Yesterday I was going up to a park bench to lock my bike to it when I saw the most enormous bold jumping spider (Phidippus audax) poking her head out from between two slats. She had a spacious silk retreat with a well-wrapped egg sac. She was shy, but I gradually lured her out by lightly dragging a blade of grass across one opening of the retreat, and she stalked and pounced on it, like a cat.
I find that contrary to their name bold jumpers are very shy at first, but once they've gotten used to you they are unafraid and will climb all over you. Unfortunately I didn't have time to properly make friends with this spider.
#DailySpiderPic#JumpingSpiders #spiders#Araneae#Salticidae#ArthroBeauty
Dorsal view of the jumping spider's abdomen as she climbs behind the rail. It has bands of matte and shiny black, and white markings like ">:D"
The jumping spider fully out, staring at something out of the frame. Her large abdomen, rising above her head, is partly visible.
The jumping spider coming out of the retreat on the other side of the rail, with her front legs visible. She is black with white markings.
The head of a bold jumping spider peeking out from behind a metal rail on the back of a bench. She has eyelash-like tufts of hair, large round eyes front and centre, and metallic green chelicerae.