Jumping spiders are obligate carnivores that hunt live prey by sight. A captive jumping spider’s complete diet is built from five staple feeders (flightless fruit flies, pinhead and small crickets, blue and green bottle flies, occasional small mealworms, and the occasional waxworm or springtail) sized to the spider’s body and gut-loaded for 24 to 48 hours before feeding. This guide covers every safe feeder, the prey-size matrix by life stage, gut-loading and dusting decisions, hydration through misting, common feeding mistakes, and the eight prey items that must never enter the enclosure. In our keeper community, we have raised hundreds of Phidippus regius, Phidippus audax, Hyllus diardi, and Hasarius adansoni through every life stage on this exact protocol. For the broader husbandry context this diet plan fits inside, see our complete jumping spider care guide.
Quick reference: complete jumping spider diet by life stage
A jumping spider’s diet shifts from flightless fruit flies in the spiderling stage to crickets and bottle flies in adulthood, with prey size capped at the spider’s body length (cephalothorax plus abdomen, legs excluded) at every stage. The table below maps the five staple feeders to age, frequency, and prey size, and lists supplementary feeders that round out the diet without becoming a problem.
| Life stage | Spider body size | Primary feeder | Prey size | Frequency | Supplementary feeders |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First & second instar sling | 2 to 4 mm | Drosophila melanogaster (flightless) | 2 to 3 mm | Every 1 to 2 days, 1 to 2 flies | Springtails (Collembola) |
| Third instar sling | 4 to 6 mm | Drosophila hydei (flightless) | 3 to 4 mm | Every 2 days, 1 to 2 flies | Late melanogaster |
| Juvenile (4th to 6th instar) | 6 to 10 mm | Pinhead crickets, D. hydei | 3 to 6 mm | Every 2 to 3 days | Bottle fly spikes, small black soldier fly larvae |
| Sub-adult | 10 to 14 mm | Small crickets (1/8 inch / 3 mm) | 5 to 10 mm | Every 3 to 4 days | Bottle flies, small dubia nymphs |
| Adult male | 8 to 14 mm | Bottle flies, small crickets | 6 to 10 mm | Every 4 to 5 days | Occasional small mealworm (freshly molted) |
| Adult female (small species) | 8 to 12 mm | Bottle flies, small crickets | 6 to 10 mm | Every 4 to 5 days | Waxworm (1x every 1 to 2 weeks max) |
| Adult female (large species) | 15 to 22 mm | Medium crickets, bottle flies | 10 to 18 mm | Every 3 to 5 days | Mealworm (freshly molted), small dubia |
This table is a starting framework. Adjust frequency by reading the spider’s abdomen between feedings (see the body-condition section below) and slow feeding during the pre-molt fasting window of 5 to 10 days. For age- and species-specific frequency, see our feeding schedule by age and species. For body-size context across all commonly kept species, see our best pet jumping spider species guide.
What are the best feeder insects for jumping spiders?
The five core feeders for pet jumping spiders are flightless fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster for slings and D. hydei for larger juveniles), pinhead and small crickets, blue and green bottle flies, occasional small mealworms, and the occasional waxworm or springtail. These cover every life stage and every commonly kept species without exposing the spider to undue injury risk or nutritional gaps.
Flightless fruit flies (Drosophila)
Fruit flies are the primary feeder for spiderlings and small juvenile jumping spiders. Two species are widely available: Drosophila melanogaster (the smaller flightless variety, roughly 2 to 3 mm) and Drosophila hydei (the larger flightless variety, roughly 3 to 4 mm). Always buy or culture flightless or wingless cultures, because winged flies escape and crash cultures. Melanogaster is the go-to for first and second instar spiderlings. Hydei works for third instar through small adult species like Hasarius adansoni.
