Jumping Spider
Small, compact spiders with large forward-facing eyes and the ability to leap many times their body length. Active daytime hunters of flies, aphids, and other small insects.
Why you want them
Jumping spiders are daytime predators that hunt by sight, stalking prey across open leaf surfaces and flower heads. They are particularly effective at catching flies, aphids, and small caterpillars on exposed plant surfaces where web-building spiders cannot operate. Their large eyes give them excellent binocular vision, making them precise and efficient hunters. They are completely harmless to humans and frequently approach with obvious curiosity.
Helps control
How to attract them
- Open, sunny planting
- Structural surfaces for hunting
- No pesticide use
Preferred habitat
On open surfaces - leaves, fences, walls, and sunny stems. They do not build webs for prey capture and are active during daylight hours, resting in silk retreats at night.
What harms them
Pesticide use, loss of diverse vegetation structure, and over-tidying that removes potential prey and shelter.
Things to know
Jumping spiders are curious and will often turn to face an observer. They are entirely harmless and can only bite defensively if firmly pressed - the effect is negligible.
Related pest guides
Garden, by Willowbottom works with nature, not against it. Support your garden allies and they will do most of the hard work for you.