Maddy Major from Findhorn is breeding cute jumping spiders

A CUSTOMER services assistant from Findhorn is breeding super-cute arachnids to try and improve public perceptions of them.

Maddy Major (19) currently has 12 regal jumpers (Phidippus regius) - a species of jumping spider from North America - but one recently laid two egg sacs containing up to 100 babies each.

She said: “I saw my first jumping spider on TikTok then I researched them.

“I bought my first ‘Ivy’ in February. They’re one of the easiest creatures to take care of and they’re known as the cutest spider on the planet!”

Adult males average 12mm in length and females 15mm. Males are black with white spots and stripes. Females often bear similar patterns but range in colour from shades of grey to vivid orange. Three spots on the back of their abdomens can resemble smiling faces. Towards the end of the abdomen, there are usually two small round spots while there is a larger, triangle-shaped one closer to the cephalothorax that looks like a mouth.

The regal jumping spider belongs to the Phidippus family, identified by their relatively large size and iridescent colour. They are generally green but also often blue-violet.

Phidippus regius rarely bite bite but when they do there can be some swelling and pain.

Maddy said: “No two are the same! Not even just the way they look - it’s the way they interact too!”

She added: “I’d love for more people to know about jumping spiders and to love them as much as I do. My adult female Ariel laid her first egg sac on August 20 and her second on September 5 so I will be ready to sell them around Christmas time.”

Maddy keeps the creatures in 10x10x10cm enclosures with breathing holes, substrate at the bottom, things to climb on and a front opening.

She explained: “They need the door because they tend to web at the highest point in the enclosure. If you were to get an enclosure with a top opening, every time you went to feed or water them, you’d ruin the little hammock which they live in. My spiders have coco fibre on the floor and cork bark and plastic accessories to play on.”

Jumping spiders have to be: kept warm in 24-30 degrees; hydrated with one spritz of water-a-day; and fed every three days with flies or other insects. Their natural habitat is tropical or subtropical, so they naturally are accustomed to high temperatures and humidity.

Maddy said: “I handle mine quite a lot so they are used to it and happy just sitting on my hand. Some of the smaller ones I avoid handling while they are tiny and tend to jump a lot - you don’t want to lose sight of them because they are very hard to find.”

Maddy shows the bigger ones off on her TikTok account ‘It’s.a.spoods.life’ which now has 25,000 followers.

She finished: “My favourite thing about them is the colour of their chelicerae, also known as ‘fangs’. The males tend to have green fangs and the females any colour! A lot of mine have ombre fangs - one of my favourites ‘Peaches’ has yellow and orange ombre fangs.

“I also love the little dances that they do and the little hairs on their heads that look like long eyelashes. They are just absolutely adorable!”