jumping spiders range from 1mm-25mm in body length the largest being the hyllus giganteus.

        

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

         PHIDIPPUS REGIUS CARE.

Many people are afraid of spiders, it is known of as arachnophobia. However, there is a new species in town that is getting many people over this fear. This is the Jumping Spider Phidippus regius.

Unlike the spiders that we are used to seeing, the Phidippus regius belongs to the salticidae family, also called jumping spiders. These spiders use their sight and as the name suggests jump to catch their prey. This means they need to be provided with bright light for 12 hrs each day to thrive.
Far from being the size of a tarantula, they can still measure up to 18mm (0,7”) for the males and 22mm (0,86”) for the females. They often live for 1 to 2 years if kept in the right conditions.
It is quite easy to determine their sex once they reach a decent size.
  The Male will normally be black and white in colour, and his chelicerae (mouthparts) will be Blue-green
  As for the Female, she can be various colours and her chelicerae will often be pinkish in colour, but hidden by her palpi which are covered in white hairs.
                      

                               Required equipment.

A terrarium. One per spider: You could use glass or acrylic enclosures as long as there is ventilation at the top and bottom to allow for airflow, but I recommend the dimensions to be a minimum 15x15x15cm (6”). This will ensure your spider has enough space to thrive. I also personally advise to choose a terrarium that can be opened from the side, due to the fact that a Phidippus regius will usually spin its own small cocoon (web) at the top of the enclosure. It will spend a lot of time in this, including molting, that it will do six to eight times after leaving the egg sac to reach Adult, and it would be a shame to damage it every time that the tank is opened.
Do not use to much decor: These spiders do not hunt using a web. They will attack/jump on their prey, attaching a safety line before committing in-case they miss. Thus why not give them a stimulating hunting ground and a maximum of space to live in.

                               Environment.

Unlike many animals that we commonly keep, the Phidippus regius is used to a more temperate climate, they are from South Eastern America, especially Florida and the Bahamas.
We recommend 22-26°C. It’s even possible to expand the interval up to 20-28°C but you shouldn’t go beyond these limits.
If it is warm where you are, you can keep them at room temperature. But if you live somewhere cold then a little heat mat on the side or back will do no harm. Do not forget that a heat mat will require a thermostat cable inside the enclosure to control the temperature.
As far as humidity goes, misting the side of the tank, away from the Spider, every couple of days is sufficient for this species.
The bottom of the tank should have a substrate layer. If you want it to be bioactive, then it should have a membrane underneath to separate it from a drainage layer. We prefer clay/bio balls ourselves. Our substrate consists of a mix of coconut fiber, peat and orchid bark. Planting with Fittonia or a broad leaved plant like Pothos looks much better than plastic flowers. The substrate should be seeded with clean up crew of Springtails and Tropical woodlice. These will eat waste food and any mold that may form once established.

The Enclosure you choose to use should not be put on a window sill as it will overheat very quickly in direct sunlight. Kitchens are also not recommended due to cooking fumes and cleaning chemicals.

Any Pets treated with Flea chemicals should not be allowed in the same room for at least two days after application.

                                    Feeding.

The type of food offered, depends on the size of the Spider. At small instars the slings will need to be fed on melongaster fruit flies or Aphids. Hydei friut flies can be provided as they grow on. Moving onto Green and then Bluebottles as they near the Subadult stage. Flies are the most nutritional feeders by far. Some people will feed Mealworms and Crickets, but we do not use or recommend them and if you use them, they should not be fed any that  are more than half their size, because they can bite and carry parasites.




          HYLLUS DIARDI CARE.

 

Coming from a tropical area means that these Spiders are harder to care for. Their needs are greater than most other Jumping Spiders. They need higher temperatures and humidity to thrive in captivity. A very friendly, inquisitive species.

 

A Male and Female are easy to distinguish from a fairly young age because the males are much darker, almost black and the Females are much lighter in colours ranging from light greens to almost white. Males once Adult will have the bulbous palps and the Females an Epigynum below her abdomen, behind where her legs meet.

 

Enclosure.

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Being arboreal they like to climb, so the enclosure needs to be tall rather than wide. We have found that one around 15x15x30 cm made from glass or acrylic seems to suit an Adult fine. It needs to have a front opening door or be hinged in the middle and good cross ventilation so that there is good air flow at all times. They tend to build their molting or egg sac web at the top of the enclosure, so a top opening one would damage them when you open it.

Environment.

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In order to keep good humidity at over 70% a bioactive set up is the best way forward. You will also need a heat mat and thermostat to control the temperature inside the enclosure. They need temperatures between 28 and 31 c. A good thermometer/hygrometer is essential to monitor the conditions inside.

Live plants are better for them than the plastic type. We use Golden Pothos (Epipremnum pinnatum)  and Wandering Jew (Tradescantia zebrina) that seem to thrive at these temperatures. Misting the tank side daily and dampening the substrate help to maintain a good humidity level.

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