I’m excited to finally share a post on this amazing little creature.
From the exotic, far-away lands of a backyard in eastern Oregon, a small jumping spider with a red, white, and blue face roams wild and free, hunting flies, leaf-hoppers, and other spiders. Behold, the adult male Habronattus americanus!
Jumping spiders have excellent vision, so these bold colors are helpful in attracting a mate.
While not as visually striking, the females and immature males do a better job of blending in with their surroundings. They are a brownish-gray color with dark markings. Below is what I am pretty sure is an immature male (identifying non-adult spiders can be a bit tricky), which will eventually molt to become a colorful adult.
From what I have read online, these spiders can be found throughout much of the western United States, and from my limited personal observations, they seem to like staying near ground-level. So the next time you venture into your backyard, be on the lookout something about the size of a pencil eraser sporting these unmistakable colors – it’s the Habronattus americanus!
The twins and I made spiders the other day. I was able to show them your pictures of spiders to give them information about eyes. Thanks, Mark!
That’s neat!
These are amazingly colorful and cute…..(dare I say a spider is cute!!!) But these definitely are!! Thanks for sharing your amazing macro photos!
For a jumping spider, it’s a well-calculated dare.
hahahaha!! 🙂 🙂
Pretty cute! Hee Hee!