Fruit flies are cheap, easy to culture at home, and pose zero injury risk to the spider. Their main limitation is nutritional density: fruit flies are lower in protein than crickets or bottle flies, so they are best as a staple for slings and a supplement for larger adults. Refresh cultures every 4 to 6 weeks and discard cultures that go grey, foul-smelling, or mite-infested. The feeder insects comparison guide covers culture maintenance in detail.
Crickets (pinhead and small)
Small crickets, ranging from pinhead (2 to 3 mm) up to 1/4 inch (6 mm) depending on the spider, are the most nutritionally balanced widely available feeder. They offer a strong protein-to-fat ratio and gut-load well on dark leafy greens and root vegetables. Crickets are the standard adult jumping spider staple in most US care guides and breeder protocols (source: Bugs in Cyberspace).
The critical rule with crickets is sizing. A cricket longer than the spider’s body can kick, bite, and injure or kill the spider, particularly during a molt. The cricket must be no longer than the spider’s combined cephalothorax-plus-abdomen length (legs excluded). When in doubt, go one size smaller. A spider that takes the cricket down quickly and consumes the entire body is properly sized; a spider that abandons or backs away from the cricket is signalling the prey is too large.
Critical safety step: remove any uncaught cricket from the enclosure within 24 hours. A live cricket left in the enclosure overnight can bite a resting or molting spider, and bite-related fatalities are documented in keeper forums (source: Arachnoboards). Many experienced keepers crush the cricket’s head or remove its rear jumping legs before offering it to a sub-adult or molting spider to neutralize the risk.
Blue and green bottle flies (Calliphora and Lucilia)
Bottle flies are the strongest single feeder for sub-adult and adult jumping spiders. Their flight pattern closely mimics the visual cues that drive Salticidae prey detection, and most keepers report their spiders eat bottle flies more eagerly than any other feeder (source: Nature). Bottle fly pupae, sold as “spikes” or “fly castors” online, hatch at room temperature in 2 to 4 days, giving a steady supply.
Bottle flies are high in lean protein, low in fat, and carry effectively zero injury risk to the spider. The downside is that they are faster and more agile than crickets, so very young or undersized spiders may struggle to catch them. Introduce bottle flies once the spider is sub-adult or shows confident pouncing on hydei fruit flies. Refrigerate unhatched spikes at 4 to 7°C / 39 to 45°F to slow development and stretch a single order across several weeks.
Mealworms (Tenebrio molitor)
Mealworms are a convenient supplemental feeder for adults of larger species (P. regius, H. diardi). They are widely available at pet stores, refrigerate well for weeks, and are easy to handle. However, mealworms have a hard chitinous exoskeleton that smaller spiders struggle to pierce, and their fat content is higher than crickets or bottle flies.
Use small mealworms as an occasional supplement (every 1 to 2 weeks for an adult female regius), not a staple. Offer freshly molted (white) mealworms when possible, because the soft cuticle is far easier for the spider to consume. Never leave an uneaten mealworm in the enclosure overnight: mealworms pupate into darkling beetles within days at room temperature, and adult darkling beetles can attack and kill a jumping spider during a molt. Remove uneaten mealworms within 24 hours.
Waxworms (Galleria mellonella)
Waxworms are high-fat, high-moisture larvae that work well as occasional treats or as a rescue feeder for underweight spiders that need to gain body mass quickly. Their soft bodies are easy for the spider to consume. The high fat content is the problem: more than one waxworm per 1 to 2 weeks risks accelerating the overfeeding-related abdominal distension that shortens adult lifespan. Treat waxworms as the equivalent of dessert, not a meal.
Springtails (Collembola) and other supplementary feeders
Springtails (tiny detritivores 1 to 3 mm in body size) serve two roles in a jumping spider setup. As a feeder, they are an occasional protein source for first instar spiderlings that have not yet accepted melanogaster fruit flies. As an enclosure janitor, they break down feeder corpses, mold, and excess moisture without harming the spider. A small culture of Folsomia candida seeded into the substrate of a sub-adult or adult enclosure is a low-effort husbandry upgrade.
