Phidippus

For the suitor of Helen, see Phidippus (mythology).

Not to be confused with Phodopus.

Phidippus
Phidippus audax shows green chelicerae
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Chelicerata
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Araneae
Infraorder:	Araneomorphae
Family:	Salticidae
Subfamily:	Salticinae
Genus:	Phidippus C. L. Koch, 1846 [1]
Type species
Attus audax Hentz, 1845 [1]
Species
See text.

Phidippus is a genus in the family Salticidae (jumping spiders). ^[1] Some of the largest jumping spiders inhabit this genus, and many species are characterized by their brilliant, iridescent green chelicerae. Phidippus is distributed almost exclusively in North America, with the exception of two exported species ( Phidippus audax and Phidippus regius ). ^[2] As of January 2021 ^[update] , there were about 80 described species in the genus. ^[1] Species previously described in Phidippus which are found in India and Bangladesh do not belong in this genus. ^[2]

Name

The genus name is likely derived from Cicero's speech Pro Rege Deiotaro (Speech in Behalf of King Deiotarus): Phidippus was a slave who was physician to King Deiotaros. ^[3] Literally, the word means "one who spares horses" in Ancient Greek. ^[4]

Species

Bold Jumping Spider (Phidippus audax) with a cutworm (tribe Noctuini) and then lost to ants (Family Formicidae)

As of June 2025 ^[update] , the World Spider Catalog accepted the following species: ^[1]

• Phidippus adonis Edwards, 2004 – Mexico
• Phidippus adumbratus Gertsch, 1934 – United States, Mexico
• Phidippus aeneidens Taczanowski, 1878 – Peru
• Phidippus albocinctus Caporiacco, 1947 – Guyana
• Phidippus albulatus F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1901 – Mexico
• Phidippus amans Edwards, 2004 – Mexico
• Phidippus apacheanus Chamberlin & Gertsch, 1929 – United States, Mexico, Cuba
• Phidippus ardens G. W. Peckham & E. G. Peckham, 1901 – United States, Mexico
• Phidippus arizonensis (G. W. Peckham & E. G. Peckham, 1883) – United States, Mexico
• Phidippus asotus Chamberlin & Ivie, 1933 – United States, Mexico
• Phidippus audax (Hentz, 1845) – North America, introduced to Hawaii, Azores, India (Nicobar Is.)
• Phidippus aureus Edwards, 2004 – United States
• Phidippus bengalensis Tikader, 1977 – India
• Phidippus bhimrakshiti Gajbe, 2004 – India
• Phidippus bidentatus F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1901 – United States to Costa Rica
• Phidippus birabeni Mello-Leitão, 1944 – Argentina
• Phidippus boei Edwards, 2004 – United States, Mexico
• Phidippus borealis Banks, 1895 – United States, Canada
• Phidippus calcuttaensis Biswas, 1984 – India
• Phidippus californicus G. W. Peckham & E. G. Peckham, 1901 – United States, Mexico
• Phidippus cardinalis (Hentz, 1845) – United States, Mexico, possibly Panama
• Phidippus carneus G. W. Peckham & E. G. Peckham, 1896 – United States, Mexico
• Phidippus carolinensis G. W. Peckham & E. G. Peckham, 1909 – United States, Mexico
• Phidippus cerberus Edwards, 2004 – Mexico
• Phidippus clarus Keyserling, 1885 – North America
• Phidippus comatus G. W. Peckham & E. G. Peckham, 1901 – Canada, United States, Mexico
• Phidippus concinnus Gertsch, 1934 – United States
• Phidippus cruentus F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1901 – Mexico
• Phidippus cryptus Edwards, 2004 – United States, Canada
• Phidippus dianthus Edwards, 2004 – Mexico
• Phidippus exlineae Caporiacco, 1955 – Venezuela
• Phidippus felinus Edwards, 2004 – United States
• Phidippus georgii G. W. Peckham & E. G. Peckham, 1896 – Mexico to El Salvador
• Phidippus guianensis Caporiacco, 1947 – Guyana
• Phidippus hingstoni Mello-Leitão, 1948 – Guyana
• Phidippus insignarius C. L. Koch, 1846 – United States
• Phidippus johnsoni (G. W. Peckham & E. G. Peckham, 1883) – Canada, United States, Mexico
• Phidippus kastoni Edwards, 2004 – United States
• Phidippus lynceus Edwards, 2004 – United States
• Phidippus maddisoni Edwards, 2004 – Mexico
• Phidippus majumderi Biswas, 1999 – Bangladesh
• Phidippus mimicus Edwards, 2004 – Mexico
• Phidippus morpheus Edwards, 2004 – United States, Mexico
• Phidippus mystaceus (Hentz, 1846) – United States
• Phidippus nikites Chamberlin & Ivie, 1935 – United States, Mexico
• Phidippus octopunctatus (G. W. Peckham & E. G. Peckham, 1883) – United States, Mexico
• Phidippus olympus Edwards, 2004 – United States
• Phidippus otiosus (Hentz, 1846) – United States
• Phidippus pacosauritus Edwards, 2020 – Mexico
• Phidippus phoenix Edwards, 2004 – United States, Mexico
• Phidippus pius Scheffer, 1905 – United States to Costa Rica
• Phidippus pompatus Edwards, 2004 – Mexico
• Phidippus princeps (G. W. Peckham & E. G. Peckham, 1883) – United States, Canada
• Phidippus pruinosus G. W. Peckham & E. G. Peckham, 1909 – United States
• Phidippus punjabensis Tikader, 1974 – India
• Phidippus purpuratus Keyserling, 1885 – United States, Canada
• Phidippus putnami (G. W. Peckham & E. G. Peckham, 1883) – United States
• Phidippus regius C. L. Koch, 1846 – United States, Caribbean, introduced to Easter Is.
• Phidippus richmani Edwards, 2004 – United States
• Phidippus tenuis (Kraus, 1955) – El Salvador
• Phidippus texanus Banks, 1906 – United States, Mexico
• Phidippus tigris Edwards, 2004 – United States
• Phidippus toro Edwards, 1978 – United States, Mexico
• Phidippus tux Pinter, 1970 – United States, Mexico
• Phidippus tyrannus Edwards, 2004 – United States, Mexico
• Phidippus tyrrelli G. W. Peckham & E. G. Peckham, 1901 – North America
• Phidippus ursulus Edwards, 2004 – United States
• Phidippus venus Edwards, 2004 – Mexico
• Phidippus vexans Edwards, 2004 – United States
• Phidippus whitmani G. W. Peckham & E. G. Peckham, 1909 – United States, Canada
• Phidippus workmani G. W. Peckham & E. G. Peckham, 1901 – United States
• Phidippus yashodharae Tikader, 1977 – India (Andaman Is.)
• Phidippus zebrinus Mello-Leitão, 1945 – Argentina
• Phidippus zethus Edwards, 2004 – Mexico

