Phidippus

For the suitor of Helen, see Phidippus (mythology).

Not to be confused with Phodopus.

Phidippus is a genus in the family Salticidae (jumping spiders). 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 (Phidippus audax and Phidippus regius). 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.

Phidippus
Phidippus audax shows green chelicerae
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Chelicerata
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Araneae
Infraorder:	Araneomorphae
Family:	Salticidae
Subfamily:	Salticinae
Genus:	Phidippus C. L. Koch, 1846
Type species
Attus audax Hentz, 1845
Species
See text.

Name

The genus name is likely derived from Cicero's speech Pro Rege Deiotaro (Speech in Behalf of King Deiotarus): Phidippus was a slave who was physician to King Deiotaros. Literally, the words means "one who spares horses" in Ancient Greek.

The name for the jumping spider family, Salticidae, also comes from the verb "to jump" in Latin.

Species

As of January 2021, the World Spider Catalog accepted the following species:

• Phidippus adonis Edwards, 2004 – Mexico
• Phidippus adumbratus Gertsch, 1934 – United States
• Phidippus aeneidens Taczanowski, 1878 – Peru
• Phidippus albocinctus Caporiacco, 1947 – Guyana
• Phidippus amans Edwards, 2004 – Mexico
• Phidippus albulatus F. O. P-Cambridge, 1901 – Mexico
• Phidippus apacheanus Chamberlin & Gertsch, 1929 – United States, Mexico, Cuba
• Phidippus ardens Peckham & Peckham, 1901 – United States, Mexico
• Phidippus arizonensis (Peckham & Peckham, 1883) – United States, Mexico
• Phidippus asotus Chamberlin & Ivie, 1933 – United States, Mexico
• Phidippus audax (Hentz, 1845) – North America, introduced in Hawaii, Nicobar Islands
• Phidippus aureus Edwards, 2004 – United States
• Phidippus bengalensis Tikader, 1977 – India
• Phidippus bhimrakshiti Gajbe, 2004 – India
• Phidippus bidentatus F. O. P.-Cambridge, 1901 – United States to Costa Rica
• Phidippus birabeni Mello-Leitão, 1944 – Argentina
• Phidippus boei Edwards, 2004 – United States, Mexico
• Phidippus borealis Banks, 1895 – United States, Canada, Alaska
• Phidippus calcuttaensis Biswas, 1984 – India
• Phidippus californicus Peckham & Peckham, 1901 – North America
• Phidippus cardinalis (Hentz, 1845) – United States, Mexico
• Phidippus carneus Peckham & Peckham, 1896 – United States, Mexico
• Phidippus carolinensis Peckham & Peckham, 1909 – United States, Mexico
• Phidippus cerberus Edwards, 2004 – Mexico
• Phidippus clarus Keyserling, 1885 – North America
• Phidippus comatus Peckham & Peckham, 1901 – North America
• Phidippus concinnus Gertsch, 1934 – United States
• Phidippus cruentus F. O. P.-Cambridge, 1901 – Mexico
• Phidippus cryptus Edwards, 2004 – United States, Canada
• Phidippus dianthus Edwards, 2004 – Mexico
• Phidippus exlineae Caporiacco, 1955 – Venezuela
• Phidippus felinus Edwards, 2004 – United States
• Phidippus georgii Peckham & Peckham, 1896 – Mexico to El Salvador
• Phidippus guianensis Caporiacco, 1947 – Guyana
• Phidippus hingstoni Mello-Leitão, 1948 – Guyana
• Phidippus insignarius C. L. Koch, 1846 – United States
• Phidippus johnsoni (Peckham & Peckham, 1883) – North America
• Phidippus kastoni Edwards, 2004 – United States
• Phidippus khandalaensis Tikader, 1977 – India
• Phidippus lynceus Edwards, 2004 – United States
• Phidippus maddisoni Edwards, 2004 – Mexico
• Phidippus majumderi Biswas, 1999 – Bangladesh
• Phidippus mimicus Edwards, 2004 – Mexico
• Phidippus morpheus Edwards, 2004 – United States, Mexico
• Phidippus mystaceus (Hentz, 1846) – United States
• Phidippus nikites Chamberlin & Ivie, 1935 – United States, Mexico
• Phidippus octopunctatus (Peckham & Peckham, 1883) – United States, Mexico
• Phidippus olympus Edwards, 2004 – United States
• Phidippus otiosus (Hentz, 1846) – United States
• Phidippus pacosauritus Edwards, 2020 – Mexico
• Phidippus phoenix Edwards, 2004 – United States, Mexico
• Phidippus pius Scheffer, 1905 – United States to Costa Rica
• Phidippus pompatus Edwards, 2004 – Mexico
• Phidippus princeps (Peckham & Peckham, 1883) – United States, Canada
• Phidippus pruinosus Peckham & Peckham, 1909 – United States
• Phidippus punjabensis Tikader, 1974 – India
• Phidippus purpuratus Keyserling, 1885 – United States, Canada
• Phidippus putnami (Peckham & Peckham, 1883) – United States
• Phidippus regius C. L. Koch, 1846 (United States, West Indies, Easter Island – introduced)
• Phidippus richmani Edwards, 2004 – United States
• Phidippus tenuis (Kraus, 1955) – El Salvador
• Phidippus texanus Banks, 1906 – United States, Mexico
• Phidippus tigris Edwards, 2004 – United States
• Phidippus tirapensis Biswas & Biswas, 2006 – India
• Phidippus toro Edwards, 1978 – United States, Mexico
• Phidippus tux Pinter, 1970 – United States, Mexico
• Phidippus tyrannus Edwards, 2004 – United States, Mexico
• Phidippus tyrrelli Peckham & Peckham, 1901 – North America
• Phidippus ursulus Edwards, 2004 – United States
• Phidippus venus Edwards, 2004 – Mexico
• Phidippus vexans Edwards, 2004 – United States
• Phidippus whitmani Peckham & Peckham, 1909 – United States, Canada
• Phidippus workmani Peckham & Peckham, 1901 – United States
• Phidippus yashodharae Tikader, 1977 – India (Andaman Is.)
• Phidippus zebrinus Mello-Leitão, 1945 – Argentina
• Phidippus zethus Edwards, 2004 – Mexico