Other supplementary feeders accepted by jumping spiders include small dubia roach nymphs (1/4 inch / 6 mm or smaller for adults of large species), small black soldier fly larvae, and house flies. Avoid wild-caught moths, beetles, and any insect of unknown origin. Use these supplementary feeders alongside the bottle-fly and cricket staples, not in place of them.
How do you size prey correctly for a jumping spider?
The prey item must be no longer than the spider’s combined cephalothorax-plus-abdomen length, legs excluded. This is the single most important feeding variable: prey that is too large can kick, bite, or simply outmuscle the spider, while prey that is far too small fails to trigger the visual hunting response that drives Salticidae feeding behavior. When in doubt, downsize by one feeder class.
Prey size scales by life stage, by species adult size, and by individual readiness. A 12 mm sub-adult P. regius safely takes a 3 mm cricket but should not be offered the 6 mm crickets that an 18 mm adult female handles routinely. The size matrix in the quick-reference table above gives a starting envelope; final sizing is determined by watching the spider hunt.
The visual sizing test
Drop the feeder into the enclosure and watch the spider’s response in the next 60 to 120 seconds.
- Correct size: the spider tracks the prey with its anterior median eyes, calculates a pounce, and takes the prey down within 1 to 5 minutes. The entire prey body is consumed.
- Too small: the spider ignores or only briefly tracks the prey. The hunting response is not triggered. Upsize to the next feeder class on the next feeding.
- Too large: the spider visibly hesitates, backs away, or makes a half-pounce and retreats. The prey is too intimidating. Remove the prey and downsize.
Species-specific sizing notes
Adult prey size scales sharply with species. A full-grown female Phidippus regius (15 to 22 mm body length) routinely takes 10 to 15 mm crickets, while a full-grown Hasarius adansoni (6 to 8 mm body length) caps out at 6 mm prey. Hyllus diardi (15 to 20 mm body length) eats at regius scale but at a slightly faster cadence due to its higher metabolic rate at 26 to 30°C / 78 to 86°F. Always calibrate to the individual spider, not to a generic “adult jumping spider” recommendation.
What is gut-loading and why does it matter?
Gut-loading is the practice of feeding nutrient-dense food to feeder insects for 24 to 48 hours before offering them to the spider, so that the gut contents of the prey become a secondary nutrition source for the spider. This matters because commercially raised feeders are typically maintained on grain-based diets that are calorie-dense but micronutrient-poor, so the gut-load is how the spider gets the vitamins, minerals, and carotenoids that grain alone does not deliver.
Gut-load foods that work
The strongest gut-load foods are dark leafy greens (collard greens, dandelion greens, mustard greens, kale), orange root vegetables (carrot, sweet potato, butternut squash), and commercial gut-load formulas. A simple working recipe: drop a thumbnail-sized piece of carrot plus a small leaf of collard into the cricket bin 24 to 48 hours before the next feeding day. Replace daily so the cricket bin does not develop mold or off-odors.
Avoid citrus fruits (orange, lemon, lime), iceberg lettuce, and grain-only diets as the sole gut-load. Citrus acidifies the cricket gut and may irritate the spider’s digestive tract; iceberg is nutritionally near-empty; grain alone is what you are trying to upgrade away from.
Gut-loading by feeder type
- Crickets: 24 to 48 hour gut-load on greens plus root vegetables. Highest leverage feeder for gut-load because crickets carry meaningful gut volume.
- Bottle flies: harder to gut-load post-hatch because adult flies eat liquid food. Offer a slice of mashed fruit, honey water, or commercial fly food in the hatching cup for 24 hours before transferring to the spider.
- Fruit flies: already gut-loaded by the culture medium if you use a quality mix with brewer’s yeast and powdered grain. If you make your own culture, add a tablespoon of dried-and-ground spirulina or moringa per quart of medium.
