(Pelegrina galathea)
Conservation • Description • Habitat • Biology • Distribution • Taxonomy
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Description |
Peppered jumping spider is a common, small, white-cheeked jumping spider. It occurs in the United States from the East Coast to the Great Plains, and in southern Ontario Canada. Adults are active from April to October. They are found in open, grassy areas, including openings in forests and woodlands, savannas, brushy areas, agricultural crops, roadsides, and around houses. Females are ⅛″ to 3⁄16″ (3.6 to 5.4 mm). They have a legspan of ¼″ to 5⁄16″ (6 to 8 mm). Males are smaller, ⅛″ to 3⁄16″ (3.2 to 4.7 mm). Males and females are very different in appearance. On the male, the front part of the body (cephalothorax) is high and convex when viewed from the side. The plate covering the cephalothorax (carapace) is mostly dark brown. There are four pairs of eyes arranged in what appears to be three rows occupying only two fifths of the carapace. The first row of four eyes, consisting of the anterior median eyes (AME) and the anterior lateral eyes (ALE), is curved backward. The AME are the middle and forward-most pair of these. They are by far the largest of all of the eyes, about twice as large as the ALE, and they can be moved. The second row of two eyes are the posterior median eyes (PME). They are very small and are barely or not at all noticeable on most photos. The third row of eyes is the posterior lateral eyes (PLE). The PLE are set far back on the head and are only slightly wider apart than the first row of four eyes (AME and ALE together). The PME and ALE form a wide rectangle. There is a broad white stripe (lateral stripe) on each side of the cephalothorax. Another broad white stripe on each side leads from the AME back to the PLE. There is a white stripe on each cheek that is separated from the lateral stripe by a dark area. Behind the eyes there are three white spots forming a rearward-pointing triangle. The rearmost spot is often indistinct or missing. On the male, the abdomen is dark brown with a broad white stripe on each side. On the female, the abdomen is light brown. There are five pairs of dark chevrons or spots, each bordered in front by a white stripe. The front two pairs are indistinct. The legs are short, oriented forward, and adapted for jumping. Alternating black and pale areas form distinct rings. |
Size |
Female Body Length: ⅛″ to 3⁄16″ (3.6 to 5.4 mm) Male Body Length: ⅛″ to 3⁄16″ (3.2 to 4.7 mm) Legspan: ¼″ to 5⁄16″ (6 to 8 mm) |
Web |
No web |
Similar Species |
Peppered jumping spider is very similar to and often misidentified as common white-cheeked jumping spider (Pelegrina proterva). Common white-cheeked jumping spider is slightly larger. Males are lighter, reddish brown instead of dark brown. There is a bold white band across the forehead that touches the top of the AME. On the female, there are only four pairs of spots on the abdomen, and the spots are not chevrons. |
Habitat |
Open, grassy areas, including openings in forests and woodlands, savannas, brushy areas, agricultural crops, roadsides, and around houses. |
Biology |
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9/26/2024 | ||
Occurrence |
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Taxonomy |
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Class |
Arachnida (arachnids) |
Order |
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Suborder |
Araneomorphae (typical spiders) |
Infraorder |
Entelegynae |
Superfamily |
Salticoidea |
Family |
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Subfamily |
Salticinae (typical jumping spiders) |
Tribe |
Dendryphantini |
Subtribe |
Dendryphantina |
Genus |
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Subordinate Taxa |
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Synonyms |
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Attus galathea Attus nubilus Attus parvu Beata digitata Dendryphantes digitatus Dendryphantes nubilus Dendryphantes ornatus Euophrys leucophaea Frigga leucophaea Icius crassiventer Metaphidippus digitatus Metaphidippus galathea Metaphidippus nubilus Pelegrina crassiventer Pelegrina digitata Pelegrina leucophaea Pelegrina nubilis Pelegrina ornata Pelegrina parva Phidippus galathea Zygoballus parvus |
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Common Names |
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peppered jumper peppered jumping spider peppered white-cheeked jumping spider |
Glossary
Carapace
The hard, upper (dorsal), shell-like covering (exoskeleton) of the body or at least the thorax of many arthropods and of turtles and tortoises. On crustaceans, it covers the cephalothorax. On spiders, the top of the cephalothorax made from a series of fused sclerites.
Cephalothorax
The front part of a spider’s body, composed of the head region and the thoracic area fused together. Eyes, legs, and antennae are attached to this part.
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Babette Kis |
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Pelegrina galathea, peppered jumper Peppered jumper, Pelegrina galathea, photos taken Sept. 26, 2024 and Oct. 3, 2024 at Barnes Prairie, Racine Co., WI. Easily overlooked, these tiny (about 3 1/2 mm) spiders can move quickly. |
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Pelegrina galathea peppered jumping spider Pelegrina galathea, peppered jumper, photographed at Barnes Prairie, Racine Co., WI on June 8, 2023. This small jumper was on a low-growing shrub. |
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Pelegrina galathea, peppered jumping spider Pelegrina galathea, the peppered jumper, is a very small spider (about 5 mm). Photos were taken at Barnes Prairie, May and June, 2024. |
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Pelegrina galathea, peppered jumper Pelegrina galathea, peppered jumper, photographed at Barnes Prairie, Racine Co., WI on June 6, 2024. |
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Alfredo Colon |
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Other Videos |
Pelegrina galathea (Walckenaer, 1837) Middlesex Co., MA ♂♀ (2 forms) |
About
Nov 25, 2010 For narrative account, additional data, and usage see: https://www.rkwalton.com/pelegrina-galathea/ |
Visitor Sightings |
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This button not working for you? |
Babette Kis |
Location: Barnes Prairie, Racine Co., WI … and Oct. 3, 2024 at Barnes Prairie, Racine Co., WI. Easily overlooked, these tiny (about 3 1/2 mm) spiders can move quickly. |
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Babette Kis |
Location: Barnes Prairie, Racine Co., WI Peppered jumper, Pelegrina galathea, photos taken Sept. 26, 2024 … |
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Babette Kis |
Location: Barnes Prairie, Racine Co., WI Pelegrina galathea, peppered jumper, photographed at Barnes Prairie, Racine Co., WI on June 6, 2024. |
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Babette Kis |
Location: Barnes Prairie, Racine Co., WI Pelegrina galathea, the peppered jumper, is a very small spider (about 5 mm). Photos were taken at Barnes Prairie, May and June, 2024. |
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Babette Kis |
Location: Barnes Prairie, Racine Co., WI
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Alfredo Colon |
Location: Albany, NY |
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings |
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Created: 9/26/2024 Last Updated: © MinnesotaSeasons.com. All rights reserved. |