What kind of spider is this? - Phidippus audax

These are great spiders to study

Jumping spiders are a GREAT subject to study to help overcome arachnophobia. They're cute, they're smart, and they're beneficial to your house and garden. They're also fun to play with--I caught several and fed them flies, read up on them, studied them to overcome my fear of spiders. I've heard them called "the cats of the spider world", and I think it's an apt description.

This one WAS following your every move. They have good enough eyesight to interact with the world around them (like to a finger or hand, or to people coming in and out of the room). They see clearly up to 2 feet away or so--that's about the sharpest vision of any spider--but they can see and react to big things (like humans) from 10+ feet away. They are the only spiders that can watch TV (how cool is THAT?).

I highly recommend studying these guys. If you want to overcome your arachnophobia, these critters are the ambassadors to deal with. :-)

… David Brady, 7 July, 2004 - 8:33am

Definitely the most entertaining kind of spider

I remember encountering my first jumping spider. It helped me overcome a childhood fear of spiders that I had developed (my room was a magnet to house spiders). These arachnids are simply amazing, with a very human quality to the way they look around. I'd say that Chalain's description is spot-on. At one time I had a small jump spider leaping from finger to finger for nearly 10 full minutes, before I decided to give it a rest. ;-)

… Gary Kline, 18 September, 2004 - 12:03pm

About the picture

A very nice picture
Salticids had superficialy like a human looking

… Daniel Abraham, 6 July, 2004 - 10:37am

A Phidippid...

the most likely species, audax. ( Bold Spider )

… Tom Adams, 5 July, 2004 - 8:58pm

Jumping Spider

Some type of jumping spider, but without being able to see a dorsal view it's difficult to tell which one exactly. At any rate, it's nothing to be afraid of.

… Troy Bartlett, 5 July, 2004 - 8:29pm