- Mealworms and waxworms: short gut-load window because both are eaten infrequently. A 24 hour pre-feed dose of carrot or sweet potato is enough.
Do jumping spiders need calcium or vitamin dusting?
There is no peer-reviewed evidence that calcium or vitamin D3 dusting benefits jumping spiders the way it does insectivorous reptiles. Spiders’ chitin biology does not have the same skeletal calcium demand. Some keepers lightly dust feeders with calcium powder as a precaution, particularly for gravid (egg-carrying) females; we do not recommend it as routine practice. Gut-loading is the evidence-based equivalent of supplementation for arachnids (source: American Arachnological Society). If a vet specifically recommends dusting for a documented condition, follow that recommendation.
How do jumping spiders drink water in captivity?
Jumping spiders get most of their moisture from prey but also drink water droplets directly from enclosure surfaces. In captivity, hydration is delivered by light misting one wall or corner of the enclosure 1 to 3 times per week, leaving small droplets the spider can drink from by pressing its chelicerae against the droplet and drawing the liquid in. Never use a water dish — jumping spiders can fall in and drown.
Mist with distilled, reverse-osmosis, or aged tap water. Avoid heavily mineralized tap water if your local supply leaves white residue on glass, because mineral buildup can foul drinking droplets. Sphagnum moss kept damp in one corner provides a longer-lasting humidity micro-zone without drowning risk. Aim for 50 to 60 percent relative humidity for most species; Hyllus diardi and tropical species prefer 60 to 70 percent. The temperature and humidity guide covers misting technique, frequency, and species-specific targets. For complete hydration coverage including dehydration triage, see our jumping spider hydration guide.
Dehydration warning signs: shrivelled or wrinkled abdomen, lethargy, reluctance to hunt, sluggish climbing, dragging abdomen. Spiderlings and high-ventilation enclosures dry out fastest. If you suspect dehydration, mist immediately and place a single water droplet within 1 cm of the spider using a pipette, because most dehydrated jumping spiders drink within seconds of water being offered.
Can jumping spiders eat dead or pre-killed prey?
Jumping spiders are primarily live-prey hunters because their hunting response is triggered by movement: visual tracking, distance calculation, pounce. A stationary dead insect does not trigger this sequence in most individuals. That said, pre-killed prey works as a backup option for newly shipped spiders, post-molt spiders, and food-motivated species like Phidippus regius when live feeders are temporarily unavailable.
How to offer pre-killed prey
- Freshly euthanize the feeder (crush the head with tweezers or freeze for 60 seconds). Do not use feeders that have been dead for hours.
- Grasp the body with soft-tip tweezers or feeding tongs.
- Wiggle the prey gently 2 to 4 cm in front of the spider, simulating live movement.
- Hold for 30 to 60 seconds. If the spider tracks and pounces, allow it to take the prey from the tweezers and retreat. If the spider ignores, retry in 24 hours.
Pre-killed feeding works most reliably with hungry spiders, bold species (P. regius, P. audax), and post-molt spiders that need fast nutrition but are too vulnerable to handle live prey. It is less effective with shy species (Maratus, some Hasarius) and recently relocated spiders still acclimating. Use it as a tool, not a routine: live feeding provides physical exercise and the cognitive engagement that contributes to long-term welfare (source: PubMed).
What should jumping spiders never eat?
Eight prey items must never enter a jumping spider enclosure. Each carries either a poisoning risk, an injury risk, or a disease/parasite risk that outweighs any nutritional benefit. This list is not exhaustive but covers the items most commonly mistaken for safe feeders.
- Wild-caught insects from pesticide-treated areas. Garden insects, indoor flies caught near pest-control products, and any insect from a yard treated with herbicides or insecticides carry a significant poisoning risk. Even trace neonicotinoid insecticides are acutely lethal to jumping spiders, and sub-lethal field doses impair hunting behavior within hours (source: Oxford Academic). Captive-bred feeders only.
