Australian Bronze Jumper: Helpis minitabunda

Location: Bunbury, Western Australia

Season: Summer, February

Class: Arachnida 

Order: Araneae 

Suborder: Araneomorphae 

Family: Salticidae

Helpis minitabunda

Aussie Bronze Jumping Spider is common in gardens of Australia. It is known to be found in the East Coast. This spider is a common resident of my West Coast garden. I have spotted it on numerous occasions over different seasons. It is found hiding in the foliage, usually on the underside of a leaf. It is brown-bronze in colour. The flat cephalothorax has 4 pairs of eyes are arranged in a circular fashion. The tapering abdomen has varying patterns. Legs have white rings around the metatarsal joints. It is an alert and active spider and an agile jumper. 

Striped Jumping Spider: Telamonia dimidiata

Location: Bangalore, India

Season: Early Winter, November

Class: Arachnida 

Order: Araneae 

Suborder: Araneomorphae 

Family: Salticidae

Telamonia dimidiata

This spider was the subject of an online hoax where it was rumoured to be deadly due to its poisonous bite. Striped Jumping Spider is non venomous and is not dangerous to humans. It is often found on green foliage, easily recognisable by the striped abdomen. The above pictured is a female which has a lighter coloured body with light brown rings around the black eyes.   

Garden Jumping Spider: Opisthoncus parcedentatus

Location: Bunbury, Western Australia 

Season: Summer 

Class: Arachnida 

Order: Araneae 

Suborder: Araneomorphae 

Family: Salticidae 

Genus: Opisthoncus

Opisthoncus parcedentatus

Genus Opisthoncus, of the family Salticidae has 25 described species in Australia and many non described ones. They are all Common Garden Jumping Spiders. O. parcedentatus is a common species found in Australia. It is usually seen on the leaves, trees and green foliage. The shape of the abdomen and cephalothorax are characteristic. The dark brown abdomen has white markings with one longitudinal stripe running along the midline of the dorsum. There are white marking on the cephalothorax too. There is a thin white moustache on the clypeus. There is an orange horizontal stripe on which the eyes seem to be arranged. It has 8 eyes for a 360 degree view. Its vision and movement are helped by very mobile joint between the cephalohorax and abdomen. It lifts its head and scans behind to look for food and danger. 

The above spider was found on undersurface of a leaf. It was 5mm in length. It was very agile and actively jumping. Jumping spiders don't weave webs and wander from place to place. They are active predators of other tiny insects. 

Reference: Brisbane Insects

Find-A-Spider

Cyclops Jumping Spider: Opisthoncus polyphemus

Location: Bunbury, Western Australia

Season: Summer

Class: Arachnida 

Order: Araneae 

Suborder: Araneomorphae

Family: Salticidae

Genus: Opisthoncus

Opisthoncus polyphemus

Opisthoncus polyphemus is a spider belonging to the family of jumping spiders, Salticidae. Attached to the pale abdomen, it has a cephalothorax with prominent brownish red round spots. These spots make the eyes look bigger than they are. Even though it has eight eyes, it is called a cyclops because each eye is made prominent by a circular spot. The name of the species is derived from Polyphemus of Greek mythology who was one of the Cyclopses described in Homer's epic poem, Odessy. 

This jumping spider is about 5 to 6 mm in length. It is found is dry vegetation with abundant eucalyptus trees. It is a diurnal spider which is highly mobile and feeds on insects and other small spiders.

Reference: Arachne.org.au

Note: Opisthoncus is a genera of Salticidae which means backwards lump (opistho = backwards, as in opisthotonus) probably referring to the abdomen behind the cephalothorax (citation needed)