Zygoballus rufipes
Encyclopedia
Zygoballus rufipes, commonly called the hammerjawed jumper, is a species of jumping spider
which occurs in the United States
, Canada
, and Central America
. Adult females are 4.3 to 6 mm in body length, while males are 3 to 4 mm.
from a specimen in Guatemala
. The Peckhams subsequently described the northern variant as a separate species, Z. bettini, in 1888. In 1980, after examining specimens of Z. bettini and Z. rufipes from various populations, G. B. Edwards concluded that the differences mentioned by the Peckhams were not consistently distinct and that the two names represented a single species of variable appearance. The two names were therefore synonomized. The genus Zygoballus
is currently classified in the subfamily Dendryphantinae
of the family Salticidae (jumping spiders).
, the United States
, Mexico
, Guatemala
, and Costa Rica
. In 1929, entomologist Nathan Banks
reported a female specimen from Panama
. In 1946, however, arachnologist Arthur M. Chickering
concluded that Banks' specimen belonged to the newly described species, Zygoballus optatus. Chickering himself found no specimens of Z. rufipes in Panama after collecting there for several years. A one-year survey of Panamanian spiders conducted by zoologist Wolfgang Nentwig also failed to yield the species.
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...
which occurs in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, and Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
. Adult females are 4.3 to 6 mm in body length, while males are 3 to 4 mm.
Taxonomy
The species was first described in 1885 by George and Elizabeth PeckhamGeorge and Elizabeth Peckham
George Williams Peckham and Elizabeth Maria Gifford Peckham were early American teachers, taxonomists, ethologists, arachnologists, and entomologists, specializing in animal behavior and in the study of jumping spiders and wasps.-Lives and careers:George Peckham was born in Albany,...
from a specimen in Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
. The Peckhams subsequently described the northern variant as a separate species, Z. bettini, in 1888. In 1980, after examining specimens of Z. bettini and Z. rufipes from various populations, G. B. Edwards concluded that the differences mentioned by the Peckhams were not consistently distinct and that the two names represented a single species of variable appearance. The two names were therefore synonomized. The genus Zygoballus
Zygoballus
Zygoballus is a genus of jumping spiders found in North and South America.-Taxonomy and history:The genus was first described in 1885 by American arachnologists George and Elizabeth Peckham based on the type species Zygoballus rufipes...
is currently classified in the subfamily Dendryphantinae
Dendryphantinae
The Dendryphantinae are a subfamily of jumping spiders that occur mainly in the New World. The females generally show paired spots on the abdomen, and the males often have enlarged chelicerae...
of the family Salticidae (jumping spiders).
Distribution
Zygoballus rufipes has been reported from CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
, and Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
. In 1929, entomologist Nathan Banks
Nathan Banks
Nathan Banks was an American entomologist noted for his work on neuroptera, megaloptera, hymenoptera, and acarina . He started work on mites in 1880 with the USDA...
reported a female specimen from Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
. In 1946, however, arachnologist Arthur M. Chickering
Arthur M. Chickering
Arthur Merton Chickering was a U.S. arachnologist. He was born on March 23, 1887 in North Danville, Vermont and died on May 24, 1974.He studied in Yale University under Alexander Petrunkevitch until 1913. In 1916 he earned a master of science degree in cytology and in 1927 a Ph.D. for cytological...
concluded that Banks' specimen belonged to the newly described species, Zygoballus optatus. Chickering himself found no specimens of Z. rufipes in Panama after collecting there for several years. A one-year survey of Panamanian spiders conducted by zoologist Wolfgang Nentwig also failed to yield the species.
External links
- Zygoballus rufipes at Worldwide database of jumping spiders
- Zygoballus rufipes at Salticidae: Diagnostic Drawings Library
- Zygoballus rufipes at The Nearctic Spider Database
- Zygoballus rufipes at Bugguide.net