Misplaced species

Of the species listed above, several have been misplaced in the genus (according to Edwards' revision) but have yet to be transferred to other genera. ^[2] These include:

• Phidippus aeneidens Taczanowski, 1878 – Peru
• Phidippus albocinctus Caporiacco, 1947 – Guyana
• Phidippus bengalensis Tikader, 1977 – India
• Phidippus bhimrakshiti Gajbe, 2004 – India
• Phidippus birabeni Mello-Leitão, 1944 – Argentina
• Phidippus calcuttaensis Biswas, 1984 – India
• Phidippus exlineae Caporiacco, 1955 – Venezuela
• Phidippus guianensis Caporiacco, 1947 – Guyana
• Phidippus hingstoni Mello-Leitão, 1948 – Guyana
• Phidippus majumderi Biswas, 1999 – Bangladesh
• Phidippus punjabensis Tikader, 1974 – India
• Phidippus tenuis (Kraus, 1955) – El Salvador
• Phidippus yashodharae Tikader, 1977 – India (Andaman Is.)
• Phidippus zebrinus Mello-Leitão, 1945 – Argentina

References

1. "Gen. Phidippus C. L. Koch, 1846", World Spider Catalog, Natural History Museum Bern, retrieved 2025-06-23
2. Edwards, G. B. (2004). pp. vii, 4–6.
3. Cicero (45 BCE). "Pro Rege Deiotaro".
4. Ubick et al. 2005

Bibliography

• Gardner, B.T. (1965): Observations on Three Species of Phidippus Jumping Spiders (Araneae: Salticidae). Psyche 72:133-147 PDF (P. californicus = P. coccineus, P. apacheanus, P. octopunctatus = P. opifex)
• Ubick, D., Paquin, P., Cushing, P.E. and Roth, V. (editors) (2005): Spiders of North America: An Identification Manual. American Arachnological Society ISBN   0-9771439-0-2
• Edwards, G.B. (2004): Revision of the jumping spiders of the genus Phidippus (Araneae: Salticidae). Occasional Papers of the Florida State Collection of Arthropods11: i-viii, 1–156, 350 figs.

External links

Videos

• David Edwin Hill: Portrait of feeding female Phidippus audax – Video
• David Edwin Hill: Variable female forms of the jumping spider Phidippus clarus – Video

Pictures

• "Bold Jumping Spider" - Phidippus audax Archived 2013-03-23 at the Wayback Machine
• Awesome Spiders: Photographs of P. arizonensis
• Phidippus clarus diagnostic photographs, male and female specimens
• Phidippus mystaceus photographs, adult male specimen
• Phidippus princeps reference photographs
• Phidippus otiosus adult male specimen
• Catalog of genus Phidippus Archived 2012-02-22 at the Wayback Machine
• Pictures of Phidippus species Archived 2012-06-16 at the Wayback Machine
• Picture of Phidippus species (free for noncommercial use)