Playing hide-and-seek

This small Jumping Spider was out hunting and under the leaf was a tiny insect that it was hunting.

During my childhood, we used to collect the males of this Jumping Spider - Thiania bhamoensis to keep as 'pets' and use them for fighting. Only the males will fight, so we challenge friends who also keeps this Jumping Spider to fighting matches and usually the fights last a a few seconds only. On rare occasions will the fights last more than 30 seconds.

Interestingly, sometimes the losing male Spiders can be 'rejuvenated' to fight 'harder' if they were presented with a female Jumping Spider and attempts to mate with her but 'separated' from her before they mated. Immediately after this, the same losing male will be put to fight with the other male Spider who won earlier, and there is a chance this rejuvenated male Spider might win the new round!

Top view of the same Spider :