Brown Jumper - Simaetha thoracica
FAMILY SALTICIDAE
- Body length 6mm
- We sometimes found this small jumping spider wandering on plants in eucalypt forest. It is metallic brown in colour, with a small round button to heart shaped abdomen. There are some white marking on the abdomen.
- Its front pair of eyes are relatively small comparing with other jumping spiders.
- This jumping spider is usuallyfound hunting on leaves and stems of small plants.
- The patterns on abdomen is vary a bit between individuals. However, there are always the eyes pattern neat the tip of the abdomen makes the end of the spider look like a head. This may help to confuse the predators. Details please see our discussion on the Self Mimicry page.
- Jumping spiders use their excellent vision to track the prey and estimate distance. Then suddenly jump on their prey. They seize prey by front pair of legs.
- This Jumping Spiders hunt on short plants. Their target includes this small Tiger Moth.
- Reference:
- 1. Simaetha thoracica - The Find-a-spider Guide for Australian Spiders, University of Southern Queensland, 2009.
- 2. Simaetha species? - - The Find-a-spider Guide for Australian Spiders, University of Southern Queensland, 2009.
- 3. Simaetha spp. S. thoracica and S. tenuidens (Brown Jumpers) - by Robert Whyte, Save Our Waterways Now.
- 4. Simaetha thoracica Thorell 1881 - Salticidae: Diagnostic Drawings Library, by Jerzy Proszynski 1997.
- 5. Spiders of Australia: An Introduction to Their Classification, Biology & Distribution - Hawkeswood T, Pensoft Pub, 2003, p84.
This page contains pictures and information about Brown Jumpers that we found in the Brisbane area, Queensland, Australia. We think this is the Simaetha thoracica but we are not exactly sure.
