A pet jumping spider’s feeding schedule changes dramatically as it grows: a first instar spiderling eats every 1 to 2 days, a juvenile every 2 to 3 days, a sub-adult every 3 to 4 days, and an adult roughly twice a week. Pre-molt fasting, post-molt recovery, body condition, ambient temperature, and reproductive state all shift the schedule by a day or two in either direction. This guide ships the complete frequency-by-age matrix, body-condition cues (engorged vs hungry abdomen), pre-molt and post-molt rules, species-specific notes for the five most-kept pet species, seasonal and temperature adjustments, refusal during courtship, and the calendar mistakes that cause most preventable spider deaths. In our keeper community, we have tracked feeding intervals across hundreds of Phidippus regius, Phidippus audax, Hyllus diardi, and Hasarius adansoni from first instar through senescence on the same observation-led protocol below. For the broader husbandry context this schedule sits inside, start with the complete jumping spider care guide.
Quick reference: jumping spider feeding frequency by age
The table below maps every life stage to a baseline feeding interval, target prey size, primary feeder, and abdomen target. Treat it as a starting envelope. Final cadence is set by reading the spider’s abdomen before each scheduled feeding and adjusting up or down a day based on body condition, temperature, and pre-molt state.
| Life stage | Approx. age | Body length | Feeding interval | Prey per session | Primary feeder | Pre-molt fast |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First instar sling | 0 to 2 weeks post-emergence | 2 to 3 mm | Every 1 to 2 days | 1 to 2 items | Drosophila melanogaster (flightless) | 1 to 2 days |
| Second instar sling | 2 to 4 weeks | 3 to 4 mm | Every 1 to 2 days | 1 to 2 items | D. melanogaster, late D. hydei | 1 to 3 days |
| Third instar sling | 4 to 8 weeks | 4 to 6 mm | Every 2 days | 1 to 2 items | D. hydei, pinhead crickets | 2 to 4 days |
| Juvenile (4th to 5th instar) | 2 to 4 months | 6 to 9 mm | Every 2 to 3 days | 1 item | Pinhead crickets, D. hydei | 3 to 5 days |
| Sub-adult (6th to penultimate instar) | 4 to 7 months | 9 to 13 mm | Every 3 to 4 days | 1 item | Small crickets, bottle flies | 5 to 10 days |
| Adult male | Post-ultimate molt | 8 to 14 mm | Every 4 to 5 days (twice a week) | 1 item | Bottle flies, small crickets | None (does not molt) |
| Adult female (non-gravid) | Post-ultimate molt | 10 to 22 mm by species | Every 3 to 5 days (twice a week) | 1 item | Bottle flies, small crickets | None (does not molt) |
| Adult female (gravid / egg-producing) | Pre and during egg sac | Same | Every 3 days | 1 item | Bottle flies, gut-loaded crickets | None |
| Adult female (guarding egg sac) | Sac to dispersal | Same | Every 5 to 10 days or refuses | 1 small item or none | Bottle flies (offered, may decline) | None |
| Senescent adult (post-1 year) | Final 1 to 3 months of life | Same | Every 7 to 14 days or refuses | 1 small item | Soft prey (bottle flies, freshly molted mealworm) | None |
The interval column is the maximum normal frequency. A spider with a full, plump abdomen always skips its scheduled feeding regardless of life stage. A spider with a clearly sunken abdomen feeds a day early. For the full feeder catalog, prey-size matrix, and gut-loading guidance referenced above, see our complete jumping spider diet guide and the feeder insects comparison.
How often should you feed a jumping spider spiderling?
Feed first and second instar spiderlings every 1 to 2 days, and third instar spiderlings every 2 days. Spiderlings carry the smallest energy reserves of any life stage and the highest relative metabolic rate, so they need frequent small meals to fuel rapid molts. Skipping more than 2 to 3 days at this stage stunts growth and lengthens the gap between molts. The single biggest spiderling feeding error is using prey too large for the sling’s chelicerae.