- Insects larger than the spider’s body. Oversized prey can kick, bite, and kill. The cricket-induced fatalities documented in keeper forums are almost all cases of oversized prey left in the enclosure overnight.
- Ants. Ants contain formic acid, bite defensively, and many species recruit nestmates via pheromones. Even a single ant in a small enclosure is dangerous, and a stray colonizing ant can lead to a sustained attack on a molting spider.
- Fireflies (lightning bugs). Fireflies contain lucibufagins, a class of cardenolide-like steroidal toxins, that are lethal to many predators including spiders (source: PNAS).
- Hard-shelled beetles (darkling beetles, ground beetles). Adult darkling beetles (the adult form of mealworms left in the enclosure too long) and wild ground beetles can attack and kill jumping spiders. Their hard exoskeleton also makes them difficult prey even when accepted.
- Brightly colored or aposematic wild insects. Bright warning coloration in nature signals chemical defense. If you cannot confidently identify a wild-caught insect as safe, do not feed it. This includes most colorful caterpillars, ladybugs, and milkweed bugs.
- Other captive spiders or wild spiders. While jumping spiders eat other spiders in the wild, captive cannibalism is a welfare issue rather than a dietary strategy. Wild-caught spiders also carry parasitic mites and nematodes.
- Plant matter, fruit, honey. Jumping spiders are obligate carnivores. The one documented mostly-vegetarian species, Bagheera kiplingi, is a Central American outlier and not a pet species (source: Current Biology). Your pet jumping spider needs live insect prey, not banana, honey, or fruit.
How do you know if your jumping spider is eating enough?
The most reliable feeding-status indicator is abdomen shape. A well-fed jumping spider has a plump, rounded abdomen that is roughly as wide as or slightly wider than the cephalothorax (front body segment). Read the abdomen before each feeding and adjust frequency from what you see, not from a rigid calendar. The three body-condition states below cover the entire range.
| Body condition | Visual signs | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Underfed | Abdomen visibly smaller than cephalothorax; wrinkled or sunken surface; sluggish behavior | Increase feeding frequency by 1 day; check for hydration, temperature, or molt issues |
| Well-fed (target) | Abdomen plump and rounded, smooth surface, slightly wider than cephalothorax | Maintain current schedule |
| Overfed | Abdomen distended, disproportionately large, skin between plates looks stretched and thin | Skip next 1 to 2 feedings; reduce prey size; falls or jumps now risk abdominal rupture |
After a successful meal, the abdomen will look noticeably fuller. Over the next 2 to 4 days it returns to a moderate size as the spider digests. If the abdomen stays sunken even after feeding, prey may be too small (the spider is eating but not enough volume per meal) or the spider may have an underlying health issue. If the spider consistently refuses food for more than 4 to 5 days outside of a pre-molt fasting window, treat it as a feeding-failure case and investigate environment first, then health.
For a complete review of what healthy looks like in a jumping spider (abdomen, leg posture, web behavior, and activity), see our health signs guide.
Common feeding mistakes new keepers make
Most jumping spider feeding problems trace to one of five preventable mistakes: leaving live prey in the enclosure overnight, oversizing the feeder, feeding too often, using wild-caught insects, and skipping gut-load. We see each of these in the keeper community at least once a month. Each is fixed by a small change to routine, and any single fix typically clears the problem within one or two feeding cycles.
- Leaving live crickets or mealworms in the enclosure overnight. The single most common cause of preventable spider death. Remove uneaten prey within 24 hours, ideally within 4 to 6 hours for sub-adults and molting spiders.
- Oversizing the prey. Especially common when keepers transition slings to juveniles, because the size jump from melanogaster to pinhead cricket is too large for some spiderlings. Step through hydei as the intermediate.
- Feeding too often. Adults eat every 3 to 5 days, not daily. Overfeeding shortens lifespan, distends the abdomen, and increases regurgitation risk.
