Scientific name: Phidippus sp.

Common name: Jumping spider

A jumping spider Phidippus sp.

Taxonomy:

Economic importance

Generalist predator.

Hosts

Leafhoppers.

Description

Phidippus sp. is a brown jumping spider. It has two bulging eyes and these are arranged in three distinct rows. It has a broadly or partly ovoid abdomen. The abdomen has a light transverse basal band. Brown hairs cover the body.

The male jumping spider has normal chelicerae. It has eyebrows in the eye region.

Biology and ecology

A female spider produces 60 to 90 spiderlings in her lifetime of 2 to 4 months. The elongated eggs are laid in a mass. They are covered with silk within a folded leaf. The female guards the egg mass.

The jumping spider is common in dryland habitats. It stays in the rice foliage and hunts for its prey. It also waits for its prey by hiding in a small retreat web in a folded leaf. It also feeds on other small insects.

Selected references

Barrion AT, Litsinger JA. 1994. Taxonomy of rice insect pests and their arthropod parasites and predators. In: Biology and management of rice insects. Manila (Philippines): International Rice Research Institute. p 13-362. Shepard BM, Barrion AT, Litsinger JA. 1987. Helpful insects, spiders and pathogens. Manila (Philippines): International Rice Research Institute. 127 p.