First instar spiderlings (2 to 3 mm)
Offer 1 to 2 Drosophila melanogaster (flightless) per feeding, every 1 to 2 days. First instar slings are tiny (2 to 3 mm), and melanogaster is the only commercially available feeder small enough for them at 2 to 3 mm. Springtails (Folsomia candida, Collembola spp.) serve as a backup first food when slings have not yet accepted fruit flies, but springtails are nutritionally thinner so transition to melanogaster within 1 to 2 weeks (source: Bugs in Cyberspace).
Remove uneaten fruit flies after 4 to 6 hours. A crowded sling enclosure with stale flies causes stress and mite issues. If a first instar sling refuses food for 3 or more days, check enclosure humidity first (40 to 60 percent), then check for pre-molt signs (webbed-up hammock, dull coloration). Newly emerged spiderlings often do not eat for 5 to 10 days after dispersal from the mother because they are still digesting yolk reserves. This is normal and not a feeding problem.
Second instar spiderlings (3 to 4 mm)
Continue with D. melanogaster every 1 to 2 days. Larger second instars from big-species lineages (Phidippus regius, Hyllus diardi) may start accepting D. hydei by late second instar, but small-species slings (Hasarius adansoni, Maratus spp.) stay on melanogaster. Offering 1 fly at a time and watching the pounce is the safest sizing method. If the sling tracks but does not pounce, the fly may be a fraction too large; downsize.
Third instar spiderlings (4 to 6 mm)
Feed every 2 days. By third instar, most slings handle D. hydei reliably and may also accept pinhead crickets (2 to 3 mm). Offer 1 to 2 prey items per session. The gap between meals begins to lengthen here as the sling’s gut volume catches up to its metabolic rate. Spiderlings that consistently molt every 1 to 2 weeks during the first three instars are properly fed; molts stretching to 3 to 4 weeks signal under-feeding or a temperature drop.
For step-by-step setup of a first sling enclosure, including humidity, ventilation, and food storage, see our spiderling care guide.
How often should you feed a juvenile jumping spider?
Feed juvenile jumping spiders (roughly 4th to 5th instar, 6 to 9 mm body length, 2 to 4 months old) one appropriately sized prey item every 2 to 3 days. Juveniles are past the most fragile growth window but still molting every 3 to 5 weeks, so the cadence stays high enough to support growth without crossing into overfeeding territory. Prey transitions from fruit flies to small crickets and bottle fly maggots during this stage, and the spider’s hunting response becomes confidently visual.
What prey size for a juvenile?
A juvenile jumping spider takes prey up to its body length minus the legs, typically 3 to 6 mm prey for a 6 to 9 mm spider. Pinhead crickets, D. hydei, and small bottle fly spikes are all in range. Step through hydei before introducing crickets, because the cricket size step from hydei is smaller than the step from melanogaster, and that intermediate prevents oversizing.
Why juveniles refuse food (outside pre-molt)
A juvenile that refuses food outside of a pre-molt window almost always has an environmental cause first: enclosure too cold (under 21°C / 70°F), enclosure too dry (under 40 percent humidity), enclosure too small or too cluttered, or prey too large. Health causes are second-line. Work through the environmental ladder before assuming illness. The full diagnostic process is in our jumping spider not eating troubleshooting guide.
How often should you feed a sub-adult jumping spider?
Feed sub-adult jumping spiders (6th instar through penultimate or ultimate molt, 9 to 13 mm body length, 4 to 7 months old) every 3 to 4 days. The sub-adult stage covers the largest feeding-frequency drop in a jumping spider’s life: a 5th instar juvenile eating every 2 to 3 days will, within 2 to 4 weeks, slow voluntarily to every 3 to 4 days as it approaches its penultimate molt. Resist the urge to keep cadence high, because sub-adults that are over-fed enter their ultimate molt with distended abdomens and elevated rupture risk.