- Wild-caught feeders. Wild insects from any area where pesticides, herbicides, or pest-control products are used carry a poisoning risk. Use captive-bred feeders from established breeders.
- Skipping gut-load. Grain-fed crickets are nutritionally thin. 24 to 48 hours of leafy greens and root vegetables before feeding day is the lowest-effort welfare upgrade in jumping spider care.
For the wider failure-mode review across all aspects of jumping spider keeping, see our common mistakes new owners make guide.
Frequently asked questions
Can jumping spiders eat fruit or vegetables?
No. Jumping spiders are obligate carnivores and do not eat plant matter. Some online sources mention jumping spiders licking fruit juice or honey, but the spider is taking in moisture or sugar in trace amounts, not nutrition. One documented species, Bagheera kiplingi, feeds primarily on plant structures, but this Central American outlier is not a pet species. Your pet jumping spider needs live insect prey only (source: Current Biology).
How long can a jumping spider go without eating?
Healthy adult jumping spiders can survive 1 to 2 weeks without food under normal temperatures, and a pre-molt fast of 5 to 10 days is normal. Spiderlings have much smaller energy reserves and should not go more than 3 to 4 days without food outside of a molt. If your spider is refusing food and you are unsure whether it is pre-molt or ill, work through the diagnostic ladder in our jumping spider not eating guide: check for premolt signs first, then temperature, then hydration, then health.
Do jumping spiders need vitamin or calcium supplements?
No established supplementation protocol exists for jumping spiders the way calcium dusting protocols exist for insectivorous reptiles. Spiders do not have the calcium-loaded skeletal demand of a bearded dragon. Gut-loading feeders with leafy greens and root vegetables 24 to 48 hours before feeding day is the evidence-based equivalent of supplementation for arachnids. Some keepers lightly dust feeders with calcium powder for gravid females or in cases of suspected dietary deficiency, but the science does not support routine dusting (source: American Arachnological Society).
Can you feed jumping spiders other spiders?
In the wild, jumping spiders eat other spiders, including other Salticidae. In captivity, feeding your spider another spider is not recommended for two reasons: wild-caught spiders may carry parasitic mites or nematodes, and intentional cannibalism between housed individuals is a welfare problem rather than a feeding strategy. Stick to commercially raised feeder insects. For an ethics-and-method walkthrough on observation of wild jumpers without bringing them into the enclosure, see our guide on catching wild jumping spiders.
Are dubia roaches and black soldier fly larvae safe for jumping spiders?
Yes, both are safe and useful supplementary feeders for sub-adult and adult jumping spiders when sized correctly. Small dubia roach nymphs (1/4 inch / 6 mm or smaller) are high in protein and low in fat, and they cannot bite the spider. Small black soldier fly larvae (under 8 mm) are calcium-rich and easy to digest. Use both as occasional variety in addition to the bottle fly and cricket staples; neither replaces the visual-hunting trigger that flies provide.
Can jumping spiders eat freeze-dried or canned insects?
Freeze-dried and canned feeder insects (sold for reptiles) do not work as a routine jumping spider diet. They lack the movement that triggers the spider’s hunting response, the moisture that contributes to hydration, and most of the nutritional profile of live prey. As a true emergency stopgap, freeze-dried mealworms or crickets can be rehydrated and wiggled with tweezers using the pre-killed prey technique above, but expect a low acceptance rate.
Related guides
Researched and written by the ExoPetGuides editorial team with AI-assisted drafting. All husbandry parameters and veterinary references independently verified against peer-reviewed sources and species-authority publications. For exotic veterinary care, search the Association of Reptile and Amphibian Veterinarians directory (source: ARAV).
Disclaimer: This content is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional veterinary advice. Always consult a qualified exotic veterinarian for any health concern about your pet. Care recommendations may vary based on species, individual animal, and local regulations.
