Salticidae
Guides
Leptofreya
Leptofreya is a genus of jumping spiders (family Salticidae) established in 2015 by G. B. Edwards. It comprises four species distributed across the Americas from Mexico to Brazil, with one species (L. ambigua) introduced to the United States. The genus was erected to accommodate species previously placed in other genera.
Maevia
Dimorphic Jumping Spider (M. inclemens)
Maevia is a genus of jumping spiders (Salticidae) historically encompassing species from both the New World and Asia. The genus has undergone significant taxonomic revision, with most Asian species transferred to other genera. The best-studied species, M. inclemens, exhibits remarkable male dimorphism with two distinct morphs differing in appearance and courtship behavior.
Maevia albozonata
Maevia albozonata is a species of jumping spider in the family Salticidae, described by van Hasselt in 1882. The genus Maevia is notable for containing species with pronounced male dimorphism, though specific details for M. albozonata remain poorly documented. It belongs to a group of spiders characterized by excellent vision and active hunting behavior.
Maevia expansa
Maevia expansa is a species of jumping spider in the family Salticidae, described by Barnes in 1955. It belongs to a genus notable for pronounced male dimorphism, though specific details for M. expansa remain poorly documented. The species occurs in the United States, with records from North America. Information regarding its biology, behavior, and distinguishing characteristics is sparse compared to the well-studied congener Maevia inclemens.
Maevia inclemens
Dimorphic Jumping Spider
Maevia inclemens is a small jumping spider native to eastern North America, notable for its extreme male dimorphism. Adult males occur in two genetically determined morphs of equal frequency: a 'tufted' morph with an all-black body, white legs, and three cephalothoracic tufts, and a 'gray' morph with black-and-white striping and orange pedipalps. Each morph performs a distinct courtship display, and both achieve equal mating success. The species frequents vegetation, fences, and building exteriors.
Maevia intermedia
Maevia intermedia is a jumping spider (family Salticidae) native to North America, described by Robert D. Barnes in 1955 to distinguish it from similar congeneric species. It is morphologically intermediate between Maevia inclemens and Maevia expansa, with males resembling the light morph of M. inclemens. The species is medium-sized, with females slightly larger than males, and possesses the characteristic Salticid visual system with forward-facing principal eyes.
Marchena
Marchena is a monotypic genus of jumping spiders endemic to the western United States. Its sole described species, M. minuta, inhabits conifer bark habitats along the Pacific coast. The genus is the only North American representative of the subfamily Heliophaninae. Marchena forms a monophyletic group with the genera Afraflacilla, Pseudicius, and Festucula.
Marchena minuta
Marchena minuta is a small jumping spider and the sole described species in its genus. It is endemic to western North America, where it inhabits the bark of coniferous trees. The species represents the only North American member of the subfamily Heliophaninae. Its distribution is concentrated along the Pacific coast, with records from California, Washington, and Nevada.
Marpissa
Marpissa is a genus of jumping spiders (Salticidae) first described by C. L. Koch in 1846. As of July 2024, the genus contains 41 species distributed across North America, South America, Africa, Europe, Asia, Polynesian Islands, and the Greater Antilles. Species exhibit notable morphological diversity, including the extremely slender M. pikei with elongated first pair of legs used for prey capture. Visual systems show specialized neural pathways with task-differentiated eyes: principal eyes for object discrimination and secondary eyes for movement detection, though posterior median eyes in M. muscosa appear modified and may not serve movement detection. Complex courtship behaviors have been documented, with M. marina exhibiting multiple courtship types and mating tactics including unique abdominal rotary waving displays.
Marpissa bina
Marpissa bina is a species of jumping spider in the family Salticidae, first described by Nicholas Marcellus Hentz in 1846. It belongs to the genus Marpissa, which is characterized by elongated body forms and distinctive leg proportions. The species is known to occur in the United States, though specific details about its biology and ecology remain poorly documented in available literature. As a member of the Salticidae, it possesses the family's characteristic large anterior median eyes and jumping predatory behavior.
Marpissa formosa
Marpissa formosa is a species of jumping spider in the family Salticidae. It is known from the eastern United States. Like other members of the genus, it exhibits the characteristic jumping ability and visual acuity typical of salticid spiders.
Marpissa grata
Toothed slender jumping spider
Marpissa grata is a species of jumping spider in the family Salticidae. It is found in the United States and Canada, with records from Ontario, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, and Minnesota. The species was originally described as Hyctia grata by Gertsch in 1936 before being transferred to the genus Marpissa.