Penultimate and ultimate molt approach
The two final molts are the largest physiological events in a jumping spider’s life, and sub-adults preparing for them often refuse food for 5 to 10 days. Do not force-feed and do not leave live prey in the enclosure during this window. A single cricket or mealworm can kill a sub-adult during the molt. Once the spider retreats into a hammock and webs up the entrance, treat it as molting and remove all live prey for the duration. The full molt process, signals, and recovery timing are covered in the dedicated molting guide linked in the fasting section below.
Sex differences emerging in late sub-adult
By the penultimate molt, males and females diverge visibly. Males develop enlarged pedipalp boxing-glove tips and longer front legs; females remain shorter and stockier. Male sub-adults often slow feeding earlier than females because their adult form is smaller and their long-term caloric requirement is lower. For visual sexing methods, see our how to sex a jumping spider guide.
How often should you feed an adult jumping spider?
Feed adult jumping spiders twice a week, roughly every 3 to 5 days for females and every 4 to 5 days for males. Adults have completed their growth and no longer molt, so caloric demand drops sharply compared to growing juveniles. Overfeeding at this stage is the single most common nutritional mistake in jumping spider keeping and it directly shortens adult lifespan through distended abdomen, regurgitation, and falls that rupture the over-extended abdominal wall.
Adult females (non-gravid)
Non-gravid adult females do well on one appropriately sized prey item every 3 to 5 days. A 15 mm Phidippus audax female on every-4-days with a small cricket or bottle fly maintains target abdomen condition. A 20 mm Phidippus regius female may take a slightly larger cricket every 4 to 5 days. Watch the abdomen for the target plump-rounded state described below; never just count days.
Adult males
Adult males eat less than females and have shorter adult lifespans (typically 6 to 9 months post-ultimate molt vs 12 to 18 months for females). Feed every 4 to 5 days with one prey item. Many adult males voluntarily reduce feeding in their final 1 to 2 months as they approach senescence. A male offered prey twice in a row that he refuses is not necessarily sick; he may simply be aging out. Continue to offer water (mist) and a small prey item every 5 to 7 days during this phase.
Adult females (gravid and post-laying)
A gravid (egg-carrying) female benefits from increased frequency, not increased prey size: every 3 days instead of every 4 to 5, with the same size feeder, gut-loaded for 48 hours on leafy greens. The extra protein and moisture support egg development. Once she lays the egg sac and begins guarding it, she will typically refuse food for 5 to 10 days at a time and may not eat at all for 2 to 4 weeks while protecting the sac. Continue to offer one prey item every 5 to 7 days; she will accept when ready. Mist the enclosure normally, because guarding females still need hydration. The full breeding-and-laying timeline is in our jumping spider breeding guide.
Refusal during courtship
Both males and females reliably refuse food in the 1 to 5 days before and during a breeding introduction. Males stop eating to conserve mating energy and to avoid the digestive distraction during courtship displays. Females stop eating in the immediate pre-mating window in a behavior pattern documented across Phidippus and Maratus species (source: Oxford Academic). After mating, both resume normal feeding within 24 to 48 hours; a mated female is now treated as gravid and shifted to the every-3-days schedule above. The standard Salticidae mating-cycle behavior is covered in our behavior guide.
How long do jumping spiders fast before and after a molt?
Pre-molt fasting is normal behavior, not a feeding problem. Spiderlings fast 1 to 3 days before each molt, juveniles 3 to 5 days, and sub-adults approaching their ultimate molt 5 to 10 days. Some adult females approaching their final reproductive molt have been documented refusing food for up to 14 days in keeper records, particularly with P. regius. After the molt, the spider waits another 24 to 72 hours for the new exoskeleton to harden before resuming food intake. The full molt behavior, hammock building, and emergence timeline is in our jumping spider molting guide.
Pre-molt signs to recognize
A jumping spider entering pre-molt does several things in sequence: it stops eating, retreats to its silk hammock, webs the hammock entrance closed, and its coloration may dull as the new exoskeleton forms underneath. The abdomen may look slightly darker or shinier through the old cuticle. Once the spider is sealed in its hammock, do not disturb the enclosure beyond gentle wall misting, and absolutely do not introduce live prey. A live cricket trapped with a molting spider can sever a leg or kill the spider outright (source: Arachnoboards).
