Great-basin-desert
Guides
Phidippus californicus
Phidippus californicus is a large jumping spider in the family Salticidae, native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. It is notable for its striking coloration featuring a bright red or orange abdomen with black markings, and its apparent mimicry of velvet ants (Dasymutilla spp.). The species inhabits sagebrush communities of the Great Basin Desert, where it hunts actively on shrubs during daylight hours. Both sexes share similar coloration, which is unusual for the genus Phidippus.