Tyrell's Tufted Jumping Spider (Phidippus tyrrelli)

Tyrell's Tufted Jumping Spider (Phidippus tyrrelli)
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Setup

It is crucial to have proper ventilation for jumping spiders, there should be top & side ventilation. If you notice mold your humidity is too high or there is not enough ventilation.

Jumping spiders are very active while there is no maximum enclosure size ensure they can find food properly. Provide moderate cover, ensure they have spots at the top of their enclosure to build nests.

Acrylic enclosures, glass tanks, and deli cups are commonly used for housing jumping spiders. It is recommended to avoid using top opening enclosures as you can disturb your nesting or molting spider. Front, bottom or mid opening enclosures are best.

Recommended Enclosure Sizes:

i2-i4: 32oz Cohabitated
i3-i6: 5.5oz
i6-i8: 16oz
i8+: 32oz

Decor:
Fake or live plants may be provided, jumping spiders enjoy exploring their environment so lots of ledges, hides, and decor is recommended for mental stimulation. Pieces of cork, grape vine, or spider wood make great additions to any enclosure as they provide plenty of climbing and nest opportunities. 3D Printed decor such as ledges or hides are also great additions.

Temperature & Humidity:
75°-85°
50%-70%

Mist when in premolt to boost humidity, also lightly mist near the jumper every once a week for proper hydration. Depending on where you live the substrate may need to be moistened to keep humidity up.

Cleaning:
While jumping spiders are not messy some level of cleaning is needed. Using a wet Q-Tip you can wipe poop or other debris off surfaces, remove any leftover food bits by hand or using tongs. The substate may need to be cleared out occasionally, to ovoid this step a cleanup crew such as isopods or springtail can be added. Be warry as jumping spiders may see isopods as prey and overeat.

Bioactive Enclosures:
Bioactive enclosures are self-sustaining setups, voiding the need for cleaning. These types of setups are meant to replicate a natural environmental system. They use live plants and detritivores (like isopods & springtails) to reach this goal.

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Feeding

Provide food when their abdomen is thin, most slings need to eat every 2-3 days, I recommend offering 4-5 fruit flies per feeding, provide less if they look bloated and more if their abdomen appears thin. One small sized feeder a week should be suitable for adults.

In some cases, a magnetic food dish can be used, this is great for shy jumping spiders that refused to eat from tongs or when climbing foods (such as roaches and crickets) are unavailable. Remove uneaten feeders after a day.



Recommended Foods:
i2-i4: D. Melanogaster Fruit Flies, D. Hydei Fruit Flies, (i3+) Peanut Beetle Larvae
i5-i6: D. Hydei Fruit Flies, Mini Mealworms, Mini Roaches, Peanut Beetle, 1/8-1/4in Crickets
i6-Adult: House Flies, Bottle Flies, Roaches, Mealworms, Crickets, Waxworms

Size feeders appropriately to your spider, do not offer prey larger than double their size.

DO NOT FEED WILD CUAGHT PREY, they can transmit parasites & diseases to your spider, all feeders should be captive bred

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Molting & Sexing

Tyrell's tufted jumping spiders will molt 8-11 times, males and females have slight sexually dimorphic traits. Males will have long stocky arms, bulbous pedipalps, a black base, and a white masked face. Along with that bright white stripping along the sides of their head, legs, and abdomen, with a red capped abdomen. They may also have additional markings on their abdomen such as white or black specs.

Females have a black base and a white masked face. Light white striping along their legs, down the side of their head, and the sides of their abdomen. They have a red/orange capped abdomen usually complimented by white, black, and gray markings in a range of patterns. Mature females will have an epigyne (a small shiny black dot) in between their abdomen and thorax. 
                                                                                         
 Female Epigyne:

Signs of molting:
Refusing to eat
Plump abdomen
Making and hiding in a thickly webbed nest

After your spider molts, they need time to harden their exoskeleton, do not handle or feed them for 24-48 hours.

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Growth & Instars

Eggs: Whitish to a yellowish color and symmetrical in shape.

Eggs with legs: Have begun to develop slight features, like body segments and legs.

i1: Have molted once, now have a completely black with a more defined body shape.

i2: Molted twice inside the nest and now have more noticeable features, such as a large head and smaller body. They are still completely black at this stage and have begun to leave the nest.

i3: Have molted three times, twice time inside the nest and one time outside. Have started to gain their markings, small white dots on their abdomen are present.

i4: Have molted four times in total, may have gained slightly more markings and along with a slight noticeable red coloration to their abdomen and their legs.

i5: Have molted five times, red coloration present on their abdomen is now more visible. They have also now started to develop their white fuzz.

i6: Have molted 6 times, abdomen coloration is now showing it's full potential. Their fuzz is clear and showing off their striped leg pattern better.


Pictures

Eggs:


i2:

i3:

i4:


i5:


i6:


Adult Female:


Time

Depending on environmental factors it may be shorter or longer periods on time for each growth stage. Mine are kept at 80°-83°.

Egg-i2 (Date laid to emerging from nest): 20-25 Days

i2-i3: 9-11 days

i3-i4: 15-18 days

i4-i5: 10-18 days

i5-i6: 16+ days

i6-i7: 17-30 days

Total time till i5: 65+ days/2.5+ months.


Buy your own jumping spider here!

Breeding Guide