Discover the Fascinating World of 'Insect Specials'

Jumping Spider - Phidippus regius Apalachicola

The spiders are sold at a stage between L3 and L7.
 

Information

The Apalachicola jumping spiders are found in the Southeastern United States. These spiders are known for their agility and active behavior. They grow to about 2 to 2.5 cm and can live for 1.5 years. These spiders do make a web, but they don't always use it to catch their prey, unlike other spiders. The Apalachicola hunts its prey, which is very entertaining to watch.

Did you know?
Apalachicola is a place in the American state of Florida, and it's presumed the spider was discovered there and named after this location.

Appearance

The color of the Apalachicola jumping spider is black with white, and the amount of black and white can vary per spider. The female spider is often brightly colored and has much less black on the cephalothorax than the males. The males are predominantly black with some white spots.

Behavior

Jumping spiders are true hunters. When offered a fly or cricket, they will quickly go hunting and catch their prey with a jump. They are active during the day, making them often clearly visible. At night, they sleep in a self-made cocoon or hide under a small plant.

Food

Adult regius spiders eat curly-winged flies, houseflies, crickets, or other small insects. A cricket that is not eaten must be removed from the enclosure, as it can disturb or even kill the spider during molting or sleep. Be aware of this. Young regius spiders eat fruit flies, curly-winged flies, or micro crickets. Regius spiders can handle prey as large as themselves. They drink from spray water; make sure it's fresh and not too cold.
We advise not to spray too much, as they prefer dryness. A few drops that they can access themselves are sufficient. And fruit flies are initially the best food source.
 

Environmental requirements

The enclosure for a jumping spider should be approximately 5x5x7cm with good ventilation. Eventually, a terrarium of 20x20x30cm can be suitable for adult spiders. The humidity should be between 40 and 70% with an ideal temperature of 26-28 degrees Celsius. It's important that the spider can drink something every few days (a droplet); much more is not necessary.
Heating can be done with a lamp; do not use a heating mat from below (due to the risk of dehydration). Placing the enclosure in a bright spot at room temperature is also possible, though they may be slightly less active.

Group housing

Jumping spiders cannot be housed together due to cannibalism.

Jumping Spider - Phidippus Ometepe

The spiders are sold at a stage between L3 and L7.
 

Information

Phidippus Ometepe is a jumping spider native to the island of Ometepe, Nicaragua. Like all jumping spiders, these animals are quite agile and enjoy being seen. Shortly before molting, they climb into their web and remain there until the process is complete. These animals are hunters and catch their food without problems. It is always a spectacle to watch them!

Appearance

The base color of the females is a shimmering metallic green. On the abdomen, it has an orange and black striped pattern. The males of this species have an inconspicuous black base color. In adulthood, this transitions more to grey. Their heads develop green/blue hues. A colorful species!

Behavior

Jumping spiders are true hunters. When offered a fly or cricket, they will quickly hunt and catch their prey with a leap. They are active during the day, making them often highly visible. At night, they sleep in a self-made cocoon or hide under a plant.

Food

Adult regius spiders eat curly-wing flies, houseflies, crickets, or other small insects. Any cricket that is not eaten must be removed from the enclosure, as it can disturb or even kill the spider during a molt or sleep. Be vigilant about this. Young regius spiders eat fruit flies, curly-wing flies, or micro crickets. Regius spiders can handle prey as large as themselves. They drink from the spray water; ensure it is fresh and not too cold.
We advise not to spray too much; they prefer dryness. A few drops that they can drink/collect themselves are sufficient. And fruit flies are initially the best food source.
 

Environmental Requirements

A jumping spider's enclosure should be approximately 5x5x7cm with good ventilation. Ultimately, a terrarium of 20x20x30cm may be suitable for adult spiders. Humidity should be between 40 and 70% with an ideal temperature of 26-28 degrees Celsius. It is important that the spider can drink something (a drop) every few days; much more is not needed.
Heating can be done with a lamp; do not use a heat mat from below (due to the risk of dehydration). Placing the enclosure in a bright spot at room temperature is also possible, though they may be somewhat less active.

Group Housing

Jumping spiders cannot be housed together due to cannibalism.

Jumping Spider - Phidippus regius Everglades

The stage at which the spiders are sold is between L2 and L5. The size ranges from a few millimeters to half a centimeter.
 

Information

Phidippus regius “Everglades” is a jumping spider from the Everglades National Park in Florida. Phidippus regius “Everglades” are, like all jumping spiders, quite agile and you will almost always see them. Just before molting, they climb into their web and remain there until the process is complete. The animals are hunters and catch their food without problems. It is always a spectacle to see them. Suitable food animals are fruit flies, houseflies, or small crickets. Anything not eaten within a day should be removed from the terrarium. We feed and water young spiders every 3 days and adult spiders once a week. Humidity should be 70% with good ventilation. We spray some water in a corner, this is sufficient and it is better to spray sparingly than too much. The animals absorb the water droplets as needed and thus quench their thirst.

Appearance

Female jumping spiders have a striking orange color on the thorax and abdomen. Male Phidippus regius “Everglades” are black and white and have green-metallic shimmering chelicerae. A colorful species!