Post-molt feeding resumption
Wait 24 to 72 hours after you see the shed exoskeleton (exuviae) before offering the first post-molt meal. Spiderlings recover and feed within 24 hours; sub-adults and adults may need 48 to 72 hours for the chelicerae to harden enough to puncture prey. The first post-molt meal should be a soft-bodied feeder: a freshly molted (white) mealworm, a fruit fly, or a pre-killed cricket presented with tweezers using the tweezer-wiggle technique. Avoid large adult crickets for the first 1 to 2 meals because the post-molt spider’s exoskeleton is still soft and a kicking cricket can injure it.
Why post-molt spiders sometimes overeat
Many jumping spiders eat aggressively for 1 to 3 meals after a major molt to replenish reserves, then return to baseline cadence. A 12 mm sub-adult that takes two crickets in 48 hours immediately after a molt and then refuses food for 5 days is on a normal post-molt rebound. Do not interpret the brief surge as an upgrade to permanent daily feeding. The cadence settles back to the life-stage baseline within a week.
How do you read your jumping spider’s body condition?
The abdomen is the primary visual gauge of whether the feeding schedule is working. Read the abdomen before each scheduled feeding and adjust by one day in either direction based on what you see. A schedule that ignores body condition produces overfed or underfed spiders regardless of how accurate the calendar is. The three-state matrix below covers every spider you will ever see, across species and life stages.
| Body condition | Abdomen vs cephalothorax | Visual signs | Schedule action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hungry / underfed | Smaller than cephalothorax | Wrinkled or sunken surface; visible “waist” between body segments; sluggish; reluctant to climb | Feed 1 day early; check temperature, hydration, prey size |
| Well-fed (target) | Slightly wider than cephalothorax | Plump and rounded; smooth surface; pattern visible but not stretched; active hunting posture | Maintain schedule |
| Engorged / overfed | Markedly wider than cephalothorax | Distended; skin between abdominal plates looks stretched and thin; spider sluggish, drags abdomen, avoids jumping | Skip next 1 to 2 feedings; reduce prey size; rupture risk if spider falls |
A spider that just ate looks fuller than average for 24 to 48 hours, then settles back toward the well-fed midline. That post-meal fullness is normal and does not indicate overfeeding unless it persists. The danger pattern is a spider whose abdomen never returns to the midline: chronically distended, visibly stretched, dragging on surfaces. That spider is overfed and is one fall away from a fatal abdominal rupture.
For the wider visual-diagnostic toolkit including leg posture, eye color, and web behavior, see our jumping spider health signs guide.
Does feeding frequency change with temperature and season?
Yes. Jumping spiders are ectotherms, so their metabolic rate scales with ambient temperature. A spider kept at the warm end of its species range (26 to 30°C / 78 to 86°F for tropical species like Hyllus diardi, 24 to 27°C / 75 to 80°F for Phidippus regius) burns calories faster and needs feeding 1 day more frequently than baseline. A spider kept at the cool end (21 to 23°C / 70 to 73°F for most North American Phidippus species) eats less often and can extend the interval by a day. Use the abdomen check as the final arbiter, not the thermometer.
Winter feeding adjustments
In keeper-room temperatures that drop in winter (especially basement or unheated rooms in the northern hemisphere), expect the feeding interval to lengthen by 1 to 2 days. A Phidippus audax adult that takes a cricket every 4 days in summer may shift to every 5 to 6 days at winter temperatures of 21°C / 70°F. This is normal physiology, not loss of appetite; the spider’s gut transit time slows in cool temperatures. Do not increase enclosure temperature beyond the species-appropriate range just to drive feeding rate up. The full temperature targets by species are in our temperature and humidity guide.
