Bug FAQSassacus cyaneus
Sassacus cyaneus · Order: Araneae · Family: Salticidae
Sassacus cyaneus is a tiny jumping spider that looks unusually like a beetle because of its box-shaped carapace. Females measure about 3.8 to 4.8 mm total length, while males are smaller at 2.4 to 3.35 mm. It lives on small shrubs, oak trees and scrub pines across eastern and central North America, hunting for prey among the woody vegetation.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The spider has a very beetle-like appearance, which sets it apart from most other jumping spiders. Its carapace is almost square, giving it a box-like look.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Female total length ranges from 3.75 to 4.8 mm; carapace length 1.5 to 1.8 mm and width 1.5 to 1.6 mm. Male total length ranges from 2.4 to 3.35 mm; carapace length 1.25 to 1.6 mm and width 1.25 to 1.5 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
The spider prefers woody vegetation where it can hunt and build retreats.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
It hunts for prey in its woody-vegetation habitat.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
A female collected in New Jersey laid five eggs in July 1966.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Historical records note collections in April, May, June and later months.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Sassacus cyaneus occurs throughout eastern and central North America.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 20 of 51 states and DC. Most records: New Jersey, Oklahoma, Georgia, Ohio, Massachusetts, Illinois, North Carolina, Texas.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
When are these spiders active?
Males are most often found in May, and females appear from June through September.
Source: Wikipedia
What does this spider look like?
It has a beetle-like, almost square carapace that makes it look like a tiny beetle.
Source: Wikipedia
Where can I find Sassacus cyaneus?
Look for it on small shrubs, oak trees and scrub pines across eastern and central North America.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Salticidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sassacus_cyaneus
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-29 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-29.