Fauna
Arachnid

Stern Jumping Spider

Clynotis severus

Stern jumping spiders are cryptic, tree-dwelling hunters frequently encountered beneath loose eucalyptus bark or patrolling sunlit timber fences across eastern Australia. Armed with acute forward-facing vision and agile jumping legs, they stalk small flies and leafhoppers with deliberate stealth before pouncing without the need for a capture web. Females construct dense, flattened silk retreats in tree crevices or wall crevices to shelter their egg sacs until the spiderlings disperse.

ArborealDiurnalAgile
Stern Jumping Spider reference1 / 7
(c) Moss Hepworth, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
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Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & preyFlies, Leafhoppers, Mosquitoes
Predators
  • Spider hunting wasps
  • Insectivorous birds
  • Larger spiders
ThreatsIndiscriminate pesticide use and the loss of mature trees with peeling bark
HabitatsEucalypt woodlands, dry sclerophyll forests, parks, and suburban gardens
Life span1–2 years
Classification
  1. OrderAraneae
  2. FamilySalticidae
  3. GenusClynotis
  4. SpeciesClynotis severus
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskLow
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. Very high
Why interaction risk is low
Safe to observe at a normal distance; bites are extremely rare and medically trivial.
Responsible observation
  • Observation Approach: Move slowly and allow the spider to turn and examine your camera lens with its prominent central eyes.
  • Habitat Spotting: Look beneath peeling gum tree bark or along weathered wooden railings on warm, sunny mornings.
Related species
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