Summer feeding adjustments
Conversely, a hot summer that pushes the enclosure to 28°C / 82°F or above for sustained periods will accelerate metabolism and feeding frequency. The spider may also drink more frequently; mist 2 to 3 times per week instead of 1 to 2. If summer enclosure temperatures push above the species comfort zone (above 30°C / 86°F for most species), the spider may go off food entirely from thermal stress. Move the enclosure to a cooler room rather than rely on AC alone, and do not direct fans at the enclosure.
Diurnal lighting and feeding
Jumping spiders are diurnal visual hunters and feed best during the spider’s active “daytime” window. Offering prey in the morning or early afternoon aligns with peak alertness. Late-evening feedings, particularly under bright artificial light, get refused or ignored, because by then the spider has retreated to its hammock. A consistent 12-hour light cycle improves feeding regularity. The light-cycle role in jumping spider activity is covered in our jumping spider lighting guide.
Species-specific feeding schedule adjustments
The age-based framework above works for every commonly kept pet jumping spider, but adult size and metabolism vary enough across species to shift the cadence by a day. The five most-kept species follow distinct profiles. For full husbandry context on each, see the dedicated species care guides linked below.
Phidippus regius (regal jumping spider)
The largest commonly kept species, with adult females reaching 15 to 22 mm body length and males 12 to 14 mm. Feed adult regius females one medium cricket or bottle fly every 3 to 5 days; juveniles and sub-adults are notably voracious and may stay on a 2-to-3-day cadence later into sub-adulthood than smaller species. Slings grow quickly, so first-instar regius may need an extra feeding in the first 2 weeks compared to the generic schedule. The species’ full husbandry parameters and feeding notes are in our Phidippus regius care guide.
Phidippus audax (bold jumping spider)
Slightly smaller than regius (adult females 8 to 15 mm, males 6 to 13 mm). Feed adults every 4 to 5 days with small crickets or bottle flies. Audax tend to be aggressive feeders and rarely refuse food outside of pre-molt or courtship windows, so a sudden multi-day refusal in audax is a stronger signal of an environmental problem than the same refusal in a shy species.
Hyllus diardi (heavy jumping spider)
Large subtropical species (adult females 15 to 20 mm, males 12 to 16 mm) requiring warmer ambient temperatures (26 to 30°C / 78 to 86°F). The higher temperature drives a faster metabolism, so adult Hyllus do well on every 3 to 4 days with appropriately sized crickets or bottle flies, a day faster than P. regius at the same body length. Hyllus juveniles transition off fruit flies to small crickets earlier than Phidippus species do.
Hasarius adansoni (Adanson’s house jumper)
Small species (adult females 6 to 8 mm, males 4 to 6 mm). Adults take very small prey: D. hydei or 2 to 3 mm crickets every 3 to 4 days. Size is the binding constraint, not frequency. A cricket that looks “small” for a regius is too large for an adansoni; downsize to hydei or pinhead if uncertain.
Platycryptus undatus (tan jumping spider)
Medium North American species (adult females 8 to 13 mm, males 7 to 10 mm). Feed adults every 4 to 5 days with small crickets or bottle flies. Tan jumpers are bark-camouflage hunters and may take longer to engage with prey in an open enclosure; provide vertical cork bark surfaces for the pounce platform. See our tan jumping spider care guide for the full enclosure profile.
Common feeding schedule mistakes new keepers make
Most jumping spider feeding-schedule failures trace to one of six patterns: feeding too often, feeding too rarely, ignoring body condition, leaving live prey in the enclosure, feeding during pre-molt, and using the wrong cadence for the species. Each is fixed by a single change to routine, and each correction typically returns the spider to target body condition within 1 to 2 feeding cycles.
- Feeding every day past the spiderling stage. Daily feeding is appropriate only for first and second instar slings. Juveniles, sub-adults, and adults all space meals out. Daily feeding for an adult is overfeeding by 200 to 300 percent and dramatically shortens lifespan.
- Treating the calendar as fixed. A spider with a still-full abdomen on feeding day always skips. A spider with a hungry abdomen feeds a day early. The schedule is an envelope, not a contract.
