Not all spiders use webs to catch their food, so if you find yourself dodging cobwebs on Halloween, this spider is innocent! With their enormous front eyes, the jumping spider is able to locate its prey, but also determine its speed and trajectory so it can jump and intercept it in the air! They can leap distances of 25x their own height - that's like an average human woman jumping over a 10-storey apartment building!!
This type of spider is among the most intelligent, and makes up about 10% of all spiders world wide. Although they don't use silk for webs and catching prey, jumping spiders do use it to make nests, to create drag lines, and for their egg cases. The red-backed jumping spider pictured here (no relation to the venomous Australian red-backed spider) is one of the largest and most common jumping spiders in Western North America.
Interested in more local wildlife? Check out our resource library.
Have a safe and happy Halloween!