Phidippus regius

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Phidippus regius
Phidippus regius 4351.jpg
Orange form adult female P. regius photographed in Orange County, Florida
Phidippus regius 0477.jpg
Adult male P. regius photographed in Nassau County, Florida
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Araneomorphae
Family: Salticidae
Subfamily: Salticinae
Genus: Phidippus
Species:
P. regius
Binomial name
Phidippus regius
C.L.Koch, 1846
Synonyms [1]
  • Phidippus purpuriferC.L.Koch, 1846
  • Attus regiusWalckenaer, 1847
  • Salticus sagraeusLucas, 1857
  • Cyrtonota regiaSimon, 1864
  • Attus miniatusPeckham & Peckham, 1883
  • Phidippus miniatusPeckham & Peckham, 1888
  • Dendryphantes regiusSimon, 1901
  • Dendryphantes miniatusPetrunkevitch, 1911
  • Dendryphantes morsitansSimon, 1916
  • Dendryphantes variegatusFranganillo, 1930
  • Dendryphantes variegatus var. limbatusFranganillo, 1930
  • Phidippus variegatusMurrill, 1942
  • Phidippus tullgreniWallace, 1950
  • Dendryphantes tullgreniRoewer, 1954

Phidippus regius, commonly known as the regal jumper, [2] is a species of jumping spider found in parts of the United States and the Caribbean. [1] It is the largest species of jumping spider in eastern North America. [3]

Contents

Description

Adult male P. regius measure 12 mm (0.47 in) long on average, but can range between 6–18 mm (0.24–0.71 in) long. The first pair of legs, which are disproportionately larger in large males, have an alternating black and white fringe. The opisthosoma is black with several white markings on the dorsum - a basal band, a central triangular spot, and two posterior oval spots. The chelicerae are large and iridescent green-blue-violet in color, with a tubercle on each. [1] [3]

Adult female P. regius measure 15 mm (0.59 in) long on average, but can range between 7–22 mm (0.28–0.87 in) long. They may exhibit white or orange markings on the opisthosoma similar to the white markings seen in males, but the rest of the body is largely covered with scales which may be brown, orange, tan, gray, or a combination of those colors. The chelicerae are iridescent green or red-violet in color, but lack the tubercles found on the chelicerae of males. Females have several tufts of setae around the eyes that males lack. [1] [3]

The juvenile P. regius is pale brown, with reddish brown markings on the opisthosoma rimmed with black. The fangs are dark red. In southern populations, juvenile females may develop scales as early as the third instar, while males are black and white throughout their life cycle. [3]

Habitat

A regal jumper staying near its shelter on a thistle. It attempts to capture a small winged insect.

P. regius is most commonly found in relatively open areas, such as fields and light woodland, with adults usually preferring trees or the walls of buildings as hunting grounds. They build silken nests at night in which to sleep, often in palm fronds or similar areas. Females of the species lay their eggs under the bark of trees, or in secluded spots in wooden structures such as barns. [4]

Distribution

P. regius occurs in the southeastern United States, Bahamas, Bermuda, Greater Antilles, and has been introduced to Easter Island. In the United States, it occurs throughout the Southeast from South Mississippi through North Carolina and South Carolina (most abundant in Florida). [1]

Related Research Articles

<i>Phidippus</i> Genus of spiders in the family Salticidae

Phidippus is a genus in the family Salticidae. 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. As of January 2021, there were about 80 described species in the genus. Species previously described in Phidippus which are found in India and Bangladesh do not belong in this genus.

<i>Portia labiata</i> Species of spider

Portia labiata is a jumping spider found in Sri Lanka, India, southern China, Burma (Myanmar), Malaysia, Singapore, Java, Sumatra and the Philippines. In this medium-sized jumping spider, the front part is orange-brown and the back part is brownish. The conspicuous main eyes provide vision more acute than a cat's during the day and 10 times more acute than a dragonfly's, and this is essential in P. labiata′s navigation, hunting and mating.

<i>Phidippus audax</i> Species of arachnid (type of jumping spider)

Phidippus audax, the Bold jumper or Daring jumping spider, is a common species of spider belonging to the genus Phidippus, a group of jumping spiders easily identified by their large eyes and their iridescent chelicerae. Like all jumping spiders, they have excellent stereoscopic vision that aids them in stalking prey and facilitates visual communication with potential mates during courting. Bold jumping spiders are native to North America and have been introduced to Hawaii, Nicobar Islands, Azores, and the Netherlands. They are typically black with a distinct white triangle on their abdomen.

<i>Phidippus johnsoni</i> Species of spider

Phidippus johnsoni, the red-backed jumping spider or Johnson jumping spider, is one of the largest and most commonly encountered jumping spiders of western North America. It is not to be confused with the unrelated and highly venomous redback spider.

<i>Phidippus californicus</i> Species of spider

Phidippus californicus is a species of jumping spider. It is found in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico.

