Choosing the right feeder insects is one of the most practical decisions in jumping spider care. The wrong feeder can injure the spider, go uneaten, or provide poor nutrition. The right feeder fuels healthy growth, triggers strong hunting behavior, and keeps the spider active and engaged. This guide compares every commonly available feeder insect, covers gut-loading and culturing for each type, provides size-matching guidance by spider life stage, and addresses sourcing, storage, and safety. If you want to know what your jumping spider should eat at each age, start with the complete diet guide and the feeding schedule for frequency. This article focuses on the feeders themselves.
Feeder insect comparison at a glance
| Feeder | Best For | Protein | Fat | Size Range | Difficulty to Keep | Injury Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drosophila melanogaster (flightless fruit flies) | Spiderlings, small species | Moderate | Low | 2-3 mm | Easy (culture) | None |
| Drosophila hydei (flightless fruit flies) | Juveniles, small adults | Moderate | Low | 3-4 mm | Easy (culture) | None |
| Crickets (Acheta domesticus) | Juveniles, adults | High | Moderate | 1-25 mm | Moderate | Moderate (biting) |
| Blue/green bottle flies | Adults | High | Low | 8-12 mm | Easy (pupae) | None |
| Mealworms (Tenebrio molitor) | Supplemental for adults | Moderate | High | 10-25 mm | Easy (fridge) | Low |
| Waxworms (Galleria mellonella) | Occasional treat | Low | Very high | 15-25 mm | Easy (fridge) | None |
| Curly-wing houseflies | Adults | High | Low | 6-8 mm | Moderate (pupae) | None |
| Springtails (Collembola) | First instar spiderlings | Low | Low | 0.5-2 mm | Easy (culture) | None |
Source data compiled from published feeder insect nutritional analyses (source: Journal of Insects as Food and Feed) and established invertebrate husbandry references.
Fruit flies: the foundational feeder
Fruit flies are the backbone of jumping spider feeding from hatching through the juvenile stage. The two commercially available species serve different size ranges.
Drosophila melanogaster (small flightless fruit flies)
Melanogaster are the smallest practical feeder insect at 2 to 3 mm. Flightless and wingless strains cannot fly, making them easy to handle and impossible for the spider to lose in the enclosure. They are the only feeder small enough for first instar spiderlings of most pet species.
Culturing melanogaster at home: Purchase a starter culture from an online feeder insect supplier. The culture medium (a mixture of instant potato flakes, brewer’s yeast, sugar, and vinegar in a ventilated cup) supports the fly population for 3 to 4 weeks. Start a new culture every 2 weeks to maintain a continuous supply. Keep cultures at room temperature (70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit). A single culture produces hundreds of flies over its lifespan, making this the most cost-effective feeder option for spiderling-stage spiders.
Gut-loading melanogaster: The culture medium serves as the gut-load. Commercial culture media that include brewer’s yeast provide better nutritional value than homemade media without it. For maximum nutrition transfer, feed fruit flies from a fresh culture (flies that have been eating the medium regularly) rather than from a culture that is running dry.
Drosophila hydei (large flightless fruit flies)
Hydei are 3 to 4 mm, roughly 50 percent larger than melanogaster. They take longer to reproduce (cultures produce new flies in about 21 to 28 days compared to 10 to 14 days for melanogaster) and the cultures last slightly longer. Hydei are the bridge feeder between melanogaster and crickets, suitable for late spiderlings and small juveniles.
Culturing hydei follows the same process as melanogaster. Many keepers maintain both species simultaneously to cover the full spiderling-to-juvenile feeding range without gaps.
Crickets: the adult staple
House crickets (Acheta domesticus) and banded crickets (Gryllodes sigillatus) are the most widely available feeder insect for adult jumping spiders. They offer the best protein-to-fat ratio among common feeders, accept gut-loading readily, and come in a continuous range of sizes from pinhead (1 to 2 mm) to full adult (25 mm), letting you size-match to any jumping spider.
