Jumping spiders (Araneae: Salticidae) attacking and eating vertebrates: an update
Abstract
In this study, we provide an update on the knowledge of vertebrate-eating jumping spiders. Twenty-four reports of jumping spider predation on vertebrates are known, which are attributed to seven species: Hyllus diardi (Walckenaer, 1837), H. semicupreus (Simon, 1885), H. treleaveni GW Peckham & EG Peckham, 1902, Paraphidippus cf. aurantius, Phidippus bidentatus FO Pickard-Cambridge, 1901, P. regius CL Koch, 1846, and an unknown species apparently related to Hasarius Simon, 1871. In addition, several unsuccessful predation attempts by Phidippus audax (Hentz, 1845) on hummingbird and chickadee nestlings are documented. Furthermore, an incident of Phidippus otiosus (Hentz, 1846) feeding on an oversized gecko carcass (likely a case of scavenging) is reported. Overall, incidents of vertebrate predation by salticids are likely to be, in most cases, very rare chance encounters between a tiny vertebrate and a hungry spider. In contrast, the case of Phidippus regius is unique for salticids as—to the current state of knowledge—this is the only salticid species in which vertebrate consumption has been reported numerous times (n = 18) and in many different locations (11 different Florida counties, USA).
Martin Nyffeler, Alireza Zamani, Bruce Cutler, Kenneth L. Krysko "Jumping spiders (Araneae: Salticidae) attacking and eating vertebrates: an update," The Journal of Arachnology, 53(2), 143-149, (10 December 2025) https://doi.org/10.1636/JoA-S-23-034