Master Gardeners of Ventura County
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Posts Tagged: jumping spider

A Treat for the UC Davis Biodiversity Museum Day

Trick or treat? Treat, please, says this jumping spider. It's time to jump in to help the 13th annual UC Davis Biodiversity Museum Day crowdunding project. It's a Super Science Day to be held Saturday, Feb. 10 on the UC Davis campus. It's a...

Posted on Friday, October 27, 2023 at 1:46 PM
Focus Area Tags: Environment, Family, Natural Resources, Yard & Garden

The Spider, the Syrphid and the Zinnia

What are you having for Thanksgiving? Turkey and all the trimmings? Well, this little jumping spider had his sights set on ambushing a delicious syrphid fly. Here's the scenario: The syrphid fly, a pollinator, hovers over a...

A syrphid fly touches down on a zinnia, unaware of a stalking jumping spider. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A syrphid fly touches down on a zinnia, unaware of a stalking jumping spider. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A syrphid fly touches down on a zinnia, unaware of a stalking jumping spider. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Closer and closer comes the jumping spider. The syrphid fly does not see him. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Closer and closer comes the jumping spider. The syrphid fly does not see him. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Closer and closer comes the jumping spider. The syrphid fly does not see him. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The syrphid fly slurps the nectar, unaware she is being watched. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The syrphid fly slurps the nectar, unaware she is being watched. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The syrphid fly slurps the nectar, unaware she is being watched. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Ready, set...the jumping spider starts his jump to nail the syrphid fly. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Ready, set...the jumping spider starts his jump to nail the syrphid fly. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Ready, set...the jumping spider starts his jump to nail the syrphid fly. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Missed! Hey, where'd you go? (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Missed! Hey, where'd you go? (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Missed! Hey, where'd you go? (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Posted on Wednesday, November 23, 2022 at 8:06 AM
Tags: ambush (2), jumping spider (24), meal (1), syrphid fly (28), Thanksgiving (11), zinnia (11)
Focus Area Tags: Environment, Yard & Garden

Jumping Jehosphaphat!

If I had a pet jumping spider--which I don't--I'd name him "Jumping Jehosphaphat." "The biblical king Jehoshaphat is the inspiration for the exclamation 'jumpin' Jehosaphat!' This alliterative idiom probably arose in the 19th century but was...

A jumping spider peers at the photographer. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A jumping spider peers at the photographer. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A jumping spider peers at the photographer. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

This jumping spider has just nailed a honey bee. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
This jumping spider has just nailed a honey bee. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

This jumping spider has just nailed a honey bee. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Posted on Wednesday, June 15, 2022 at 4:37 PM
Focus Area Tags: Environment, Innovation, Natural Resources, Yard & Garden

A Spider, a Shadow, a Hello, and a Goodbye

Who doesn't love jumping spiders? They're adorable. No? Well, they are to arthropod enthusiasts, but not so much to their prey. This one (probably a Phidippus audax, a Bold Jumper) was moving slowly and unobtrusively up a shadowed Vacaville stucco...

Well, hello there! A jumping spider moves slowly and unobtrusively up a shadowed Vacaville wall on Jan. 2. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Well, hello there! A jumping spider moves slowly and unobtrusively up a shadowed Vacaville wall on Jan. 2. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Well, hello there! A jumping spider moves slowly and unobtrusively up a shadowed Vacaville wall on Jan. 2. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The jumping spider shows its colors. It's probably a Phidippus audax: the species is black with a distinct irregular orange to white spot on the back of its abdomen. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The jumping spider shows its colors. It's probably a Phidippus audax: the species is black with a distinct irregular orange to white spot on the back of its abdomen. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The jumping spider shows its colors. It's probably a Phidippus audax: the species is black with a distinct irregular orange to white spot on the back of its abdomen. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Posted on Tuesday, January 11, 2022 at 5:13 PM
Focus Area Tags: Environment, Natural Resources

Portrait of a Jumping Spider

Gotta love those spiders. We recently saw an adorable jumping spider (aren't all jumping spiders adorable?) huddled or cuddled (your preference) within a layer of yellow rose petals. It didn't look like a poster child for Halloween. It looked right...

Look closely and you'll see a jumping spider huddled in the petals of this yellow rose. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Look closely and you'll see a jumping spider huddled in the petals of this yellow rose. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Look closely and you'll see a jumping spider huddled in the petals of this yellow rose. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Hi, there! A jumping spider peers at the photographer. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Hi, there! A jumping spider peers at the photographer. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Hi, there! A jumping spider peers at the photographer. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Close-up of the jumping spider. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Close-up of the jumping spider. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Close-up of the jumping spider. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

'Bye, bye! See ya later.' The jumping spider heads to another site. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
'Bye, bye! See ya later.' The jumping spider heads to another site. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

'Bye, bye! See ya later.' The jumping spider heads to another site. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Posted on Tuesday, October 19, 2021 at 3:00 PM
Focus Area Tags: Environment, Innovation, Natural Resources, Yard & Garden

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