Please note, this product is for one Juvenile/Subadult Phidippus audax!

SPECIAL NOTE: USPS forbids shipping venomous spiders or scorpions in the mail. Because of this, we ship these animals via FedEx or Priority Overnight for a flat fee of $39.99.

Defining Characteristics: 

• A daytime hunting spider, this species chases their prey rather than catching it in their web.
• Have a nearly 360° field of view.
• An incredibly intelligent spider, they can be taught to jump from one hand to another and even navigate small obstacle courses.
• Have been known to jump up to 50x their body length, they use an "anchor web" constantly trailing behind them as a makeshift bungee in case of an unsuccessful landing.

Name: Phidippus audax -  the name translates to "jumper" (Phidippus), and "the audacious" or "daring" (audax). Thus its scientific name translates to “The Daring Jumper” or "The Bold Jumper". Its common name is derived pretty much verbatim from its scientific name.

Recommended Enclosure Size: Keep in mind that for baby jumping spiders, you want to make sure your ventilation holes are small enough that they can’t escape. For a baby, a 20 oz container or something of similar size would offer sufficient space. Upsize to something closer to a 32 oz container once it has undergone 4-5 successful molts. For an adult, select a container that is at least 1 cubic foot in size as they need room for hunting and enrichment. Either plastic or glass work well, as long as the enclosure is well ventilated.

Temperature: Phidippus audax thrive in temperatures around 75F, or even room temperature. Do not let temperatures drop below 50F or rise above 85F. Direct sunlight should be avoided as it may raise the temperature too high in the enclosure. 

Humidity: Around 50%. While ambient room humidity will generally do, they do need a dry area as well as a wet area so they have access to water. A daily light misting of one side of the terrarium works well, and sphagnum moss is an excellent way to maintain humidity in exceptionally dry areas.

Size: Females measure from 8mm to 15mm in length, and males between 6mm and 13mm, at the time of sale the Phidippus audax will be between 6mm-12mm, between juvenile and adult size.

Age: At the time of purchase, the Phidippus audax will be a juvenile around 4-6 months old. They are known to live between 8 months - 2 years depending on sex.

Feeding: Phiddipus audax eat a large variety of insects and should be offered food every 3 days. Uneaten food should not be left in for long durations as prey can be hazardous during molting. An important part of getting your jumping spider to eat is correct lighting: an LED light or something similar should be provided at least 8 hours a day as they are a daytime hunter. Fruit flies and crickets should be a staple diet, the size of the prey depending on the size of your spider. At the time of purchase they are eating hydei fruit flies.

Sexing: Due to their age, P. audax sold by Josh's Frogs are unsexed. The specimen must be mature in order to determine the sex - immature specimens will have bright orange markings that turn white upon maturity. An adult female has an epigynum on the ventral side between the spiracles (lungs), whereas an adult male has larger chelicerae, bigger eyes, a larger cephalothorax, and a thinner abdomen than an adult female.The colors of an adult male's markings and chelicerae will often times stand out more and sometimes appear different than those of an adult female.

Color/Pattern: Babies and juveniles have orange markings but become white upon maturity. If your jumping spider has orange stripes or spots on it, it is not yet mature. Whereas if it has white stripes or spots, it is a mature spider. The most common coloration of these spiders is black, dark chocolate brown and creamy white upon maturity, but this can vary by sex or locale.

Social Behavior: This spider should be housed alone, if housed with others, it is likely that they will become territorial and eat their tank mate.

Breeding: Female jumping spiders only mate once, and can produce up to 6 egg sacs during their lifespan. Male jumping spiders will often wave their pedipalps as a means of impressing the female, almost like a dance. When they feel safe to approach the female, they’ll wave their pedipalps to show that they are not a threat.

Natural Range: Phidippus audax are known all throughout North America, with some dimorphism based on locale.

Links of Interest: Arachnoboards: a community of spider enthusiasts that will be able to or have already answered almost any question you can think of with regards to spiders.

http://arachnoboards.com/

Still not sure if the Bold Jumping Spider from Josh's Frogs is the right pet bug for you? Read the reviews below and see what other customers are saying!