Phidippus audax lives in the shadow of its cousin P. regius in the UK hobby, and that's a bit of a shame. The bold jumping spider is a cracking little predator that's well worth keeping in its own right. They're slightly smaller than regius, typically topping out around 13-15mm for females, but they make up for it with attitude.
The name "audax" literally means bold, and they live up to it. Ours are often the first to approach a hand, the quickest to investigate something new in their enclosure, and genuinely seem unbothered by the presence of a giant human face pressed up against the glass. That said, every individual is different. Some are skittish. Spiders have personalities, strange as that sounds.
Appearance
Adult P. audax are typically black with a distinctive pattern of spots on the abdomen, often white or orange. Juveniles can show more orange colouring that darkens as they mature. Like P. regius, males often have iridescent green chelicerae that catch the light when they face you.
They're a stocky, compact spider. Next to a regius they look noticeably more squat, though the difference in legspan isn't as dramatic as the body length numbers suggest. Both species are members of the family Salticidae, the jumping spiders, which contains over 6,000 described species worldwide.
Care basics
If you can keep a regius, you can keep an audax. The care requirements are nearly identical. They want a vertical enclosure with cross-ventilation, cork bark and branches for climbing, and temperatures around 22-27C. In a UK home, that means a heat mat on the side of the enclosure with a thermostat, same as with regius.
Humidity of 50-70% works well. Mist one side of the enclosure every couple of days. Let it dry. Provide droplets for drinking but avoid waterlogging the enclosure. Good ventilation matters more than most beginners realise. Stagnant humid air grows mould fast, and mould is one of the more common enclosure problems people run into.
Enclosure size for an adult should be at least 15x15x20cm. A bit smaller than what you'd give a regius, reflecting their slightly smaller adult size. Same principles apply though: height over floor space, front-opening preferred, somewhere high up for them to anchor their retreat sac.
Feeding
Same drill as any jumping spider. Live prey, appropriately sized. Fruit flies for slings and small juveniles, graduating to houseflies, bottle flies, small crickets, and small mealworms as they grow. Feed every 2-3 days. Remove uneaten prey within 24 hours.
P. audax are active, confident hunters. They'll often take prey that seems almost too big for them, which is entertaining to watch but worth keeping an eye on. A general rule: prey no larger than the spider's abdomen. Oversized prey can injure a spider, particularly during the struggle.
Pre-moult fasting happens with audax just as it does with any salticid. If your spider goes off food, check for other signs of an upcoming moult (reduced activity, duller colouration, spending more time in the retreat). If those signs are there, leave them alone and wait.
Where they come from
P. audax is native to North America and is actually one of the most common jumping spiders across the United States and southern Canada. They're found on fences, walls, garden plants, and basically any sun-lit surface where small insects might land. In the wild they're generalist predators that eat whatever they can overpower.
They're not native to the UK, obviously. Any audax you find in the UK hobby are captive bred. They've been bred in captivity for long enough that they're well established as a pet species, though they're still less commonly available here than regius.
Audax vs regius: does it matter?
People ask this a lot. The honest answer is that the care is so similar it barely matters from a husbandry standpoint. The differences are mostly aesthetic and temperamental. Regius are bigger and come in more colour forms. Audax are smaller, often a bit bolder, and some keepers find them more "zippy" in terms of movement.
If you already keep regius and want something a bit different without a steep learning curve, audax are a natural next step. If you're choosing your first jumping spider, either species works well. You won't regret either choice.
Lifespan
Similar to regius. Females live roughly 1-2 years, males around 6-12 months after maturity. Males mature faster and decline sooner. This is typical for Phidippus species and for salticids in general. If you're hoping for a long-lived pet, a female is the better bet.