Marpissa lineata
Four-lined Slender Jumping Spider
Marpissa lineata is a small jumping spider in the family Salticidae, commonly known as the Four-lined Slender Jumping Spider. It is distinguished by distinctive banded markings on the abdomen and legs that give the species its name. Females are larger than males, measuring 3.50–5.20 mm versus 3.00–4.00 mm. The species is widely distributed across the eastern half of North America, where it inhabits leaf litter in forest, shrub, and prairie grass communities.
Marpissa pikei
Pike Slender Jumper, Long-bodied Jumping Spider
Marpissa pikei is a distinctive jumping spider of the family Salticidae, characterized by an extremely elongated, slender body form adapted for crypsis in grassy habitats. It is native to North America, ranging from the eastern United States through the Southwest and into Mexico and Cuba. The species exhibits striking sexual dimorphism in coloration, with males displaying bold black and orange patterning while females are more cryptically colored. Its common name reflects both its discoverer and its notably attenuated body shape.
Marpissa robusta
Marpissa robusta is a species of jumping spider in the family Salticidae. It was first described by Nathan Banks in 1906, originally under the genus Hyctia. The species is found in the western United States. Like other members of the genus Marpissa, it possesses the characteristic large anterior median eyes and jumping ability typical of salticid spiders.
Marpissa sulcosa
Pike Slender Jumper
Marpissa sulcosa, commonly known as the Pike Slender Jumper, is a small jumping spider in the family Salticidae. It is notable for its extremely elongated body and disproportionately long first pair of legs, which are used primarily for prey capture rather than locomotion. The species inhabits grassland environments and employs camouflage and ambush tactics to hunt. It ranges across much of North America, with records from the eastern United States through the Great Plains and into the Southwest.
Messua
Messua is a genus of jumping spiders (Salticidae) established by G. W. Peckham and E. G. Peckham in 1896. Species in this genus have been documented as hosts for parasitoid wasps, specifically the polysphinctine ichneumonid Inbioia pivai. The genus is moderately well-represented in citizen science observations, with over 3,000 records on iNaturalist.
Messua limbata
Messua limbata is a species of jumping spider in the family Salticidae. It is known from the southern United States and Mexico. As a member of the jumping spider family, it possesses the characteristic large anterior median eyes and salticid hunting behavior. The species was described by Banks in 1898.
Metacyrba
Metacyrba is a genus of jumping spiders (family Salticidae) established by Frederick Octavius Pickard-Cambridge in 1901. The genus name derives from Greek μετά ('after, beside') combined with the related salticid genus Cyrba. It contains seven species and one subspecies distributed across the Americas, from the United States through Mexico and the Caribbean to northern South America.
Metacyrba punctata
Metacyrba punctata is a species of jumping spider in the family Salticidae. The species is distributed across a broad range from the southern United States through Middle America to Ecuador. As a member of Salticidae, it possesses the characteristic large anterior median eyes that provide acute vision for hunting. The genus Metacyrba comprises small to medium-sized jumping spiders, though specific morphological details for M. punctata remain limited in published sources.
Metacyrba taeniola similis
Metacyrba taeniola similis is a subspecies of jumping spider in the family Salticidae, distributed across the southern United States and Mexico. As a member of the Metacyrba genus, it belongs to a group of cursorial salticids adapted to open habitats. The subspecies was described by Nathan Banks in 1904.
Metacyrba taeniola taeniola
Metacyrba taeniola taeniola is a subspecies of jumping spider (Salticidae) found in the southern United States and Mexico. As a member of the genus Metacyrba, it exhibits the characteristic jumping ability and acute vision typical of salticids. The subspecies designation indicates geographic variation within the broader species M. taeniola. It is moderately documented with 171 iNaturalist observations, suggesting it is encountered with some regularity by naturalists.
Metaphidippus chera
Metaphidippus chera is a species of jumping spider in the family Salticidae. It was first described by Chamberlin in 1924. The species is known to occur in the United States and Mexico. Like other jumping spiders, it possesses excellent vision and hunting behavior characteristic of the family.
Metaphidippus iviei
Metaphidippus iviei is a species of jumping spider in the family Salticidae, first described by Roewer in 1951. The genus Metaphidippus is part of the subtribe Dendryphantina, a group that includes many arboreal jumping spiders. Very little specific information is documented about this particular species. Some species formerly placed in Metaphidippus have been reassigned to other genera, including Ghelna and Sassacus, reflecting ongoing taxonomic revisions in this complex group.
Metaphidippus manni
Metaphidippus manni is a species of jumping spider in the family Salticidae, originally described by G. W. Peckham and E. G. Peckham in 1901. The species is found in North America, primarily in the United States. As a member of the jumping spider family, it possesses the characteristic large anterior median eyes and saltatory hunting behavior typical of Salticidae.
