There are thousands of different species of jumping spiders found around the world and all of these cute little spiders come in a variety of vibrant colors.
Some are black, gray, and white while other jumping spiders have brighter colors like blue, orange, red, and yellow.
With so many different jumping spider species, you are bound to come across a black jumping spider because many different jumping spiders have black as a color on parts or most of their bodies.
This article discusses which popular jumping spider species have a primary color of black. Some are black with other colors while others can be all black.
What about small black jumping spiders…what species are they?
Let’s take a look at the various black jumping spider species and see which ones mainly have black bodies.
Black Jumping Spiders
Some of the more common black jumping spider species are bold jumping spiders and regal jumping spiders.
Both jumping spider species are mostly black jumping spiders (males) with some white stripes and spots.
Although they are separate species, the two species are often confused with each other due to their similarities in color.
Bold Jumping Spiders
Phidippus audax jumping spiders are commonly found throughout the United States and parts of northern Mexico and southern Canada.
Bold jumping spiders are large jumping spiders that are mostly black with white stripes on their bodies and have a white or yellow triangle shape on their abdomens along with two white spots.
These spiders have noticeable fangs that can appear to be an iridescent blue, green, or violet color depending on your angle.
Bold jumpers are one of the larger species of jumping spiders found in the U.S.
As with most other jumping spiders, females are typically larger than the males in this species.
Males have an average length of 8 millimeters while females have an average length of 11 millimeters.
Regal Jumping Spiders
Phidippus regius jumping spiders are found in the southern United States and vary in color but the regal males are always mostly black with three white spots and stripes on their legs.
Regal females can be found in many different colors, including vibrant colors the further south you find them in the U.S.
One of their most noticeable features (similar to bold jumpers) is their iridescent fangs that can appear blue, green, or violet in color depending on the angle you have to the spider.
Regal jumping spiders are some of the largest jumping spiders found in America.
Females are typically bigger than males in this species.
Males have an average length of 12 millimeters while females have an average length of 15 millimeters.
Tiny Black Jumping Spiders
Bold and regal jumping spiders are mostly black in color, but these species are large jumping spiders.
So, what species are the small or tiny black jumping spiders?
Truth is, the little black spiders you see can be one of many different species of jumping spiders. Lots of smaller species have black as one of their primary colors (especially in males).
Jumping spiders come in so many different colors, you are bound to find lots of small jumping spiders with a primary body color of black or with some type of black accents on their bodies.
Just know that if the tiny black spiders you see really are jumping spiders, they are totally harmless to you and your pets.
Just don’t confuse them with dangerous and venomous spiders like black widows.
Do Black Jumping Spiders Bite?
All jumping spiders have the capability of biting no matter what their color is.
Black jumping spiders have the same mouthparts as other jumping spiders and have the ability and are willing to bite when provoked or hurt.
No matter the species, black jumping spiders are usually non-aggressive toward humans and don’t typically bite unless there is a reason behind it.
Bites from a black jumping spider typically occur when people attempt to pick them up or handle them. Black jumping spiders don’t usually bite unless they are defending themselves.
Bites are usually mild with a little swelling and redness along with some itchiness, but medical aid should be minimal.
Most people will suffer no ill effects from a black jumping spider bite, but some bites could get infected so it is important to clean open wounds to prevent bacterial infections.
Are Black Jumping Spiders Poisonous?
Black jumping spiders possess venom just like any other jumping spider. They store venom in venom sacs that are injected into their prey through their fangs.
Their mouthparts (including fangs and venom sacs) are used to crush, hold, and paralyze their prey.
But their prey is typically small insects. Are they dangerous and poisonous to larger animals? Are they poisonous to humans?
While black jumping spiders have venom to incapacitate their prey, the venom that black jumping spiders possess is just a small amount and not toxic enough to have any serious effect on a human being.
So black jumping spiders are not poisonous or dangerous to humans. They pose no serious threats to most pets and are pretty harmless spiders.
No jumping spiders pose any serious threat to humans, but there are other spiders that are often confused with jumping spiders that are dangerous to humans.
When dealing with spiders, try to successfully identify the species of spiders so you don’t end up confusing a dangerous spider with a harmless one.
Are Black Jumping Spiders Friendly?
Most jumping spiders are shy and will typically avoid humans when they are scared or sense danger.
However, there are some that are more curious and will be more open to being around humans.
Due to their curiosity, many people assume that black jumping spiders are friendly just like others. But in reality, they are just curious like other jumping spiders.
Instead of fear, many jumping spiders will investigate their surroundings and not scurry away from humans unless they feel an imminent threat is around them.
Does that mean black jumping spiders are friendly?
No, not really! Not based on what humans classify as “friendly”.
While jumping spiders are more curious and less scared than other spider species, their inquisitive nature is often confused with friendliness.
They can be considered some of the friendliest spiders in the world, but they really aren’t friendly because they don’t have the brain capacity to understand what friendship is.
Their brains are small. Smaller than the tip of a needle or pin.
While they are some of the smartest spiders in the world, they don’t have enough brain capacity to include feelings like friendship and love.
They are working on instincts and brain activity designed to keep them alive. The evolution of jumping spiders didn’t include friendly or loveable traits for humans to enjoy.
Yet, people still believe them to be friendly and loveable little spiders because they aren’t like other spiders.
Even though they technically aren’t friendly, they are still beloved by many people due to how cute they can be and how they have a more curious nature than other spiders.
Recap
This article discussed various species of black jumping spiders and described the colors of different spider species.
As mentioned, black jumping spiders can be many different species and it is hard to decipher which species many are just by looking at them but two of the most common black jumping spiders are bold jumping spiders and regal jumping spiders.
No matter which color jumping spiders are that you encounter around your house, none of the species are dangerous to humans.
Small black spiders that jump are just tiny jumping spiders that are either juveniles or just from a smaller species of jumping spiders.
That’s all I have for black jumping spiders. Thanks for checking out this article and supporting our site.
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