@Ungoliant thanks so much! Would've taken me a long time. How'd u do that so fast? haha. Also if you look closely, he has 4 spikes (2 pairs) on his front legs. I was wondering what they are since I've never seen that before. I'm guessing te to help the male mate just like tibial hooks on theraphosidae
@Andy00 If I don't immediately recognize a species, one thing I try is logging into BugGuide (this function is only available when logged in) and clicking data on a genus or family to see submissions from a particular state. In your case, I viewed all Phidippus submissions from Colorado and quickly found one that looked similar.
I'm not sure what those spikes are. Maybe, like you said, they play some role during courtship or mating. The Phidippus tyrrellii pictures on BugGuide aren't sufficiently in focus to see if females or juveniles have them. (If they all have the spikes, that would suggest they're not analogous to tibial hooks on tarantulas.)
Another possibility is that they're just large spines, which may play some sensory role.
@Ungoliant I guess I'll have to search for more and see if juveniles or females of this species have the spikes. I just found this guy up on my bedroom ceiling and I've never seen this species before so I guess it was luck and I'd have to be very lucky to see another. Do you know if any other salticidae species have the "spikes" too? It would be interesting to see what their purpose is if not for mating.
Hello there, why not take a few seconds to register on our forums and become part of the community? Just click here.
This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.