Myrmarachne
ant-mimic spiders, ant-mimicking jumping spiders
Myrmarachne is a large genus of ant-mimicking jumping spiders (Salticidae) first described by MacLeay in 1839. With approximately 188 described species, it is the most diverse genus of jumping spider in Southeast Asia. These spiders exhibit remarkable morphological and behavioral convergence with ants, including elongated cephalothoraxes with constricted waists, coloration matching local ant species, and foreleg waving to simulate antennae. The genus has undergone significant taxonomic revision, with several genera split off in recent years including Helicius (2016) and the revalidation of Emertonius (2018).
Naphrys
North American Euophrys jumping spiders
A genus of small jumping spiders in the family Salticidae, tribe Euophryini. First described by G.B. Edwards in 2003, the name is a portmanteau of 'North America' and 'Euophrys'. Species are compact-bodied, typically under 5 mm in length, with cryptic brown or gray coloration. Originally considered restricted to the Nearctic region, but subsequent research has demonstrated distribution extending into the Neotropical region. The genus currently includes seven described species, with four originally described from the United States, Canada, and Mexico, and three additional species described from Mexico in 2024.
Naphrys acerba
Naphrys acerba is a jumping spider species in the family Salticidae, distributed across the United States and Mexico. It was first described by the Peckhams in 1909 and represents one of the more southerly distributed members of the genus Naphrys. The species has been documented with precise locality records in northeastern Mexican states including Nuevo León and Tamaulipas, extending the known range of the genus beyond the Nearctic region.
Naphrys bufoides
Naphrys bufoides is a species of jumping spider in the family Salticidae. It belongs to the genus Naphrys, which is part of the diverse jumping spider assemblage. The species was described by Chamberlin and Ivie in 1944. Like other salticids, it is a visual hunter that does not construct webs to capture prey.
Neon avalonus
Neon avalonus is a species of jumping spider in the family Salticidae, first described by Gertsch & Ivie in 1955. The species is known from the United States. As a member of the genus Neon, it possesses the characteristic salticid traits of excellent vision and jumping locomotion. Very little specific information has been published about this particular species.
Neon ellamae
Neon ellamae is a species of jumping spider in the family Salticidae, described by Gertsch and Ivie in 1955. It belongs to the genus Neon, which comprises small jumping spiders found primarily in North America. The species is documented from the United States and Canada, with specific records from Manitoba. Like other salticids, it possesses excellent vision and active hunting behavior characteristic of jumping spiders.
Neon reticulatus
Neon reticulatus is a species of jumping spider in the family Salticidae. It has a wide distribution spanning North America, Europe, and Asia, including Turkey, the Caucasus, Russia (from European to Far East regions), Kazakhstan, Korea, and Japan. The species was first described by Blackwall in 1853. As a member of Salticidae, it possesses the characteristic large anterior median eyes and jumping locomotion typical of this family.
Paradamoetas
Paradamoetas is a genus of jumping spiders (Salticidae) first described by George and Elizabeth Peckham in 1885. The genus name derives from Greek 'para' (alongside) combined with the related genus Damoetas. It contains four species distributed across North and Central America, from Canada to Panama. The type species, P. formicinus, was described in the same paper as the genus.
Paramaevia poultoni
Three-lined Maevia
Paramaevia poultoni is a species of jumping spider in the family Salticidae, commonly known as the Three-lined Maevia. It is a small to medium-sized jumping spider found in North America. The species exhibits the characteristic large anterior median eyes and active hunting behavior typical of salticids.
Paraphidippus aurantius
emerald jumping spider, golden jumping spider
Paraphidippus aurantius is a species of jumping spider in the family Salticidae, commonly known as the emerald jumping spider or golden jumping spider. It is a solitary, active predator with a relatively large body size for a jumping spider. The species employs a distinctive hunting strategy involving venom injection followed by retreat and observation, enabling it to subdue prey substantially larger than itself. Its distribution spans from the United States through Panama and includes the Greater Antilles.
Paraphidippus basalis
Agave Jumping Spider
Paraphidippus basalis is a jumping spider in the family Salticidae, commonly known as the Agave Jumping Spider. It is native to the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. The species exhibits a notable ecological specialization, being strongly associated with rosette-forming plants including agaves, sotols, and yuccas. This degree of plant-specific habitat association is uncommon among jumping spiders, which are typically generalist predators.
Paraphidippus fartilis
Paraphidippus fartilis is a species of jumping spider in the family Salticidae. It is native to the southwestern United States, Mexico, and Central America. The species was originally described by Peckham & Peckham in 1888 under the name Philaeus fartilis. Like other jumping spiders, it possesses excellent vision and active hunting behavior.
