
Red-bellied jumping spider (Philaeus chrysops) ♂
This is from Piemont, Italy, where we did a classic mountain hike up “Cima Saben” near the town of Valdieri. The last 300 meters or so were really steep, and we both felt again that we're no longer 25 :-)
But arriving at the top, we not only enjoyed a marvelous view, but also had this colourful little guest at our summit lunch. With a body length of up to 12mm, it is one of the largest European species of jumping spiders. This one is clearly a male, since the females, while adorned with whitish stripes, are of rather uniform brown.