Cricket sizing for jumping spiders
The cricket should be no longer than the spider’s body length. This bears repeating because oversized crickets are the most common cause of feeder-related injury in jumping spiders. A cricket that is too large can kick with its hind legs hard enough to injure a small spider, and cricket mandibles can bite a resting or molting spider.
| Spider stage | Cricket size |
|---|---|
| Late spiderling / early juvenile | Pinhead (1-3 mm) |
| Juvenile | 1/8 inch (3-6 mm) |
| Sub-adult | 1/4 inch (6-10 mm) |
| Adult (small species, e.g., Hasarius adansoni) | 1/8 to 1/4 inch |
| Adult (medium species, e.g., Phidippus audax) | 1/4 to 3/8 inch |
| Adult (large species, e.g., Phidippus regius) | 1/4 to 1/2 inch |
Gut-loading crickets
Gut-load crickets for 24 to 48 hours before offering them to the spider. Place crickets in a small container with fresh vegetables: collard greens, carrot slices, sweet potato, or butternut squash. Add a commercial cricket gut-load powder if available. Avoid citrus, onions, and potatoes (white potatoes contain solanine). Provide a moisture source (water crystals, a damp sponge, or fresh vegetable slices) to keep the crickets hydrated. Dehydrated crickets have reduced nutritional value and die quickly.
Storing crickets
Keep crickets in a ventilated container at room temperature with egg carton pieces for climbing surfaces and hiding. Clean the container weekly to prevent ammonia buildup from droppings. Crickets kept in dirty, crowded conditions die rapidly and develop bacterial loads that can potentially transfer to the spider. A well-maintained cricket bin can keep a small colony alive for 2 to 3 weeks.
Bottle flies: the premium adult feeder
Blue bottle flies (Calliphora vomitoria) and green bottle flies (Lucilia sericata) are among the best feeders for adult jumping spiders. They trigger an exceptionally strong hunting response because their buzzing flight and erratic movement closely mimic the prey jumping spiders evolved to chase.
Sourcing and hatching bottle flies
Bottle flies are sold as pupae (also called spikes or casters). Order pupae from an online feeder insect supplier. Store pupae in the refrigerator to delay hatching. When you need flies, remove a few pupae from the fridge and place them in a ventilated container at room temperature. They hatch in 1 to 5 days depending on temperature (source: Josh’s Frogs).
To feed, open the hatching container inside the spider’s enclosure and tap one fly in. Bottle flies are fast, so work in a small room with windows and doors closed. Some keepers chill the flies briefly in the refrigerator (5 to 10 minutes) to slow them before transferring to the enclosure.
Nutritional profile
Bottle flies are high in protein, low in fat, and have a soft body relative to their size, making them easy for the spider to consume completely. Their nutritional profile is comparable to or better than crickets for protein content, with less chitin (hard exoskeleton material) per unit of body weight.
The main limitation is cost. Bottle fly pupae are more expensive per unit than crickets or fruit flies, and they cannot be cultured at home without a foul-smelling setup involving decaying organic material. Most keepers treat bottle flies as a premium feeder offered 1 to 2 times per week alongside crickets as the staple.
Mealworms: the supplemental feeder
Mealworms (Tenebrio molitor larvae) are convenient and widely available at pet stores. They store in the refrigerator for weeks, making them a reliable backup feeder. However, their nutritional profile is less ideal as a sole diet for jumping spiders.
Limitations of mealworms
Mealworms have a thick chitinous exoskeleton that can be difficult for smaller spiders to pierce. Their fat content (approximately 13 to 20 percent by dry weight) is higher than crickets or flies, which makes them calorie-dense but less balanced for regular feeding. Mealworms are also relatively sedentary, which means they do not trigger the same strong hunting response as more active prey.
Best use of mealworms
Offer small mealworms (1/2 inch or less) to adult jumping spiders once a week or less as a dietary supplement. Freshly molted mealworms (white, soft-bodied) are significantly easier for the spider to consume and have a better chitin-to-soft-tissue ratio. If you maintain a mealworm colony, watch for freshly molted individuals and offer those preferentially.
Gut-load mealworms with vegetables (carrot, sweet potato, leafy greens) for 24 hours before feeding. The oat bran or wheat bran they are typically shipped in provides calories but minimal micronutrients.
Waxworms: the occasional treat
Waxworms (Galleria mellonella larvae) are the highest-fat common feeder insect, with fat content reaching 20 to 25 percent by dry weight. They are soft-bodied, easy for the spider to consume, and generally accepted eagerly. Their high fat and moisture content makes them useful for a spider that is underweight or recovering from a difficult molt.
Use waxworms as an occasional treat, not a staple. One waxworm every 1 to 2 weeks is a reasonable frequency for an adult spider. Regular waxworm feeding leads to obesity and the associated risks (distended abdomen, reduced activity, shortened lifespan). The feeding schedule guide covers how to integrate supplemental feeders into the weekly routine.
