Introduced Jumping Spider Spotted in Vermont for First Time

Jumping spider discovered by Jasper Barnes.

On June 10th Jasper Barnes, a wildlife biology student at the University of Vermont, snapped a photo of a tiny jumping spider near campus and shared it to the Vermont Atlas of Life on iNaturalist. He knew it was a jumping spider, but he wasn’t quite sure what species it was. It wasn’t long before a few experts saw his record and identified it as a Black-palped Jumping Spider (Pseudeuophrys erratica), an introduced species native to Europe and Asia. This is the first record for Vermont and the northernmost in the United States.

It was first reported in North America in in New Jersey in 1982, but recent records, including this one, suggest that this species may now be established on both coasts of the United States, according to a recent publication detailing this sighting, as well as others.

Add your discoveries to the Vermont Atlas of Life on iNaturalist to help us record and learn about Vermont’s natural heritage.