Neutrino (Phidippus audax) A friend of mine caught this jumping spider in his car. Several more of the same species have been found and make their homes in jars in my living room. Quick stats: Name: Neutrino Species: Phidippus audax Sex: Juvinile female? Size (approx): ½"-1¼" legspan Enclosure: Small vial Substrate: 1" deep bed-a-beast Furnishings: Small piece of cork Neutrino's photo album Species Information: Phidippus audax, or Bold jumper, is found across most of North America and is one of the most common jumping spiders. Jumping spiders are known for having the best vision of all the spiders, which is quite easy to see when you look into their eyes! They can stalk their prey from quite a distance and jump several inches to capture their prey. They'll build a small shelter out of silk, and don't usually seem to stray far from it.

Is this guy cool or what?

Feeding: They're capable of taking down crickets as large or larger than they are. In fact, they'll pretty much ignore prey less than half their size.

"C" is for crickets, and that's good enough for me.

Housing: Even though they're small, they take advantage of the space provided by a good sized jar (16-32oz). They stalk their prey from a distance and then pounce from as far away as long as several inches. Even a good sized aquarium wouldn't be too big for them. I usually give them some sort of substrate, but it's not essential. They don't need much moisture, but they'll tolerate quite a bit. They're usually at room temperature.

Temperment: It seems to vary among individuals. Some are more feisty than others. They'll usually run and hide, but if cornered, they'll jump and try to bite your finger. They have incredible vision, and you can see their eyes follow your finger or a pencil or something. Supposedly they'll chase a mouse cursor around the screen if placed on a monitor.

Molting: None yet in my care!

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