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pale jumping spider
pale jumping spider (Thiodina sylvana)
Photo © Rob Curtis, The Early Birder
Features and Behaviors
FEATURES
The pale, or woodland, jumping spider is dark brown with four streaks of white on the sides of the thorax. Its abdomen is yellow-brown and has a pair of narrow white lines that are surrounded by small, black spots. The first two pairs of legs are black, while the second two pairs of legs are lighter in color. The female averages about one-half inch in length, while the male is about three-eighths inch long.
BEHAVIORS
The pale jumping spider may be found statewide in Illinois. It lives in shrubs and other undergrowth in forests. This spider builds silken retreats for molting or hibernating but does not build webs as traps. It hunts by sight, capturing its insect prey with a sudden jump.
Illinois Range
Taxonomy
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Family: Salticidae
Illinois Status: common, native
