Do jumping spiders bite?
YES they CAN bite. Its not common, it does happen though. That said, I have only had it happen because of improper handling on my behalf. I have only been bitten by hyllus species. One Hyllus diardi and an attempted "fang graze" from a Hyllus giganteus.
YES!! It did hurt! Especially with the H. Diardi. It only hurt For a few seconds with the giganteus. However, Jumping spiders are NOT capable of producing a bite that's MEDICALLY significant ( one that can put you at life or limb risk) like a bite from a brown recluse or black widow(unless you happen to be a cricket)
This is why it is important to properly handle your pet! If you want to handle them, allow them to climb on to you!! You can hold your hand or finger in front of them at a higher level and see if they will climb up. You can also gently nudge them with a small paint brush or qtip
Speaking of crickets, don't they carry parasites like hair worms?
If you're buying captive bred crickets you have nothing to worry about. That said, they CAN and DO bite. I only use banded crickets because they are less likely to bite back, have a softer exoskeleton, don't get as large, and are easier to keep. They can be difficult to to purchase locally but, are available online through Ghanns cricket farm or Josh's Frogs.
Why do you charge more for Diardi's than P. Regius?
Hyllus diardi have much smaller clutch sizes than regal. The most I have seen in a clutch is around 18 although, I have heard of someone who had a clutch of 23. The average clutch is around 12. Plus they take a bit longer to mature and require special conditions.
Why did my spider lay eggs? I thought she was captive bred?
All female jumping spiders can lay eggs. They won't be fertile unless she has previously mated with a male.
Why don't you count instars?
I believe this is not practical in the jumper hobby. Definitely in the Tarantula hobby! Not this one. Here's why.
¹ they emerge from the sack at different rates between 3i-4i. Most people don't realize they have an eggs with legs stage, which would be considered 2i th they are still white at this stage. They will molt, giving them the black color. Most of the time, they will molt once more. This is difficult to see on such a small spider. It was easier to spot with my giganteus babies I had to repair a nest, which wasn't perfect. They soon broke out and began wandering around. This explains why it may be more practical to use this method in the T hobby.
² Once they emerge at 3i-4i, unless you're raising one Spiderling, they will be communal at this point.
they will molt and grow at VASTLY different rates. There's no good way to track who molted who didn't, etc. Even if you separated them at this point, which isn't recommended, you will have some serious time-consuming data keeping to keep track of. Especially since a female phidippus regius can molt 13-15x! Just imagine 100+ little deli-cups that you will now have to chart. They molt and grow very quickly, sometimes molting every 3-4 days when they are slings. This occurs at various rates based on individual appetites.
³ There's no way to judge age based on markings showing up. Because this too happens at different rates.
This is why I don't believe in using instars to judge age. If a seller tells you this, ask for the individual data sheet from the day the mother laid eggs. It's best to purchase jumpers at Juvenile or sub-adult stage.