Jumping Spider by Chipka
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Description
Though my fondness for woodlice remains unchallenged, I will admit to an abiding affection for jumping spiders as well. To tell the truth, I like quite a number of small, multi-legged species, but ultimately, woodlice, jumping spiders, and yellow jackets will draw my attention the most. Yellow jackets are so obviously showy, so brazen in their attempts to steal peach flavored tea, and so incredibly fashion forward that it’s impossible to dislike them. Woodlice are simply a manifestation of everything perfect in the universe; and jumping spiders—well, they’re supremely fascinating. And to top it off, they’re cute! Maybe it’s the fuzz and the striking fuzz-patterns; maybe it’s their well-designed fuzz. They have fuzzy feet after all, and each strand of foot hair bifurcates into still more foot-hair strands with FEET on the ends of them. Aside from all of their other intriguing attributes, jumping spiders are the only creatures I know of with multitudes of feet on the ends of their feet. How cool is that?
I saw this spider yesterday. As usual, I was at the infamous truck yard, just wandering around and looking for something to photograph. I found this little guy on the hulking trailer that will—once again—shelter colonies of yellow jackets. I didn’t find any active hives yet, but it’s still early in the year, and I doubt that I’ll see anything until May. I saw a jumping spider instead. Just one. But he was enough. At least I think it was a male. It’s hard to tell. Jumping spiders differentiate the sexes by their particular appearance in UV light; since Humans aren’t equipped with UV-vision, we have to check naughty bits, and well…jumping spiders are notoriously private; they don’t let you flip them over and examine the ventral sections of their backsides with forceps and magnifying glasses. They’ll let you get a good look at them, but not too closely.
Unlike most spiders, jumpers are quite inquisitive. Some among them are also the only spiders known to feed regularly on nectar and pollen as well as insects. Unlike grasshoppers and other famous jumpers, these particular spiders achieve their leaping feats with the aid of sophisticated hydraulic systems rather than conventional muscles. Hydraulic locomotion is something I’ve only heard of in the arachnid world: oh sure, we have our own variations, but hey…spiders did it first…but then, what do you expect from creatures with feet on the ends of their feet?
As always, thank you for viewing, reading, and commenting, and I hope you're all having a great weekend.
Comments (29)
TwoPynts
Wonderfully done!
kgb224
Outstanding capture my friend.
MrsRatbag
Hmm, I don't know...I'm not as keen on spiders as you are, although I love a good macro of these guys' eyes. Maybe it's the juxtaposition of "jumping" with "spider" that freaks me out. It's bad enough when spiders drop down on a web two inches from your face while you're showering in a supposedly spider-free zone, but to think of them ambushing you unexpectedly while you're walking around thinking of other things...it's the stuff of nightmares for me! But I will happily read your writings on just about anything you care to write about, even spidery critters with FEET ON THEIR FEET!!!!
Sepiasiren
Ahhhh kill it, kill it, kill iiiiittttt! jumps on chair great photo though shudders
danapommet
Sweet capture Chip! All nature's creatures have a good side and you caught this one. Beautiful marking. Dana
blinkings
Well seen mate.
auntietk
Well, it's very pretty, and all those feet are pretty amazing. I'm glad you found one!
LovelyPoetess
Ohhhh, I just adore these little critters! They are cute, in a very much teddy-bear way (at least in my eyes) I found one perched on my glass Friday while at work, unfortunately my camera was at home. So I'll gladly admire your shot of this fine footed fellow. : )
myrrhluz
He is a very handsome little guy. I like his markings. I could happily stay a while and watch him. When the yellow jackets arrive, I'm gone. I have a strong memory of running and playing, feeling a very unpleasant sting and having my leg swell up alarmingly. Maybe I'm not allergic to them anymore, but I'd just as soon not test it. But I'll also happily read your writings even on showy, brazen yellow jackets! I love your image here! Beautiful detail and he shows up very nicely against the faded aqua paint.
mbz2662
Yay! I was very entertained with your writing and photo. I have never much cared for spiders.. they usually move too fast, and which ones are poisonous? Put a camera in my hand and I'll even try to take a photo of a spider now! I've discovered they usually don't care about me anyway :) (i just stay away from the black shiny ones with the red hourglass and anything that looks like it might be a brown recluse!) Thanks Chip for this lovely narrative and photo!
beachzz
Yeah, the jumping part kinda, sorta, just a little bit freaks me out. it'd be just MY luck that he'd jump just as I was pressing the shutter. THAT would be a very interesting shot!!
minos_6
Good of him to pose so nicely next to a crack in the paint. Very nice capture.
dochtersions
What an outstanding spider, On this ground he comes up well. Love that green/blue color.
durleybeachbum
Extremely good-looking! We don't have exactly the same species amongst our jumping ones, but some very similar. Super clear pic!
whaleman
The spliting of the feet into more feet continues down to the 'nano' level, which is what allows them, like a fly, to walk upside down on surfaces that are very smooth, like a gecko walking across the ceiling. The thing I like about jumping spiders is that they turn to face you, and if you move around they will move to keep facing you.
flavia49
great little spider and capture!! splendid text!
jmb007
belle araignee!!
romanceworks
Feet on the ends of their feet-quite an interesting little fellow, although the jumping part, if directed toward me, would freak me out a bit. CC
helanker
This is a great shot of this beautiful little fellow. I actually like when the legs are not very thin. So this is to me one og the nicer ones :-)))
zulaan
Beautiful little spider ! Cool colors !
wingnut55
i have to agree with you, these little spiders do pass as cute. I think since the they actually go out hunting it makes them seem quite noble. from memory, i think there is a species of jumper which can give humans a painful bite, but not a serious one.
sandra46
great idea! wonderful shot! i had no idea that spiders were so varied and interesting, and I have never seen a jumping spider before.
KatesFriend
Consider how alien these things are to us and yet they still share the same world with us. Makes one wonder about what other weird and elegant lifeforms there are to be discovered in a greater cosmos on planets very different from our own. These spiders used to be quite common in my part of the world. I'd see one or two a week in my own home growing up. I'd see them crawling on the screen door to our backyard. But, I don't recall seeing one in quite a long time. Much like the cherry red lady bugs of my youth, they've disappeared here.
Alex_Antonov
Excellent!
watapki66
Wonderful image!
Iceshark39
Fantastic shot and facinating story...but, just for me....I think I'll keep to my studies of equines, lupines, felines and raptors....maybe the occasional dragon. :-)
kasalin
Wonderful idea and capture !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
flora-crassella
a very nice spider! GREAT macro!!!!!
lick.a.witch
What a beauty! I adore these tiny beasts, especially their innate curiosity when confronted with one of our species. Lovely image. ^=^