A Jumping Spider Who Didn’t Bother
My Nature Journal Summary
| Date | July 30, 2022 |
| Time | 11:45AM EDT |
| Temperature | 88°F / 31°C |
| Weather | Scattered clouds, lots of sun |
| Wind | 5mph, 0° N to S |
| Humidity | 61% |
| Habitat | Weed and vine-choked disturbed road cut. |
| Animals Encountered | Brilliant Jumping Spider (Phidippus clarus) |
My Nature Journal Photos
Brilliant Jumping Spider Phidippus clarus
I encountered this handsome Brilliant Jumping Spider amidst the overgrown vegetation covering the steep incline of a road cut. He foiled my every attempt to photograph him from different angles.
Jumping spiders have excellent vision, and this guy could see me clearly. He matched every move I made and turned his body to face me head on. We danced this curious little dance for several minutes.
At one point, I startled him into hiding. He surprised me by running rather than jumping away. I was further taken aback by just how quickly he disappeared and I was lucky to catch his sprint on video.
Clearly, spiders who can run as fast as this one get to choose whether to run or jump at will. This colorful fellow clearly decided running out of reach at lightning speed was sufficient. Check out the video below to experience just how fast this spider moved.
