Is the zebra jumping spider dangerous?

The zebra jumping spider is harmless to people. Harmless. Too small to matter and disinclined to bite.

How do you identify a zebra jumping spider?

Bold black-and-white stripes on a very small body. Two large forward-facing eyes that track you.

Where do zebra jumping spiders live?

The zebra jumping spider is found across most of the United States, in habitats including indoors, garden and woodpile.

Zebra Jumping Spider

Harmless

Salticus scenicus · also called zebra spider

The zebra jumper is the tiny striped spider seen darting about on sunlit walls, fences and window sills. It is one of the easiest spiders to watch closely, because it is entirely unbothered by people and will happily stalk a fingertip.

Bite risk: Harmless. Too small to matter and disinclined to bite.
Size: Body 4–7 mm. Very small — body about a grain of rice.
Appearance: Small and boldly striped in black and white, with the characteristic jumping-spider face: two large forward eyes and a squared-off head.
Web: No catching web. Builds a small silk retreat in a crevice.
Found in: indoors, garden, woodpile
Family: Salticidae
Range: Most of the United States

How to identify a zebra jumping spider

Bold black-and-white stripes on a very small body.
Two large forward-facing eyes that track you.
Jerky, stop-start walking with sudden jumps.
Almost always on a sunlit vertical surface.

How it behaves

Hunts by sight in sunshine, mainly on walls and fences. Retreats into crevices at night.

What the zebra jumping spider is confused with

One observation settles each of these.

Bold jumping spider →

Bold jumpers are larger and fuzzier with white spots rather than stripes.

If you think you were bitten

Most suspected spider bites are not spider bites. Studies of patients presenting with a “spider bite” repeatedly find that the large majority are bacterial skin infections — frequently MRSA — which need antibiotics rather than reassurance. A spreading, painful, pus-filled sore is far more likely to be an infection than a spider.
Wash it, ice it, and watch it. Clean the area with soap and water, apply a cold pack, and keep an eye on it.
Get medical care if the wound spreads or darkens, if you develop cramping, sweating, fever or severe abdominal pain, or if you are confident it was a widow or a recluse.
Bring the spider only if it is already dead and to hand. Do not go looking for it. Doctors treat symptoms, not species.

In the US, the Poison Help line is 1-800-222-1222. This site is a reference, not medical advice.

Not sure it was a zebra jumping spider? Identify it step by step →