Oak Jumping Spider (Ballus chalybeius)

This was a pleasant first discovery in my garden, today (1/05/24) a locally common species in the south east of England, but otherwise nationally scarce.

A fairly small jumping spider, females measure 3 to 4 mm, males 2.5 to 3.5 mm.

This male is displaying the usual black-brown with light markings over the carapace and abdomen. The legs pale with a black spiral pattern. The front pair are greatly thickened have a distinctive red section. The palps are black-brown with white hairs at the tip.

The female is similar but more brown than black and without the red section on the front legs.

Ballus chalybeius favours a woodland habitat where it spins a retreat on the upper surface of leaves of bushes and young trees, particularly Oak. In fact this species is unusual in that it can only be found in trees and bushes, not on the ground or man-made constructions.

Adults are found mainly from late spring to mid-summer.