Magnolia Green Jumper – Lyssomanes Viridis Species

The Magnolia green jumper is a special jumping spider with lots of brilliant features that makes it easy to spot and identified. Although not very colorful like the elegant golden jumping spider, its bright green color means that it can still be easily identified in the wild.

This species of jumping spider belongs to the genus Lyssomanes. Plus, it popular in the United States and can be spotted in much of Texas and the Southeastern United States.

For those intrigued by the magnolia green jumper and looking to learn more about this brilliant spider, you’re welcome to read further.

Scientific name

While this jumping spider species is popularly called the Magnolia green jumper, it is scientifically called Lyssomanes Viridis as it belongs to the genus Lyssomanes.

Like other jumping spiders, the magnolia green jumper is a smart, curious, and agile hunter who can effectively take on smaller prey or even larger ones, three times its size. In the wild, they can fend and defend themselves from predators.

Thanks to their superb jumping skills, magnolia green jumpers can evade predators without any hassle.

Description and size

Given their bright green color, our furry friends are easy to identify. Sometimes, their color appears slightly translucent.

An adult magnolia green jumper features around eight or more brown or black dots on its abdomen. Sometimes, these dots can be hard to spot, and you may have to look closely to see them. Their eyes look a bit like small black dots. Plus, the eye region is surrounded by orange and yellow hairs.

Compared to other spiders, the magnolia green jumper has long legs that allow it to jump farther than its close relatives. Their complex vision and well-developed eyesight mean our furry friends can easily spot prey and predators from 3mm away.

As per size, the magnolia green jumper doesn’t have so much going for it as it is relatively small when compared to other jumping spiders. To start with, the female magnolia jumping spider is a lot bigger than the male and measures between 7 to 8 mm. On the flip side, the males can reach up to 5 to 6 mm in length.

Distribution and habitat

When it comes to distribution, the magnolia green jumper has been found in most Southeastern states of the US, including big states like Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, North Carolina, Arkansas, South Carolina, Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. Not just that, it has also been spotted in Eastern Mexico and south to Guatemala.

There have been reports of the magnolia jumping spider being sighted as far as Venezuela and Colorado.

Today, this jumping spider species is growing in numbers in Florida, where they are commonly found in citrus orchards. Also, they have been spotted in tropical and subtropical forests of Mexico.

Diet/food

One unique thing we have come to love about the magnolia green jumper is its impeccable jumping and hunting skills. As agile and skillful hunters, our spider friends can fend for themselves in the wild.

While they prey and feed on smaller insects like mosquitoes, flies, crickets, mealworms, and others, magnolia green jumpers aren’t scared of taking on larger insects that are three times their size. On an extremely hungry day, our spider friends can take on grasshoppers.

But if you decide to breed them in captivity, you’ll have to make sure you feed them very well since they can no longer hunt for themselves. That shouldn’t be a problem as their food is readily available and can be ordered from pet stores close to you.

Web

Like most jumping spiders, the magnolia green jumping spider doesn’t spin webs. Although it can produce silk, it only uses it as an anchor during daring jumps when actively seeking prey. Plus, they don’t jump too high or too far like other close relatives. And because they are fantastic jumpers, they don’t rely on webs to catch their prey.

Bite

Although our spider friends are capable of biting, they hardly bite humans. Their friendly nature has also made them the number one option for exotic pet lovers looking to keep them as pets. And because they are shy creatures, they would rather escape than attack. If handled roughly or they feel threatened, our furry friends aren’t afraid to bite. That said, their bite may only cause mild redness and irritations that disappear after a couple of days.

Is it dangerous or venomous to humans?

One thing that gets a lot of people freaked out about spiders is their venoms. But while the magnolia jumping spider has potent venoms that can incapacitate their prey, their venom isn’t harmful to humans.

And should you ever get bitten by these creatures, the most you’ll notice is mild irritations that fade away after a couple of days.

Frequently asked questions

How long do magnolia green jumpers live for?

In terms of lifespan, magnolia green jumpers aren’t very different from other jumping spiders, and that’s because they have a relatively short lifespan. In the wild, our spider friends can live up to 1 to 2 years.

When bred in captivity, magnolia green jumpers can survive for nearly three years. Plus, females are believed to live longer than their male counterparts.

How often should magnolia green jumping spiders be fed?

Because they don’t overeat, magnolia green jumpers are easy to care for and maintain. For the juveniles, you can feed them once every 1 to 2 days. For adults and subadults, you can feed them once every 2 to 3 days. And because their food is readily available in pet stores close to you, ensuring that your pet spider is fed properly wouldn’t be such a big deal.

Can you keep magnolia green jumpers as pets?

Yes, our spider friends are vicious hunters who actively seek out their prey. But when it comes to human relations, this jumping spider species are super friendly and will not harm humans.

Except they are handled roughly or feel threatened, they rarely bite. So, if you’re looking to keep them as pets, you’re welcome to do so.