Evarcha arcuata
Males have longer white facial hairs than the closely related Evarcha falcata, one of few reliable field differences between them.
| Where | Damp grassland and heathland across Europe |
|---|---|
| Size | Female 4.8 to 7 mm, male 4.1 to 6.3 mm body length |
| When | April to October |
This small jumping spider has a dark brown to black body with bright white hairs along the margins of the head and a pale arched band across the abdomen; females are yellow brown with dark chevron markings and paler legs than males.
It hunts by sight among low vegetation in damp grassland and also on drier heathland, stalking small insects and pouncing on them rather than building a web to catch prey.
Traits
Habitat
Wetland
Colour
Brown, Black, White
Active
Day
To people
A tiny jumping spider with no documented bite to people; it poses no risk and simply hunts small insects among damp grass and heather.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
Overlaps broadly in size, but the male lacks the long white facial hairs of Evarcha arcuata, and females have a plainer, evenly brown haired abdomen without a pale arched band.
Questions
Is Evarcha arcuata dangerous to people?
A tiny jumping spider with no documented bite to people; it poses no risk and simply hunts small insects among damp grass and heather.
When can you see Evarcha arcuata?
Evarcha arcuata can be seen from April to October, by day.
Plate retouched from a museum specimen photo by Staatliche Naturwissenschaftliche Sammlungen Bayerns, CC BY 4.0, GBIF Licence
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Spiders›Jumping spiders›Evarcha
Last updated 2026-09-27. Every entry is checked against published sources.