and some Caribbean islands. Most people do not live where Phidippus regius occur naturally, so if you recommend this species as a first spider and it doesn't work out for whatever reason, the person who owns the spider is either left to euthanize it or try to rehome it. Someone who is arachnophobic and has determined they can no longer care for the spider is probably not going to take the time to rehome it, much less pack it for shipping if that is required. It is much better to recommend someone try to keep spiders that are local to their area, so if they determine they can no longer keep the spider it's easy to release them back into the wild.
Over-collecting
The extreme focus on Phidippus regius leads to my last point. Phidippus regius are not found in most of the US and the demand for them is extremely high. They are marginally bigger and generally more colorful than Phidippus audax, which are much more common and found throughout the United States. Most content on jumping spiders as pets focuses on Phidippus regius specifically. The demand for them is extremely high, and a large female can be sold for quite a lot. There's one wholesale store in particular that regularly sells adult female spiders (mostly wild caught) for 75-90$. This limited native range and high demand leads to excessive collecting.
This person supplies most of the wholesale wild caught Phidippus regius. Most of the sub-adult to adult spiders you will buy come from this person, but I need to stress that similar mass collecting operations are happening all over Florida (even in protected areas as populations are harder to find outside of protected spaces). Each of these deli cups has a jumping spider in it, and from his Facebook posts they collect a similar output week to week. (link to a post talking about this some more)
Phidippus audax get almost as big as Phidippus regius and have similar behaviors to them, but are largely passed over in favor of the larger regius. This leads to collecting practices like this. If you are going to get a Phidippus regius at the very least ensure you are getting one that has been captive bred. The publicity and the misrepresentation of jumping spiders as being intelligent curious, or dog-like has real consequences on the demand and collection of these animals. Also keep in mind that Florida collection not only supplies the US demand for these spiders, but for Phidippus regius sales around the world, as they are primarily found in Florida.
Conclusion
Not entirely sure how to end this as this is the accumulation of a lot of different thoughts I have on jumping spiders. I do like jumping spiders and I do think they are fascinating, primarily I want people to stop anthropomorphizing them and generalizing intelligence studies that have been done on Portia to all jumping spiders. I also think there are other spiders that make good entry level spiders, some of my favorite spiders are also extremely easy to keep. If you're scared of spiders, one of the best ways to help get over your fear is to learn more about them, I highly recommend Travis McEnery's Youtube Channel (link). He is one of the most informative and diligent educators on common spiders you are likely to find in and around your house.
If you really want to try to keep a spider as a pet, I recommend starting with a wild caught spider from your area. For one, it can help you appreciate the spiders you see frequently more, and for two there is much less commitment and pressure. You can keep a spider for as long as you are comfortable, even just observe them for a few hours and then release them. Almost all spiders are also incredibly easy to keep, and the ones you would find in your home are going to be very undemanding for care. I hope this was informative.
