White-jawed Jumping Spider
Hentzia mitrata
Male white-jawed jumping spiders use their large white chelicerae as visual signaling flags to intimidate rivals and attract females.
- Scientific name
- Hentzia mitrata
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Arthropoda › Arachnida › Araneae › Salticidae › Hentzia
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Deciduous woodlands, forest edges, shrubby thickets, and tree foliage
- Diet
- Small arthropods including flies, aphids, leafhoppers, springtails, and tiny caterpillars
- Range
- United States, Canada
- Size
- 3.5–6 mm in length
- Lifespan
- Around 1 year
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Broad-spectrum pesticide use and widespread deforestation or habitat fragmentation
- Safe to approach?
- This spider is harmless to humans and reluctant to bite. It can be safely observed closely or gently coaxed onto a leaf to move it. In the rare event of a defensive nip, wash the area with mild soap and water.
Hentzia mitrata , the white-jawed jumping spider , is a species of jumping spider in the family Salticidae. It is found in the United States, Canada, and BahamaIslands.
Photo: skitterbug, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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