Photo: Ross Muirhead

As far as insects go, today's Bug of the Week is kind of cute – in a tiny spider sort of way.

Okanagan residents Grant Crocker and Ross Muirhead both sent in pictures of the black spider with a red abdomen, but fear not, this little one is completely harmless to humans.

In fact, the Phidippus clarus, also known as the jumping spider, is one of the smallest spiders to call North Amercia home – making them the cutest member of the spider realm.

“This spider was about the size of a dime,” said Muirhead. “Not something I’ve seen before.”

According to Wikipedia, the spider often waits upside down near the top of a plant and then quickly jumps down before the prey can escape – hence the nickname.

It can jump up to 20 cm and is harmless, unless a spider that can jump 20 cm freaks you out.

Jumping spiders come in a variety of colours, but all are tiny.

The little eight-legged critter is so adorable it has its own YouTube program called Lucas the Spider that plays on the arachnids large eyes and fuzzy body to present it in a children-friendly manner.

So for all us who suffer from arachnophobia, here is a chance to interact with a spider that will not make you scream like a small, frightened child when you see it.

Have you had a close encounter of the insect kind? Email us a picture and we may feature it as Castanet's Bug of the Week.