Phidippus mystaceus
Encyclopedia
Phidippus mystaceus is a species of jumping spider
that is found in North America
. Females grow to about one centimeter in body length.
mystax, meaning "moustache
", which the females of this species feature. An older synonym of the species is P. asinarius, referring to the markings above the eyes that look similar to donkey ears.
Jumping spider
The jumping spider family contains more than 500 described genera and about 5,000 described species, making it the largest family of spiders with about 13% of all species. Jumping spiders have some of the best vision among invertebrates and use it in courtship, hunting and navigation...
that is found in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. Females grow to about one centimeter in body length.
Name
The species name is derived from the Ancient GreekAncient Greek
Ancient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
mystax, meaning "moustache
Moustache
A moustache is facial hair grown on the outer surface of the upper lip. It may or may not be accompanied by a type of beard, a facial hair style grown and cropped to cover most of the lower half of the face.-Etymology:...
", which the females of this species feature. An older synonym of the species is P. asinarius, referring to the markings above the eyes that look similar to donkey ears.
Further reading
- Roach, S.H. (1988). Reproductive periods of Phidippus species (Araneae, Salticidae) in South Carolina. Journal of Arachnology 16:95-101. PDF