Fighting spider
Male fighting spiders in this genus grow noticeably elongated front legs, which they raise and spar with when rival males meet.
| Where | Forests and shrubland across East Asia |
|---|---|
| Size | Female about 8.5 mm, male about 7.5 mm body length |
| When | March to December |
The flattened body is covered in lustrous, iridescent green blue scales, and males carry noticeably elongated front legs that they raise and display when a rival male approaches.
It lives in forests and shrubby edges across East Asia, and the same combative behavior between males has long made related fighting spiders popular for staged matches in parts of Asia.
Traits
Habitat
Woodland
Colour
Green, Blue, Metallic
Active
Day and night
To people
Not dangerous to people; its interest is in rival males and small insect prey, not in humans.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
This similarly iridescent jumping spider has an orange-red carapace and a bronze-haired abdomen, a warmer color scheme than the green-blue iridescence of Thiania suboppressa.
Questions
Is the Fighting spider dangerous to people?
Not dangerous to people; its interest is in rival males and small insect prey, not in humans.
When can you see the Fighting spider?
The Fighting spider can be seen from March to December, by day and at night.
Plate retouched from a photo by Lawrence Hylton, CC BY 4.0, iNaturalist Licence
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Spiders›Jumping spiders›Thiania
Last updated 2026-09-27. Every entry is checked against published sources.