<i>Phidippus octopunctatus</i> Species of spider

Phidippus octopunctatus is a jumping spider that occurs in the United States and Mexico, mostly in the Great Basin Desert. It is among the largest jumping spiders found in North America, approaching 25 millimetres (0.98 in) in body length. They are gray to brownish-gray in color.

<i>Telamonia dimidiata</i> Species of spider

The two-striped jumper, or Telamonia dimidiata, is a jumping spider found in various Asian tropical rain forests, in foliage in wooded environments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mozambique girdled lizard</span> Species of lizard

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<i>Phidippus otiosus</i> Species of spider

Phidippus otiosus is a species of jumping spider that is found in southeastern North America. It is primarily a tree-living species. Females reach a body length of about 16 mm. Its iridescent chelicerae can range in color from purple to green.

<i>Zygoballus sexpunctatus</i> Species of spider

Zygoballus sexpunctatus is a species of jumping spider which occurs in the southeastern United States where it can be found in a variety of grassy habitats. Adult spiders measure between 3 and 4.5 mm in length. The cephalothorax and abdomen are bronze to black in color, with reddish brown or yellowish legs. The male has distinctive enlarged chelicerae and front femora. Like many jumping spiders, Z. sexpunctatus males exhibit ritualized courtship and agonistic behavior.

<i>Phidippus clarus</i> Species of spider

Phidippus clarus, also known as the brilliant jumping spider, is a species of jumping spider found in old fields throughout eastern North America. It often waits upside down near the top of a plant, which may be useful for detecting prey, and then quickly jumps down before the prey can escape. The spider is one of 60 species in the genus Phidippus, and one of about 5,000 in the Salticidae, a family that accounts for about 10% of all spider species. P. clarus is a predator, mostly consuming insects, other spiders, and other terrestrial arthropods.

<i>Portia schultzi</i> Species of spider

Portia schultzi is a species of jumping spider which ranges from South Africa in the south to Kenya in the north, and also is found in West Africa and Madagascar. In this species, which is slightly smaller than some other species of the genus Portia, the bodies of females are 5 to 7 mm long, while those of males are 4 to 6 mm long. The carapaces of both sexes are orange-brown with dark brown mottling, and covered with dark brown and whitish hairs lying over the surface. Males have white tufts on their thoraces and a broad white band above the bases of the legs, and these features are less conspicuous in females. Both sexes have tufts of orange to dark orange above the eyes, which are fringed with pale orange hairs. Males' abdomens are yellow-orange to orange-brown with blackish mottling, and on the upper sides are black and light orange hairs, and nine white tufts. Those of females are pale yellow and have black markings with scattered white and orange-brown hairs on the upper side. P. schultzi has relatively longer legs than other Portia, and a "lolloping" gait.

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<i>Poecilotheria subfusca</i> Species of spider

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<i>Euryattus bleekeri</i> Species of spider

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<i>Phylloneta impressa</i> Species of spider

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<i>Tetragnatha montana</i> Species of spider

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<i>Phidippus apacheanus</i> Species of spider

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<i>Asemonea maculata</i> Species of spider

Asemonea maculata is a species of jumping spider in the genus Asemonea that is endemic to Ivory Coast. The spider was first defined in 1980 by Fred Wanless. It is a small spider, with a carapace that is between 2.08 and 2.10 mm long and an abdomen typically 2.4 mm long. The carapace is amber to whitish-yellow and the abdomen whitish-yellow, both with black markings. It is similar to the related species Asemonea pinangensis and Asemonea tanikawai, but can be distinguished by the tibia on the male pedipalp. The female has not been described.

<i>Pancorius wesolowskae</i> Species of spider

Pancorius wesolowskae is a species of jumping spider in the genus Pancorius that lives in China. The species was first described in 2020 by Wei-Hang Wang and Cheng Wang. The spider is large, measuring between 6.3 and 7.93 mm in overall length. The carapace is dark brown and the opisthosoma dark grey with a pattern of light and dark. The female is larger than the male but otherwise very similar in colouration. The female spider is similar to Pancorius wangdicus but differs in have slit-shaped copulatory openings compared to the other species. The male has a blunter and shorter retrolateral tibial apophysis than the related Pancorius cadus.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Edwards, G.B. (2004). "Revision of the jumping spiders of the genus Phidippus (Araneae: Salticidae)" (PDF). Occasional Papers of the Florida State Collection of Arthropods. 11. Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services: 54–55. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2023-01-17. Retrieved 2024-02-01 via ResearchGate.
  2. Breene, R. G. "Common Names Of Arachnids 2003 Fifth Edition" (PDF). American Arachnological Society p. 16. Archived (PDF) from the original on 21 March 2023. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Edwards, G.B. (2021). "Regal jumping spider - Phidippus regius C.L. Koch". Featured Creatures. University of Florida. Archived from the original on 1 February 2024. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
  4. Almodóvar Rivera, José R.; Mari Mutt, José A. "Animales y plantas con historias" (PDF). edicionesdigitales.org (in Spanish). University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez p. 7. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 March 2023. Retrieved 27 March 2023.