Regal Jumping Spider

🔤 Taxonomy

Phidippus regius belongs to Salticidae, the jumping spiders. It is not a tarantula. “Florida”, “Apalachicola” and colour labels describe claimed locality or captive lines, not separate species. Preserve the breeder’s identification; colour alone does not reliably establish sex in immature animals.

📌 Description

Adults measure about 1–2.2 cm in body length, excluding the legs. Most live approximately 1–2 years from hatching; sex and individual history affect longevity. They hunt by sight during daylight and build silk retreats for resting and molting. A large web is not their prey-catching system.

Parameter	Practical reference
Adult size	1–2.2 cm
Lifespan (years)	1–2
Enclosure (L × W × H)	15 × 15 × 25 cm
Daytime air	22–26 °C
Night	20–22 °C
Humidity	50–70%

🌍 Distribution

The native range includes the southeastern United States and parts of the Caribbean. University of Florida observations describe animals in open woodland and fields. Country shading is only a broad orientation and includes much unsuitable habitat; a captive locality label is not proof of collection origin.

Native range

⚖️ Legal status

Checked on 2026-09-17: no listing was found for this species or its encompassing taxa in the CITES Appendices or the EU wildlife-trade annexes. The Bern Convention is not relevant to its native range. National rules can still restrict keeping, import, transport or sale. Retain identification and origin records, check destination rules before any transfer, and never release animals or eggs.

🤌 Husbandry

House one adult in a secure 15 × 15 × 25 cm enclosure with cross-ventilation and a front or side opening that preserves the roof retreat. Rear small spiderlings in ventilated smaller containers with escape-proof holes. Observe new arrivals separately with dedicated feeding tools, noting abdomen size, prey taken and molts. Never introduce another spider as company.

💡 Lighting

Provide about 12 hours of bright diffuse light so the spider can locate prey, followed by darkness. UVB has not been established as essential. Do not put the enclosure on a sunny windowsill. A shaded retreat must remain available even when the hunting area is illuminated.

🌡 Heating and temperature

Use approximately 22–26°C by day and 20–22°C at night as a conservative working range. Measure inside the enclosure, not beside a heater. If heating is necessary, warm one side indirectly under thermostat control. Small sealed containers and direct-contact heat mats can overheat rapidly.

💧 Humidity and water

Aim for roughly 50–70% relative humidity with moving air, rather than permanent condensation. Place fine drinking droplets on one wall as they dry; inspect daily because ventilation and room conditions change evaporation. Do not spray the spider or saturate its silk. Tiny spiderlings need small droplets, not an open water bowl.

🌿 Enclosure and decoration

Provide anchored twigs, textured cork and leaves in the upper half. Keep 1–2 cm of clean coir or paper below and remove food remains promptly. Avoid sharp decorations, exposed adhesive and fibrous loops that trap feet. For aging spiders that lose grip, add low textured routes and reduce dangerous falls without repeatedly destroying the retreat.

🪳 Feeding

Offer cultured fruit flies to spiderlings every 1–2 days; larger juveniles and adults can take suitable flies or small insects roughly every 3–5 days. Adjust to abdomen condition rather than forcing a rigid schedule. Prey around the spider’s body length or smaller is a useful starting point. Remove biting insects and uneaten prey, particularly before molting. Reptile vitamin dusting is unnecessary. Maintain a fruit-fly culture before acquiring juveniles.

🥚 Breeding

Sex mature animals by adult structures, not colour alone. Breeding introductions require supervision because the female may eat the male. A previously mated female can produce several fertile sacs, and hundreds of spiderlings may require separate feeding. Leave maternal egg retreats intact. Hatching and emergence are different stages; no fixed incubation countdown is reliable for every clutch.

☠️ Venom

Venom immobilizes prey. A defensive bite can cause local pain, redness or swelling, but this species is not normally regarded as medically significant. Individual responses vary: a small mark or an apparently dry bite is not proof that symptoms cannot develop. Avoid pinching and forced handling. Wash a bite with soap and water; do not cut, suck or tightly bind it. Seek medical advice if symptoms persist or worsen and emergency help for breathing difficulty or generalized swelling. For uncertainty about the spider or reaction, contact a poison centre; do not attempt antivenom or other treatment yourself.

🩺 Common problems

A closed silk retreat and food refusal often precede molting: remove prey and wait for voluntary emergence and hardened mouthparts. Persistent collapse, a severely shrunken abdomen, fluid loss or repeated falls need an invertebrate-experienced veterinarian.

📌 Conclusion

This is a solitary observation animal whose small size makes escape prevention and daily water checks essential. Buy an established feeding juvenile with a recorded molt history rather than relying on a seller’s colour photograph.