06/10/2026
Three different beautiful wonderful species of jumping spider!
As a volunteer working on removing some tree wraps for the Forest Preserves of Winnebago County, we found a few sleeves that held treasures. I was so excited to see a couple of jumpers I don't get to see very often at all, and a couple doing cool spider things.
The first spider with the pale and red coloration is a female dimorphic jumping spider - Maevia inclemens. This spider species is so, so unique, and it got me more excited about spiders in general. The males of this species have two very distinct forms. One has stripes, and one has a wild hairdo.
The second spider is incredibly tiny and SHINY. The thin-spined jumping spider, which I believe is Tutelina elegans (but I could be off on that), is elegant indeed. You won't see too many spiders in our area who are iridescent like this, especially in tasteful rose-gold.
And two different much larger what I think are bold jumping spiders (Phidippus audax), our more common black spiders with little "faces" on the abdomen, holed up in what are either molt sacs or egg hammocks. Jumping spiders are protective of their eggs and will generally hang around until they hatch.
These green protective sleeves have been left outside in a natural area so the spiders can move on as needed, as it would harm the spiders and/or eggs to force them out just to collect the protectors.
And yes, before you ask, I would have done this for any spider species. Just probably with a little less excitement. 😅 I just only saw jumping spiders - and lots and lots of ants.
