Strange spotted Spider spotted

[tiger15]

Do not mix up jumping spiders with other spiders.

Jumping spiders (family Salticidae) as a group are not dangerous to humans. Here's a quick breakdown:

Key Facts:​

• Venomous? Yes, like most spiders, they have venom to subdue prey—but it's not harmful to humans.
• Bite danger? Very low. They almost never bite unless provoked (e.g., trapped in clothing).
• Symptoms of bite (rare cases):
  
  • Mild pain or itching
  • Redness or swelling
  • These symptoms usually go away on their own.

Why They’re Not Dangerous:​

• They’re small (often less than 1/2 inch).
• They’re not aggressive toward humans.
• Their fangs are tiny and rarely penetrate human skin.
• Their venom is not medically significant.

Bonus:​

• They’re curious, have excellent vision, and some are even considered cute.
• They help control pests like mosquitoes and flies.

Unless you have a rare allergic reaction, there's no need to worry about jumping spiders. They're much more interested in insects than in you.

 

[jjohnwm]

Apropos of this thread: I was on a ladder yesterday, working on the roof of a small woodshed that I am constructing in the corner of the yard. I was attaching sheets of corrugated steel by drilling holes and then using an impact driver to fasten roofing screws to the wooden framework below. Both tools created vibrations; the impact gun especially, as can be imagined, set up massive hammering vibrations to the entire steel sheet.

I became aware that there was a small (maybe 1/8-inch) jumping spider on the steel very close to where I was working. It was sashaying along in typical herky-jerky fashion, looking like a little animated robot from a 1960's sci-fi movie, and stopped to look up at me before continuing along. It's impossible not to watch one of these little killers without feeling there is considerable intelligence behind those eyes.

I tried briefly to get it to jump onto my finger so that I could transfer it to the shrubbery directly behind me, but it refused to do so, looking at me this time with a "Nice try, dummy, I ain't falling for that..." message implicit in its glare. I didn't want to just knock it off onto the grass below; it was obviously an arboreal spider and ran the risk of getting stepped on in the grass. So I returned to my task, hoping the spider would just ride out the vibrations or maybe move onto the wood framework.

As I drilled the next hole, the metal shavings produced by the drill danced and jiggled on the steel surface, brought to life by the vibrations of the tool. I glanced at the spider, who was now perched at the crest of one of the corrugations, and was intently observing the little stream of tiny silvery metal fragments as they shook and moved in the adjacent "valley" less than two inches away. I wondered if...

Sure enough, the little predator leaped down into the valley and seized one of the apparently-alive metal fragments. It wrestled with it momentarily, then quickly realized its mistake and contemptuously tossed the thing aside. Remember, the entire steel substrate was vibrating with the action of the drill this whole time; the spider had apparently already decided it could ignore that.

The hole now drilled, the next step was to fasten the screw. I put it in place, grabbed the impact gun, and apologized to the spider. When I squeezed the trigger, the steel sheet rang with these much stronger vibrations, and I watched the spider. She (by this time my subconscious had promoted the spider from "it" to "she") simply hunkered down and rode out the quake, which lasted several seconds, and then continued on as though nothing had happened. She'd obviously learned that both tools were not going to harm her and were best ignored.

I gave up. I couldn't herd her anywhere she didn't want to go...I was loathe to actually pick her up, only because she was so small that it would be hard not to injure her...and I was so flabbergasted by the awareness and intelligence she projected that I just climbed down and had a beer, leaving her to her hunting. When I returned a half-hour later, batteries freshly charged and whistle freshly wetted, she was gone. I hope she caught something to eat.

 

[tiger15]

Scientists are fascinated by jumping spiders intelligence. They have been observed to learn by trial and error to perfect hunting skill, hop on target, and take detour to stalk prey. Their front eyes have telescope design with double lens, adjustable length and angle to zoom in prey, millions years ahead of Galileo invention. They sleep at night with apparent ram sleep, twitting body and appendages, as if they could dream. They are curios and watch me as much as I watch them when I kept them as pet.