Phidippus regius
Regal Jumping Spider: Advanced Care Guide
Keeper Snapshot: A visual hunter from the southeastern US and Caribbean that needs light, climbing space and careful hydration. Water it with wall droplets, not a soaking, and keep tiny spiderlings behind a secure lid.
Group: Spiders & Other InvertsDifficulty: Spice 1: Kid FriendlySetup: Arboreal jumper, tall with high anchor pointsHandling: Not recommended, fast and easily lost
Use This Guide Safely
- Confirm the exact animal. Match this guide to the species, locality, size, and life stage on your label. If the ID is uncertain, use the more conservative part of the range and ask before changing the setup.
- Change one thing at a time. Treat temperature and humidity as target zones, then watch posture, burrowing, drinking, feeding, and molt behavior before making another adjustment.
- Respect the handling boundary. If the guide says no handling, fast, defensive, or medically significant, plan transfers with catch cups, locked lids, and no bare hands. For serious bites, stings, or symptoms, seek emergency medical care.
Quick Snapshot
| Temperature | 72-80°F |
|---|---|
| Humidity | 55-70%, strong airflow, wall droplets, dry substrate |
| Setup Type | Arboreal jumper, tall with high anchor points |
| Substrate | Minimal dry substrate plus climbing decor |
| Feeding | Tiny flies, roaches or crickets sized to the spider |
| Care Difficulty | Spice 1: Kid Friendly |
| Handling | Not recommended, fast and easily lost |
Humidity zones: Very Low under 30% - Low 30-60% - Low-Moderate 40-70% - Moderate 60-80% - Moderate-High 70-85% - High 80%+ - Very High 90%+
Enclosure Format / Size Class
- Spiderlings: Baby Buddy, secure lid, wall droplets
- Larger juveniles and adults: bark-style micro setup with high anchor points and low/high vents
Warnings First
- Tiny spiderlings escape easily, and a loose jumper is fast and easily lost. Keep the enclosure secure.
- Over-misting a poorly vented enclosure can be dangerous. Vent low on one wall and high on the opposite wall, and mist the wall, not the spider.
- Spiderlings drown in almost nothing. Use wall droplets, or a water cap packed with grit.
- Molting: it seals into a thick silk hammock. Don't disturb it, pull any feeders, and wait a few days after it emerges before feeding.
- Needs a good light cycle, but keep it out of direct sun to avoid overheating.
Simple Care
- Give vertical space and high anchor points.
- Vent low on one wall and high on the opposite wall so the enclosure dries between mistings.
- Mist a side wall lightly, never the spider.
- Keep the substrate dry.
- Feed prey sized to the spider.
- Give good room light or indirect natural light, never direct sun.
- Leave the silk hammock alone unless it is necessary.
Advanced Keeper Notes
Enclosure & Microclimate
- Give good room lighting or indirect natural light, and avoid overheating in direct sun.
- Add upper anchor points for its silk hammock, and don't tear the hammock down unless you must.
- Lid-only vents trap damp air up top, right at the hammock. Vents low on one wall and high on the other pull air through the full height, so wall mist dries in a couple of hours.
- Push the setup toward air, not humidity: dry substrate, one wall misted for drinking, fully dry between. Lingering condensation is the warning sign.
- Mist the wall opposite the hammock. The spider comes down to drink and its retreat stays dry. Standing water goes in a grit-packed cap.
Feeding, Growth & Maintenance
- Offer tiny flies, roaches or crickets sized to the spider, and remove uneaten feeders.
- Track feeding by abdomen size and activity. Overfeeding a female can shorten her healthy display life.
- Before a molt it seals into a thick silk hammock and stops eating. Leave it alone, remove any feeders, and wait a few days after it emerges for the new exoskeleton to harden.
- A compact, secure enclosure makes feeding and molt checks easier.
Possible Origin / Range
- Likely native range: Southeastern United States and the Caribbean, in subtropical habitats.
- Habitat translation: Subtropical habitat becomes a bright, ventilated arboreal build with perches, hides and drinking droplets instead of a soaked enclosure.
Advanced Keeper Details
- Hydration is critical. Give tiny droplets or light misting, never a soaked enclosure.
- It sleeps and molts in a silk hammock up top. Leave the hammock intact unless it is necessary.