grayish jumping spider

Grayish jumping spider is a common, medium-sized spider. It occurs in the United States and southern Canada east of the Great Plains. It is common in Minnesota. It is found in meadows, old fields, the understory of hardwood forests, and woodland edges. It has also been found in the nests of mud dauber wasps. Adults are most commonly seen in spring and in late summer to fall.

Grayish jumping spider is small to medium-sized for a jumping spider, but it is one of the largest jumping spiders in our area. Females are ¼″ to ½″ (6.00 to 11.46 mm) in length. Males are much smaller, 3⁄16″ to 5⁄16″ (4.36 to 8.54 mm) in length. Adults have a ⅜″ to ⅝″ (10 to 15 mm) legspan. The body is heavy and very hairy.

The front part of the body (cephalothorax) is robust. The plate covering the cephalothorax (carapace) is longer than wide, high, and convex, not flat. On the male it is very dark brown, on the female it is lighter. On the male, the area defined by the eyes (ocular quadrangle) is iridescent. The rear part of the ocular quadrangle is sparse.

There are four pairs of eyes arranged in what appears to be three rows. The first row of four eyes is curved backward. The middle and forward-most pair of these is by far the largest of all of the eyes and can be moved. The second row of two eyes is closer to the first row than it is to the third row, which is set far back on the head. The second and third rows form a square. The jaws (chelicerae) are small. On the female, the chelicerae have a white band and a white fringe. There are two sensory appendages (palps) associated with the mouthparts. On the male, each palp has a conspicuous white stripe on top (dorsally).

The rear part of the body (abdomen) is egg shaped, widest in the middle, and tapered to the end. The abdomen of the male in the north, including Minnesota, is entirely tan except for a row of black spots on each side near the middle (median spots). In the south, the abdomen of the male may be tan or orange. On the female, the abdomen is entirely brown or tan, usually without any spots.

The legs are short and hairy. On the male, the fringe on the front legs has an alternating black and white fringe. The fringe is short to medium except on the fifth leg segment (tibia), where it is long.

Female Body Length: ¼″ to ½″ (6.00 to 11.46 mm)

Male Body Length: 3⁄16″ to 5⁄16″ (4.36 to 8.54 mm)

Legspan: ⅜″ to ⅝″ (10 to 15 mm)

Spring and late summer to fall

Grayish jumping spider hunts by chasing prey on vegetation.

Early stage spiderlings overwinter. Adults reach maturity in the spring.

Sources

29, 30, 82, 83.

Edwards, G. B. (2004). Revision of the jumping spiders of the genus Phidippus (Araneae: Salticidae). Occasional Papers of the Florida State Collection of Arthropods 11: 1-156.

Common

Phidippus princeps grayish jumping spider (no common name)

Phidippus princeps on common milkweed, Asclepias syriaca, Barnes Prairie, Racine, WI. These cute jumpers were very tolerant of the close proximity of my macro camera, and ran up and down the milkweed stems, enabling me to get a number of nice pictures on Sept. 4, 2022. I've only seen these spiders living in tallgrass prairie habitat over the last seven years. I've found them on wild bergamot, common milkweed, compass plant and Canada goldenrod. Photos are of two different spiders, each about 8 mm long.

Phidippus princeps - Jumping Spider
Dick Walton

Cute Jumping Spider-Female Phidippus Princeps
Torn80cj

Macro Video of a Phidippus princeps Jumping Spider
Thomas Shahan

Location: Barnes Prairie, Racine Co., WI

Phidippus princeps on common milkweed, Asclepias syriaca, Barnes Prairie, Racine, WI. These cute jumpers were very tolerant of the close proximity of my macro camera, and ran up and down the milkweed stems, enabling me to get a number of nice pictures on Sept. 4, 2022. I've only seen these spiders living in tallgrass prairie habitat over the last seven years. I've found them on wild bergamot, common milkweed, compass plant and Canada goldenrod. Photos are of two different spiders, each about 8 mm long.