Jumping spiders (Salticidae) are a family of highly visual, active predators that rely on their keen eyesight for hunting and navigation. Unlike web-builders, these arachnids actively stalk their prey, making them dependent on their environment for more than just a place to catch dinner. While they are primarily insectivores, the surrounding flora is a fundamental part of their habitat architecture. Plants provide shelter, regulate temperature, offer hydration, and create the platforms necessary for their survival, including courtship and hunting.
Why Jumping Spiders Interact with Plants
Jumping spiders are ectotherms, meaning they cannot internally regulate their body temperature. Plant structures are important tools for thermoregulation, allowing spiders to move between sun-exposed and shaded foliage to maintain an optimal temperature for their metabolism and activity levels. This is particularly important for male courtship displays.
Plants also act as a source of clean drinking water. Spiders collect water droplets, dew, or rain that accumulate on leaves and stems. They may also consume sugar-rich fluids, such as nectar, which provides both moisture and energy.
The dense structure of vegetation offers essential safety, providing hiding spots from larger predators like birds, lizards, and wasps. Many species are arboreal, spending their lives elevated on plants. This elevated habitat serves as a secure, vibration-free platform for the elaborate visual and vibrational courtship displays males perform.
Optimal Plants for Shelter and Hunting
The best plants provide structural complexity and suitable texture for climbing and resting. Jumping spiders are vertical climbers, so tall, structurally sound plants are preferred over low-growing varieties. Plants offering multiple vertical surfaces, such as small shrubs, ferns, or houseplants like Pothos and Ficus species, create an ideal multi-level environment.
Texture significantly affects a spider’s ability to use a plant effectively, as they require surfaces that allow secure gripping for hunting and resting. Smooth, waxy, or excessively hairy leaves make stable footing difficult. Conversely, plants with slightly rough bark or matte leaves provide excellent traction for their adhesive toe pads.
A vertical surface is also important for molting, where the spider sheds its exoskeleton. During this vulnerable period, the spider needs to hang securely within a stable silk retreat. Firm stems and leaves, like basil or rosemary, provide the necessary stability and concealment. Air plants (Tillandsia) and mosses are excellent choices, offering crevices and textured surfaces beneficial for retaining humidity.
Plants That Offer Nutritional Resources
While the majority of a jumping spider’s diet comes from insects, plants contribute to nutrition both directly and indirectly. Plants that attract small prey inadvertently create a prime hunting ground. Flowering plants with small, accessible flowers, like dill, fennel, or coneflowers, draw in tiny insects that become easy targets.
A more direct nutritional link exists in facultative phytophagy, where spiders occasionally supplement their insect diet with plant matter. Many species consume nectar from flowers or extrafloral nectaries (glands on leaves or stems). This sugar-rich fluid provides an energy boost and hydration.
A few tropical species, such as Bagheera kiplingi, are predominantly herbivorous, feeding on protein-rich structures found on Acacia trees. For most jumping spiders, however, plant consumption remains a small, supplemental part of their diet.
Avoiding Systemic Pesticides
Selecting plants free from chemical treatments is a serious consideration for a jumping spider’s health. Systemic pesticides, which are absorbed by the plant and circulate through its tissues, are particularly dangerous. Spiders can ingest these toxins by drinking water droplets or consuming an insect that has fed on the plant.
Exposure to even sub-lethal doses of common insecticides, like Phosmet, can severely alter a jumping spider’s behavior. These neurotoxins disrupt hunting ability, exploratory behavior, and overall personality, diminishing their chances of survival. Any plant introduced into a spider habitat must be guaranteed to be free of such chemical residues.