Jumping Spiders are among the easiest to distinguish from similar spider families because of the shape of the cephalothorax and their eye patterns.
They have faces that are roughly rectangular surfaces perpendicular to their direction of motion. In effect this means that their forward-looking, anterior eyes are on "flat faces". Their eye pattern is the clearest single identifying characteristic. They have eight eyes the anterior of which are adapted to detailed, three-dimensional vision for purposes of estimating the range, direction, and nature of potential prey, permitting the spider to direct its attacking leaps with great precision. The anterior lateral eyes, though large, are smaller than the AME and provide a wider forward field of vision.
In spite of the length of their front legs, they actually use their rear legs for jumping while the usually-longer front legs are used partly to assist in grasping prey, and in some species, the front legs and pedipalps are used in species-recognition signaling. In addition to using their silk for safety lines while jumping, they also build silken "pup tents", where they shelter from bad weather and sleep at night. They molt within these shelters, build and store egg cases within them, and also spend the winter in them.
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