Misplaced species

In addition to the species above, several species have been misplaced in the genus (according to Edward's revision) but have yet to be transferred to other genera. These include:

• Phidippus aeneidens Taczanowski, 1878 – Peru
• Phidippus albocinctus Caporiacco, 1947 – Guyana
• Phidippus bengalensis Tikader, 1977 – India
• Phidippus bhimrakshiti Gajbe, 2004 – India
• Phidippus birabeni Mello-Leitão, 1944 – Argentina
• Phidippus calcuttaensis Biswas, 1984 – India
• Phidippus exlineae Caporiacco, 1955 – Venezuela
• Phidippus guianensis Caporiacco, 1947 – Guyana
• Phidippus hingstoni Mello-Leitão, 1948 – Guyana
• Phidippus khandalaensis Tikader, 1977 – India
• Phidippus majumderi Biswas, 1999 – Bangladesh
• Phidippus punjabensis Tikader, 1974 – India
• Phidippus tenuis Kraus, 1955 – El Salvador
• Phidippus tirapensis Biswas & Biswas, 2006 – India
• Phidippus yashodharae Tikader, 1977 – Andaman Is.
• Phidippus zebrinus Mello-Leitão, 1945 – Argentina

Bibliography

• Gardner, B.T. (1965): Observations on Three Species of Phidippus Jumping Spiders (Araneae: Salticidae). Psyche 72:133-147 PDF (P. californicus = P. coccineus, P. apacheanus, P. octopunctatus = P. opifex)
• Ubick, D., Paquin, P., Cushing, P.E. and Roth, V. (editors) (2005): Spiders of North America: An Identification Manual. American Arachnological Society ISBN 0-9771439-0-2
• Edwards, G.B. (2004): Revision of the jumping spiders of the genus Phidippus (Araneae: Salticidae). Occasional Papers of the Florida State Collection of Arthropods 11: i-viii, 1-156, 350 figs.

External links

Videos

• David Edwin Hill: Portrait of feeding female Phidippus audax – Video
• David Edwin Hill: Variable female forms of the jumping spider Phidippus clarus – Video

Pictures

• "Bold Jumping Spider" - Phidippus audax
• Awesome Spiders: Photographs of P. arizonensis
• Phidippus clarus diagnostic photographs, male and female specimens
• Phidippus mystaceus photographs, adult male specimen
• Phidippus princeps reference photographs
• Phidippus otiosus adult male specimen
• Catalog of genus Phidippus
• Pictures of Phidippus species
• Picture of Phidippus species (free for noncommercial use)