Anyone know if Phidippus purpuratus is found in Florida?

[Ratmosphere]

I thought this species was limited to the Northern parts of the USA. I have a seller saying he has one that was collected in Florida. Are they even found there? Is there any data I could find that shows this species is found there?

 

[Ratmosphere]

It was found in Hernando Co. Florida.

 

[Tenevanica]

http://bugguide.net/node/view/6789/data

Bugguide seems to think it's only a northern species. Though, Bugguide is based on submitted images, so it's not entirely out of the question that they're in Florida... Just seems unlikely.

 

[Ratmosphere]

True, the pictures he sent me looked exactly like Phidippus purpuratus which was extremely interesting.

 

[Ungoliant]

True, the pictures he sent me looked exactly like Phidippus purpuratus which was extremely interesting.

Could you please post the pictures here?

Bugguide seems to think it's only a northern species. Though, Bugguide is based on submitted images, so it's not entirely out of the question that they're in Florida... Just seems unlikely.

If it were found in Florida, I would at least expect to see some finds in neighboring states.

Additionally, the World Spider Catalog gives the range as "USA, Canada."

Perhaps he found a similar-looking species in the purpuratus group? Here is that data for Florida. However, even that seems unlikely, as the only purpuratus group submissions from Florida are Phidippus apacheanus.

 

[Ratmosphere]

These are his pictures.

 

[Smokehound714]

Looks like either purpuratus or texanus

 

[Ratmosphere]

I figured. Just really cool that they could be found in Florida when there's no records of them there.

 

[Smokehound714]

It's amazing how far spiders can travel. ballooning spiderlings can all emerge and blow away with trade winds and end up on new continents

 

[Ratmosphere]

That's awesome!