Peckhamia
Peckhamia is a genus of ant-mimicking jumping spiders (family Salticidae) first described by Eugène Louis Simon in 1900, named in honor of arachnologists George and Elizabeth Peckham. Species in this genus exhibit striking myrmecomorphy—mimicking ants in body shape, movement patterns, and behavior. The genus is distinguished from related ant-mimicking genera such as Synageles by a more convex carapace in the cephalic area that slopes sharply downward behind the third row of eyes. Peckhamia species characteristically hold their second pair of legs aloft to simulate ant antennae, enhancing their deceptive appearance.
Peckhamia americana
American ant-mimic jumping spider
Peckhamia americana is a small jumping spider (family Salticidae) renowned for its striking ant-mimicry. The species holds its second pair of legs aloft to simulate antennae, creating a convincing illusion of a six-legged ant. It belongs to a group of salticids that have evolved this mimicry as a defensive strategy against predators that avoid ants. The spider is active and fast-moving, making it challenging to photograph or observe closely.
Peckhamia picata
antmimic jumper
Peckhamia picata is a North American jumping spider notable for its specialized mimicry of the ant Camponotus nearcticus. Unlike many ant-mimicking spiders that simply resemble ants in appearance, this species has been observed to specifically avoid eliciting aggressive responses from its ant model. The species belongs to a genus distinguished from related ant-mimic genera by convex carapace shape and sharply declivous posterior region behind the third row of eyes. Individuals are active runners that hold their second pair of legs aloft to simulate ant antennae, making them challenging photographic subjects.
Pelegrina aeneola
Coppered White-cheeked Jumping Spider
Pelegrina aeneola is a small jumping spider in the family Salticidae, found in western North America. Females measure approximately 5.5 mm and males 5 mm, with pronounced sexual dimorphism in coloration. The species occupies diverse vegetation types and has been documented feeding on insect eggs. Despite being relatively well-observed, detailed natural history information remains limited.
Pelegrina arizonensis
Pelegrina arizonensis is a jumping spider in the family Salticidae. Despite its name, the species is not known from Arizona; confirmed records exist from Mexico, New Mexico, Texas, and Colorado. Males exhibit a metallic blue-black coloration with a distinctive entirely yellow fringe of hairs on the front legs, while females are larger and display a yellowish appearance with spots and stripes on the abdomen. The species inhabits oak woodland understory at elevations between 5,000 and 7,000 feet.
Pelegrina exigua
Pelegrina exigua is a species of jumping spider in the family Salticidae, first described by Nathan Banks in 1892. It is native to the United States. As a member of the Salticidae, it possesses the characteristic large anterior median eyes that provide acute vision for hunting and navigation. The genus Pelegrina includes numerous small to medium-sized jumping spiders distributed primarily in North America.
Pelegrina flaviceps
A species of jumping spider in the family Salticidae, characterized by its yellowish head (as indicated by the species epithet flaviceps, meaning 'yellow-headed'). It is found in the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada. The species was described by Kaston in 1973. As a member of the genus Pelegrina, it shares the typical salticid traits of excellent vision and active hunting behavior.
Pelegrina flavipes
Yellowleg Jumping Spider
Pelegrina flavipes is a small jumping spider in the family Salticidae, commonly known as the Yellowleg Jumping Spider. It is found in the United States and Canada, with records from Alberta and British Columbia. This species is associated with coniferous trees including spruce, pines, and junipers. Adult body size ranges from 3–5 mm.
Pelegrina galathea
Peppered Jumping Spider, peppered jumper
Pelegrina galathea is a jumping spider in the family Salticidae, commonly known as the peppered jumper. The species is endemic to North America with a broad distribution spanning from Canada to Costa Rica. It is typically associated with open, sunlit grassy habitats. The species was first described by Walckenaer in 1837.
Pelegrina kastoni
Pelegrina kastoni is a species of jumping spider in the family Salticidae, described by Wayne Maddison in 1996. The genus Pelegrina comprises small to medium-sized jumping spiders distributed primarily in the Americas. This species occurs in the southwestern United States and Mexico. Like other salticids, it possesses excellent vision and active hunting behavior.
Pelegrina pervaga
Pelegrina pervaga is a species of jumping spider (family Salticidae) described by G.W. Peckham and E.G. Peckham in 1909. It occurs in the United States. Like other salticids, it possesses excellent vision and active hunting behavior. The genus Pelegrina contains multiple species of small to medium-sized jumping spiders distributed primarily in North America.
Pellenattus peninsularis
Pellenattus peninsularis is a small jumping spider in the family Salticidae, first described by Emerton in 1925. The species exhibits notable sexual dimorphism in abdominal patterning and shows geographic color variation, with western populations appearing lighter than those elsewhere in its range. It has been recorded across Canada and the United States.
Phanias albeolus
Phanias albeolus is a species of jumping spider in the family Salticidae. It was described by Chamberlin & Ivie in 1941. The species is found in the United States.