- Leaving uneaten live prey in the enclosure overnight. Crickets and mealworms left with the spider for 24+ hours are the leading cause of preventable jumping spider deaths, especially during molts. Remove uncaught prey within 4 to 6 hours for sub-adults and molting spiders, 24 hours absolute maximum for healthy adults.
- Offering food during pre-molt. A spider that retreats to its hammock and stops eating is almost certainly pre-molt. Do not force feed. Do not leave live crickets in the enclosure. Wait for the shed and the 24-to-72-hour post-molt window.
- Running a small species on a Phidippus regius schedule. The frequency may be identical but prey size is the binding error. A Hasarius adansoni offered a regius-sized cricket is at injury risk and will refuse. Always calibrate both size and frequency to the specific species and individual.
- Misreading senescence as illness. An adult female past 12 months that begins refusing food every 7 to 14 days may be entering senescence, not sick. Continue to offer water and small prey on a longer cadence; do not panic-feed.
For the wider failure-mode review across all aspects of jumping spider keeping, see our common jumping spider mistakes guide.
Frequently asked questions
How long can a jumping spider go without eating?
Healthy adult jumping spiders can survive 2 to 3 weeks without food at normal temperatures, and a sub-adult pre-molt fast of 5 to 10 days is fully normal. Some keeper-documented females approaching their final reproductive molt have refused food for up to 14 days. 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 has refused food for more than 5 days and is not in pre-molt, work through the standard diagnostic ladder: pre-molt first, then temperature, then hydration, then health. The full step-by-step diagnostic process is linked in the juvenile-refusal section above.
Can you overfeed a jumping spider?
Yes, and chronic overfeeding is the most common cause of shortened adult lifespan in pet jumping spiders. An overfed spider develops a distended abdomen with stretched skin between the abdominal plates, becomes sluggish, and is at high risk of fatal abdominal rupture from a fall or jump. The fix is to skip the next 1 to 2 feedings, reduce prey size, and read the abdomen before each subsequent feeding to confirm the spider returns to the well-fed midline rather than staying distended (source: American Arachnological Society).
Should you feed a jumping spider at a specific time of day?
Jumping spiders are diurnal hunters, so morning or early afternoon feedings (during the spider’s active light period) align with peak hunting alertness. Late-evening feedings often go uneaten because the spider has retreated to its hammock for the night. A consistent 12-hour light cycle and a consistent feeding window of day improve feeding regularity and let you predict refusals from environmental causes rather than circadian ones.
Do gravid (egg-carrying) jumping spider females need more food?
Yes. Shift gravid females from every 4 to 5 days to every 3 days with the same prey size, gut-loaded for 48 hours. The added protein and moisture support egg development without increasing prey size, which would risk injury. After the female lays the egg sac and begins guarding it, expect a 5 to 10 day food refusal window and offer one small prey item every 5 to 7 days, which she may accept or decline. Most guarding females eat little to nothing for 2 to 4 weeks while protecting the sac.
Why does my jumping spider refuse food during breeding introductions?
Both adult males and adult females stop eating in the 1 to 5 days before and during a breeding pairing. Males conserve mating energy and avoid the digestive distraction during courtship displays; females stop eating in the immediate pre-mating window in a Salticidae behavior pattern documented across multiple genera. After successful mating, both resume eating within 24 to 48 hours, and the female should then be transitioned to the gravid every-3-days schedule. The full breeding behavior, courtship displays, and pairing-room setup are detailed in the breeding guide linked in the adult-female section above.
How do I know when to feed a senescent (old) jumping spider?
Adult female jumping spiders past 12 to 14 months and adult males past 6 to 9 months may slow their feeding rate to once every 7 to 14 days as part of normal senescence. Continue to mist the enclosure on the usual schedule and offer a small, soft prey item (bottle fly, freshly molted mealworm) every 5 to 7 days. The spider will accept when ready. Forcing a senescent spider onto an adult schedule does not extend life and can cause stress or regurgitation. Senescence signs and end-of-life husbandry are in our jumping spider lifespan guide.
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.