Curly-wing houseflies: the mid-size option
Curly-wing houseflies (Musca domestica, selectively bred for non-functional wings) are a mid-size feeder between fruit flies and bottle flies. At 6 to 8 mm, they suit sub-adult and smaller adult jumping spiders. Their inability to fly makes handling easier than standard houseflies. They offer a good protein profile and trigger a reasonable hunting response through their ground-level walking and buzzing.
Curly-wing housefly pupae are available from the same suppliers that sell bottle fly pupae. Hatching and handling procedures are identical. They are less commonly stocked than fruit flies or crickets but worth sourcing if you keep species in the size range where hydei fruit flies are too small and crickets are the only other option.
Springtails: the micro-feeder for first instars
Springtails (Collembola, various species) are the smallest available feeder at 0.5 to 2 mm. They are used primarily for first instar spiderlings that are too small to handle even melanogaster fruit flies, though this situation is uncommon with standard pet species. Springtails are more commonly kept as a bioactive cleanup crew in enclosures, where they consume mold and organic debris.
Springtail cultures are easy to maintain in a sealed container with charcoal substrate and a food source (brewer’s yeast, fish flake food, or rice grains). They reproduce quickly and require minimal maintenance. Keep a culture if you breed jumping spiders and need a reliable micro-feeder for the smallest spiderlings.
What makes a feeder insect safe for jumping spiders?
Three factors determine feeder safety: size, source, and chemical exposure.
Size: Already covered above. Prey must be no longer than the spider’s body. Undersizing is always safer than oversizing.
Source: Only use commercially raised feeder insects or home-cultured colonies started from commercial stock. Wild-caught insects may carry parasites (nematodes, mites) or have been exposed to pesticides. Even insects from a “clean” garden may have contacted herbicide drift or neonicotinoid-treated soil (source: EPA neonicotinoid pollinator risk assessments).
Chemical exposure: Never feed insects collected near agricultural land, treated lawns, or areas where pest control has been applied. Insecticide residues on prey insects transfer directly to the spider during consumption. Even sub-lethal doses can cause neurological damage, appetite loss, and eventual death.
Frequently asked questions
Which feeder insect has the best overall nutrition for jumping spiders?
Crickets and bottle flies are the two most nutritionally balanced feeders for adult jumping spiders. Both are high in protein, moderate to low in fat, and accept gut-loading that further improves their nutritional content. For spiderlings, fruit flies are the only practical option and provide adequate nutrition for the growth stage.
How many feeder insects should you keep on hand?
For a single adult jumping spider, a small cricket colony (20 to 30 crickets purchased biweekly) or a fruit fly culture (produces hundreds over 3 to 4 weeks) provides more than enough supply. For multiple spiders or a breeding operation, maintain 2 to 3 overlapping fruit fly cultures and a larger cricket supply. Bottle fly pupae store in the refrigerator for several weeks, so a single order of 50 to 100 pupae lasts a long time for one or two spiders.
Can you breed feeder insects at home to save money?
Yes. Fruit fly cultures are the easiest and most common home-cultured feeder. Cricket breeding is possible but requires more space, a warmer environment, and more maintenance. Mealworm colonies (using a series of stacked bins with oat bran substrate) are straightforward but produce slowly. Home culturing fruit flies is strongly recommended for anyone keeping jumping spiders long-term, as it reduces cost to near zero for the most frequently used feeder.
Are dubia roaches good feeders for jumping spiders?
Dubia roaches (Blaptica dubia) are a popular feeder for larger exotic pets (reptiles, tarantulas), but they are too large and heavily armored for most jumping spiders. Nymph dubia roaches (1/8 inch) could theoretically work for large adult jumping spiders, but they are less commonly available in that size compared to pinhead crickets, and their tendency to burrow into substrate makes them hard for an arboreal spider to hunt. Crickets and bottle flies are better choices for jumping spiders specifically.
Do feeder insects need to be alive for jumping spiders to eat them?
Live prey is strongly preferred. Jumping spiders hunt by visual motion detection, and a stationary dead insect does not trigger the hunting sequence in most individuals. Some spiders accept pre-killed prey wiggled with tweezers to simulate movement, but this is a backup technique, not a standard feeding method. The diet guide covers pre-killed feeding in detail.
Researched and written by the ExoPetGuides editorial team with AI-assisted drafting. All feeder insect nutritional data and husbandry recommendations independently verified against published invertebrate nutrition research (Journal of Insects as Food and Feed), Josh’s Frogs care resources, Arachnoboards community guides, and EPA pollinator-protection publications.
Disclaimer: This content is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional veterinary advice. Always consult a qualified veterinarian for any health concern about your pet. Care recommendations may vary based on species, individual animal, and local regulations.