They have also been observed taking on prey items up to 3 times the length of the spider, such as some of the smaller species of moth. They have been observed feeding on mosquitos that are almost twice their length. Zebra spiders tend to hunt smaller spiders and other arthropods. Spiders have also been known to enter houses, where they can often be found living in the corner of windowsills. Due to their preference for open, vertical habitats they are often found living in proximity to humans in urban habitat such as on garden fences and the walls of buildings. This species is naturally associated with open habitats such as rock faces, shingle beaches and occasionally the trunks of trees. Zebra spiders are widespread across Europe, North America, and North Asia, where they are found throughout the Holarctic. These small spiders are black with white hairs that form stripes. In total there are eight eyes, with the very large anterior median eyes primarily responsible for its excellent binocular vision. Spiders in the family Salticidae have especially enlarged anterior median eyes (AME), though the anterior and posterior lateral eyes (ALE, PLE) are also large when compared to the very small posterior median eyes (PME). Male zebra spiders have distinctly larger chelicerae than females. Description įemale zebra spiders are 5–9 mm long, while males are 5–6 mm. Their common name refers to their vivid black-and-white colouration, whilst their scientific name derives from Salticus from the Latin for “dancing”, in reference to their agility, and the Greek scenicus, translating to “theatrical” or “of a decorative place,” in reference to the flashy, zebra-like coloration of the species. I have seen several of these outside my home in Tomah, WI (not far from MN).The zebra spider ( Salticus scenicus) is a common jumping spider of the Northern Hemisphere. Could the spider have hitchhiked here?įound on house boat on the Mississippi.
Simply email us at sure to include a location. Male Body Length: ⅛ ″ to 3 ⁄ 16 ″ (4 to 5.5 mm) On the female they are less prominently marked.įemale Body Length: ⅛ ″ to ¼ ″ (4 to 6.5 mm) The legs on the male are pale with many dark rings and streaks. On the female the abdomen is lighter and less iridescent. The abdomen is brown and iridescent, with a white band at the base, two pairs of white oblique bands, and a little white at the tip near the spinnerets. On the upper (dorsal) side, there is usually a white spot in the center just above the AME and a white spot behind each PLE. A white stripe extends along each lateral margin of the carapace from the clypeus to the rear margin. The plate on the face above the mouth (clypeus) is white. The PLE are set far back on the head and are almost exactly as far apart as the ALE. The third row of eyes is the posterior lateral eyes (PLE). They are very small and are barely or not at all noticeable on most photos. The second row of two eyes are the posterior median eyes (PME). The AME are about twice as large as the ALE. They are by far the largest of all of the eyes and can be moved. The AME are the middle and forward-most pair of these.
The first row of four eyes, consisting of the anterior median eyes (AME) and anterior lateral eyes (ALE), is curved backward. There are four pairs of eyes arranged in what appears to be three rows occupying a little less than half of the length of the carapace. On the female the chelcerae are vertical and are normal in size. In the groove there is a single large tooth near the base of the fang, a smaller tooth one third from the base, and an even smaller one much further down. At the tip of each chelcera there is a long fang that fits into a groove under the chelcera when not extended. The jaw-like mouthparts (chelcerae) on the male are very long and project forward and outward.
The plate covering the cephalothorax (carapace) is dark brown, about 1 ½ times longer than wide, and moderately convex when viewed from the side. The legs are ¼ ″ to 5 ⁄ 16 ″ (6 to 8 mm) long. The male is a little smaller, 3 ⁄ 16 ″ to ¼ ″ (5 to 7 mm) long. The female is ⅛ ″ to ¼ ″ (4 to 6.5 mm) long not including the legs. It occurs across Europe and North America. Zebra jumper is a small, common, easy to recognize jumping spider.
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