Sitting on a railroad tie along one of our flower beds, I looked down to see a small group of jumping spiders in the dry, weedy grass. Yellow-orange patches on their cephalothorax and abdomen indicated that they were female Apache jumping spiders, a species common across central latitudes of the U.S.
Like all jumping spiders, they have excellent vision, provided by four pair of eyes (including a large, dominant pair). Foraging in the bright sunshine, they search for a wide variety of small insects and will return to their den if clouds role in. Unlike many spiders, jumping spiders do not spin webs but do use silk to create a nest for their young or a cozy retreat for themselves; the nest is typically placed in a protected crevice among rocks or logs. The life span of these small, active arachnids is generally about one year; Apache jumping spiders overwinter in their immature stage.
It is always interesting to come across small creatures that, if not for sheer luck, might otherwise go unnoticed. Some landscapes, such as our weedy, dry "lawns", would not seem attractive to many species of wildlife; but, if we stop and look, we are often surprised to discover an amazing diversity of fascinating creatures. Backyard safaris are often rewarding.
Like all jumping spiders, they have excellent vision, provided by four pair of eyes (including a large, dominant pair). Foraging in the bright sunshine, they search for a wide variety of small insects and will return to their den if clouds role in. Unlike many spiders, jumping spiders do not spin webs but do use silk to create a nest for their young or a cozy retreat for themselves; the nest is typically placed in a protected crevice among rocks or logs. The life span of these small, active arachnids is generally about one year; Apache jumping spiders overwinter in their immature stage.
It is always interesting to come across small creatures that, if not for sheer luck, might otherwise go unnoticed. Some landscapes, such as our weedy, dry "lawns", would not seem attractive to many species of wildlife; but, if we stop and look, we are often surprised to discover an amazing diversity of fascinating creatures. Backyard safaris are often rewarding.