Behavior

Jumping spiders are true hunters. When offered a fly or cricket, they will quickly go on the hunt and catch their prey with a jump. They are active during the day, making them often clearly visible. At night, they sleep in a self-made cocoon or hide under a small plant.

Food

Adult regius eat curly flies, houseflies, crickets, or other small insects. A cricket that is not eaten must be removed from the enclosure, as it can disturb or even kill the spider during a molt or sleep. Be alert to this. Young regius eat fruit flies, curly flies, or micro crickets. The regius can handle prey that is as large as themselves. They drink from the spray water; make sure it is fresh and not too cold.
We advise not to spray too much; they like dryness. A few drops that they can catch/get themselves are already sufficient. And fruit flies are initially the best food source.
 

Environmental Requirements

A jumping spider's enclosure should be approximately 5x5x7cm with good ventilation. Ultimately, a terrarium of 20x20x30 can be suitable for adult spiders. Humidity should be between 40 and 70% with an ideal temperature of 26-28 degrees Celsius. It is important that the spider can drink something (a drop) every few days; much more is not necessary.
Heating can be done with a small lamp; do not use a heating mat from below (due to the risk of dehydration). Placing the enclosure in a bright spot at room temperature is also possible, but this may make them less active.

Group Housing

Jumping spiders cannot be housed together due to cannibalism.

Fairy shrimp eggs

If you already have the necessities for breeding triops or sea monkeys (aqua dragons) and only need eggs, then you can also opt for Fairy shrimps. They are smaller than Triops and similar to Sea Monkeys. Not all eggs will hatch, and only the strongest will survive.

Instructions for breeding fairy shrimp

Prepare a container approximately 10 centimeters high with a capacity of about half a liter of spring water. This water should be heated to about 25 degrees Celsius, for example, by using a heat lamp. Bring a layer of about 5 to 8 centimeters of still spring water to this temperature, and then add the eggs. They will hatch 'on their own', isn't that wonderful?! After a few days, you can also feed them by grinding up and using triops food.

Porcellio daevis "Dairy Cow"

Nymphs from our own breeding. The sex of the nymphs is random. If you want to breed them, we recommend ordering a group of 10 nymphs.

Information

These Isopods come from Europe. They are still very young and grow extremely fast. We ship them between a few mm and 1.5 cm. They are then a few weeks old. Of course, we guarantee the live arrival of these special animals.
 

Appearance

These isopods are large, growing up to 2.3 cm and are black and white spotted. The females have a cavity on their underside between their legs, which males do not have. The eggs and nymphs are carried in this cavity.

Behavior

The Porcellio laevis "Dairy Cow" is a very active isopod, always busy and looking for food. The females dig a small hole in the sand where they and their nymphs have a safe spot. They are group animals and like to sit together under a stone or a piece of cork.

Food

Isopods are true scavengers. They eat dead wood, dead beech and oak leaves, fish food, cucumber, and mushrooms, among other things. Cuttlebone should certainly not be missing because they have a high need for calcium; you can also offer this in powder form.

Environmental requirements

Isopods cannot climb glass, so a glass container as housing is sufficient. Use coco peat as substrate mixed with humus, dead leaves (beech and oak), some pieces of decomposed wood, and bark. The Porcellio laevis "Dairy Cow" likes to be moist, so don't let your enclosure dry out. Humidity: 50-60%

Jumping Spider - Phidippus regius soroa

The stage at which the spiders are sold is between L3 and L6. If you want a slightly larger spider, choose the other species (Everglades and Ometepe).
 

Size

We ship jumping spiders in stages L3 to L7 in a small, ventilated tube. They are on average a few mm in size and feed on fruit flies.

Adult males range from 6 to 18 mm in body length, averaging 12 mm. Females range from 7 to 22 mm, averaging 15 mm. Each Phidippus regius spider is unique, which is why you see the same photo for both species we offer.

Information

The Regius soroa originates from sunny Cuba and owes its success to its attractive appearance. With her large eyes, she will follow you as soon as you approach her enclosure, curious if something might be coming. They are easy to care for and suitable for the novice jumping spider enthusiast.

Appearance

Adult males are black/white and females are orange/red. The young soroa is red; only at a later stage will the gender become visible through this.

Behavior

Jumping spiders are true hunters. When offered a fly or cricket, they will quickly hunt and catch their prey with a jump. They are active during the day, making them often clearly visible. At night, they sleep in a self-made cocoon or hide under a plant.

Food

Adult regius eat curly-winged flies, houseflies, crickets, or other small insects. A cricket that is not eaten must be removed from the enclosure, as it can disturb or even kill the spider during a molt or sleep. Be alert to this. Young regius eat fruit flies, curly-winged flies, or micro crickets. The regius can handle prey that is as large as itself. They drink from the spray water; make sure it is fresh and not too cold.

Environmental requirements

A jumping spider's enclosure should be approximately 5x5x7cm with good ventilation, and as your spider grows, you can eventually grow its housing up to 20x20x30. Humidity should be around 70% with an ideal temperature of 26-28 degrees Celsius. Regular spraying with a short dry period is desirable. Heating can be done with a lamp; do not use a heat mat from below (due to the risk of dehydration). Placing the enclosure in a light spot at room temperature is also possible, although they may be somewhat less active.

Group housing

Jumping spiders cannot be housed together due to cannibalism.