A black spider with white spots? wow, so amazing. What does this spider look like? what is its real name? where do I find them? these are a few of the questions that have enveloped the minds of readers and bombarded the internet, as people are set to know this strange but beautiful creature.
Want to know its name? want to know where it lives? want to know its secrets? then follow as we unveil the black spider with white spots.
Facts About the Black Spider with White Spots
Spiders have been known to exist for a long period of time as they have been used in several African stories and have a great significance in African culture. Spiders are generally known to be creatures with 8 legs, 4 pairs of eyes on the top-front area of the cephalothorax (fused head and thorax of spiders), and have the ability to shoot webs at preys, at least that’s what they say. Spiders are also very good hunters when it comes to preying and trapping insects with their webs, which makes them more distinctive among several other anthropods.
The black spider with white spots is no other than the Phidippus Audax also referred to as the Daring Jumping Spider or the Bold Jumping Spider. Its name is derived from the Latin word Audax meaning “daring”.
It is distinctively known for its good stereoscopic vision which aids it in catching its prey easily and also gives them the ability to use visual presentations during courting dances. They are hunters during the day and sleepers at night.
During hunting, they rely primarily on movement to locate prey by stalking them before attacking in a fast leap, putting out a line of webbing when they jump.
How do I Identify the Black Spider with White Spots?
Of course, one major thing you already know about this spider is that it is black and has white spots (sometimes orange) on the back of its abdomen. Well, in case you’re not so sure if it’s a jumping spider, below are the possible ways you can tell its a Philippus audax;
- This spider puts out a line of webbing when it jumps.
- The length of the adult male ranges from 0.25 to 0.5 inches while the adult females range from a length of 0.38 to 0.75 inches.
- As was mentioned earlier, most species have 3 white spots on their hairy, dark-grey or black abdomens while some have red or orange spots.
- Of course, spiders are generally known to have eight legs and the bold jumping spider is no exception as it has eight legs with bands of white spots spaced up and down the legs.
- This spider is known to be very hairy in its abdomen and has tufts of hair over its eyes giving them the appearance of having eyebrows.
- It has eight eyes with the center two very large and prominent.
- It has iridescent (luminous colors that seem to change when seen from different angles) mouthparts that may be either blue or green.
Now that you know these few facts about this spider, it should be easy identifying the black spider with white spots in ease.
Behavior
This high-class predator is known to pose a serious threat to smaller spiders and also mosquitoes which is measured to be twice its own length and they are most fond of feeding on preys twice or three times their length.
Just like other jumping spiders, they possess fierce eyes which they use to stalk their prey and see the distance they need to jump in other to pounce on their prey. However, this action taken by them is classified as cat-like moves.
Moreover, in a case where they hunt, these spiders jump leaving a silk-like thread on the ground for the reason of trying again position when they miss their first shot.
They can also use a method known as a double coiled roped around their body in a situation where they want to survive a high vertical fall.
Read also: How Long Do Goldfish Live? The Lifespan of Goldfish
Reproduction
Successful production occurs when these spiders mate, however, when they mate, the male black spiders attract the female with a dance which requires the male black spider waving its front legs and the abdomen moving in an up-down direction. This dance is known as a courtship dance.
The male black spider that performs the dance perfectly well gets to mate with the female spiders. After mating, the female black spider hides the eggs to ensure their safety and stays with them until they hatch. When the eggs have hatched, the young spiders go hunting after successfully completing their molting.
Life Cycle
According to Wikipedia, the life cycle of the spider is similar to that of the zebra spider. However, the spiders mostly begin mating in spring, at this time, the spiderling must have been matured and ready for the mating process.
Once mating occurs, the female black spider with white spots reproduces eggs in different sacs all carrying eggs. The sacs can store up to 170 eggs, to have a complete life cycle, these spiders would prefer to live in the temperate regions to mate and reproduce more eggs.
Read also: How to Get Rid of Woodlouse Spiders From Home; A Permanent remedy
Habitat
The black spiders with white spots are a very creative and intelligent species of spiders as they can survive in places like gardens, farms, woodlands, barns, sheds, tree trunks, underwood logs, ground litter, homes (both indoor and outdoor), urban and suburban places.
These places mentioned are the possible areas in which this spider could build its habitat. However, when infesting the home, they would build their habitat at damp and moist places, roof leaks, cracked walls, windows, and door openings.
Picture of the Black Spider with White Spots
In an event where you don’t know what this spider looks like, the picture of it is provided below;
Black Spider with White Spots Infestation
In general, spiders are seen to be on walls, in the soil, or in our homes and gardens, also they can be found in dark places. This spider has several signs of an infestation, and it could be on an increased rate due to the way they love spinning their webs on walls.
We would be discussing in detail a summarized insight of this spider infestation without any complication but with eased understanding. Most times spiders do not pose a threat to homeowners in any way as their main reason for being in your home is just for food and shelter.
Below are steps to identifying the infestation of this pest in the home or garden:
- This spider builds webs on farms or home walls, if you find a web in your home what else do you think of other than spiders!
- These nasty pests live their lives spinning webs and trapping insects, so to say, webs are one of the more reasons you experience an infestation.
- Some spiders prefer living in burrows other than webs so this can constitute a farm infestation.
How to Get Rid of the Black Spider with White Spots
In other to get rid of this pest, when carrying out DIY solutions, first, you need to put on a safety outfit. If it seems to get out of hand, you could contact any pest fumigation agency near you.
Below is a list of a few measures to get rid of the black spider white spots:
- Making use of repellent sprays on walls where you see a web.
- In gardens use insecticide or pesticides in other to drive them away or kill them.
- Always eliminate stagnant water to stop the increase in their population.
- Get rid of wood logs and abandoned bricks near your home.
- Get rid of all spider web in your home.
- Ensure all cracks on wall are sealed and roof openings are fixed.
- Ensure you periodically clear bushes near the walk-way of your home.
- Shut all doors and windows appropriately to control the rate of indoor infestation.
- Ensure other little pests that serve as food for this spider are eliminated to avoid drawing the black spider into your home.
- As they say “cleanliness is next to Godliness”, so do well to keep your home clean at all times.
Read also: Are Wolf Spiders Dangerous? A Detailed Insight into Wolf Spiders
Prevention Tips:
Earlier on, we’ve mentioned the possible places where these spiders could build their habitats. One of these possible habitats is a house; these spiders can infest your home preferably to find a conducive environment to stay and items that could sustain them.
As a homeowner, it is solely your responsibility to keep your home (both indoor and outdoor) neat. Doing this, you’ll be possibly preventing these spiders from infesting your home. This is the first prevention tip any pest control expert will guide you with.
Final Thought on Black Spiders with White Spots
Having known all about the black spider with white spots, we are once again happy to please you with an astonishing article. To contact or contribute to this article, you are free to write to any of our team members or contact us for more info.
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