Adults commonly about 4–7.5 mm.
Fine-art photographic collection
Salticus scenicus
A wall-running spider that watches people pass, stalks with binocular vision and leaps on a silk safety line.
About this species
Zebra Jumper
Salticus scenicus(Clerck, 1757)
Information reviewed15 July 2026
Salticus scenicus is a familiar black-and-white jumping spider of sunlit walls, fences and rocks. It hunts without a capture web, visually tracking prey before a precisely aimed pounce.
Taxonomy
Animalia · Arthropoda · Insecta · Araneae · Salticidae · Salticus
Accepted taxon. · checked 2026-07-15
the Northern Hemisphere, with introduced populations elsewhereBroad range and selected reference localities — not a complete occurrence map.
the Northern Hemisphere, with introduced populations elsewhere
Sunny walls, fences, rocks, tree trunks and buildings.
Diurnal and most active in sunshine.
Small flies, moths and other arthropods.
Solitary.
What makes this species remarkable?
Its huge forward-facing principal eyes provide high-resolution binocular vision, while six secondary eyes maintain an almost all-round watch for movement.
Before pouncing it anchors a dragline, turning silk into a safety tether that prevents a missed jump from becoming a fatal fall.
Males court face-to-face by raising and waving their front legs and enlarged chelicerae, presenting a visual display to an equally visual predator.
More photographs
10