Species Care Sheet
Regal Jumping Spider
Phidippus regius
Beginner to keep
The spider
The regal is the largest jumping spider in North America and the classic first jumper. Bold and curious, it learns the hand that feeds it and will track your face with its big front eyes. It is widely captive-bred, so healthy, known-age stock is easy to find. Females grow larger and live longer; males mature faster, wear boxing-glove pedipalps, and often have iridescent blue or green chelicerae. Locality names like Bahama, Soroa, and apricot describe where a spider's family came from rather than a guaranteed colour.
Home and environment
This is an arboreal spider, so height matters more than floor space. Give it a tall, front or side opening enclosure with cross-ventilation on two opposite sides so damp air can rise and leave. Add a cork slab or upright branch and an anchor point near the top for the silk retreat, over a thin layer of coconut fibre kept barely damp to dry. Seal every seam and vent, since they slip through the smallest gap, and keep it out of direct sun, which can overheat a small enclosure quickly. Some keepers run a little more humid, but the point everyone agrees on is that airflow matters more than the number, and stagnant, over-wet air is a top killer.
Feeding
Feed flightless fruit flies to slings, then small crickets, bottle flies, and roach nymphs as they grow. Waxworms and mealworms are occasional treats, not staples. The one firm rule is prey no larger than the spider's abdomen. How often each one eats depends on its size and its last molt, so I do not print a schedule here. Every spider goes home with one, and I am glad to share mine if you ask. Feed to body condition rather than the clock; a plump abdomen means skip a meal.
Molting
When it is time to molt, the spider seals into a thick silk hammock, usually high in the enclosure, and stops eating for days to over a week. Do not feed it and do not disturb the retreat, and remove any live insect at once, since a cricket can kill a soft, defenceless spider. For two to three days after the molt the new body stays soft, so leave it alone until it is hardened and hunting again.
Temperament and handling
This is one of the most handleable of all invertebrates. Let it walk onto a flat, open hand of its own accord, and never grab, pinch, or scoop. Always work low and over something soft, since a fall onto a hard floor can be fatal. Keep early visits to a minute or two. Bites are very rare and harmless. Leave it be in its first week home, before a molt, for a few days after one, and while a female guards an egg sac.
What to avoid
- High humidity with poor airflow, which breeds mould and stresses the lungs
- Leaving live prey in while the spider is sealed up to molt
- Prey larger than the spider's abdomen
- Handling over a hard surface, where a fall can rupture the abdomen
- Unsealed lids and vents they escape through
- Direct sun, which can overheat a small enclosure within the hour
- Housing two together, which ends in cannibalism
“Regals are the golden retriever of spiders. Give her a tall home with real airflow, keep it on the dry side, mist one wall every few days for a drink, and leave her be when she webs up to molt.”
More care sheets · Bold Jumping Spider · Canopy Jumping Spider · Johnson's Jumping Spider · Heavy Jumping Spider
Care notes reflect the r/jumpingspiders keeping community's consensus, cross-checked across hobby care resources. Every animal is an individual; watch yours and adjust.