Life Stages Guide

Jumping spiders change enormously across their lives — size, color, appetite, and even personality shift with each stage. Knowing where your spood is helps every other care decision.

The instar system

Spiders grow by molting, and each molt advances one instar (a numbered growth stage). A spood's age in instars matters more than its age in weeks — and in Polly's Web, logging a molt updates the instar automatically.

Sling (spiderling)

The first weeks after leaving the egg sac. Slings are tiny (a few millimeters), bold, and voracious.

• Food: flightless fruit flies, every 1–2 days.
• Enclosure: small is safer — a tiny sling in a big enclosure can't find its prey.
• Handling: none; they're too delicate.
• Molting: frequently, sometimes every 1–2 weeks.

Juvenile

Growth accelerates and personality appears. Juveniles hunt visibly, learn routines, and start showing the colors they'll carry into adulthood.

• Food: step up prey size gradually — larger flies, then mini bottle flies.
• Handling: can begin gently if the spood is willing.
• Enclosure: can move up in size once reliably hunting.

Sub-adult / Mature

The final juvenile molt brings adult features: full coloration, and for males, visibly swollen pedipalps (the little "boxing gloves" in front). Males mature earlier and live shorter lives after their ultimate molt; females often bulk up considerably.

• Food: houseflies, blue/green bottle flies, small roaches, every 3–5 days.
• Behavior: mature males wander more (they're looking for mates); females may produce unfertilized egg sacs.

Senior care

Jumping spiders commonly live about one year, sometimes longer. Older spoods eat less, move less, and may hunt slower prey. Keep misting faithfully, offer easy prey, and let them set the pace.

What never changes

Every stage needs the same core: droplets to drink, safe prey, a stable hammock spot, and no disturbance during molts. Log each stage in Polly's Web and the app adapts feeding intervals to match.