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Photo#365441
Maevia jumper - Paramaevia michelsoni - male

Maevia jumper - Paramaevia michelsoni - Male
Okeechobee County, Florida, USA
May 10, 2009
I believe this was an adult male Maevia michelsoni. The pedipalp color rules out inclemens. It was quite similar to the male michelsoni in the G.B Edwards photographic gallery in Salticidae: Diagnostic Drawings Library by Jerzy Proszynski 2001, and also very much like the male michelsoni in Wayne Maddison's photograph on the Tree of Life web site. That male was photographed at Archbold Biological Station, in the county adjacent to Okeechobee County. I haven't found a photo of male Maevia expansa for comparisons, but it's known in Florida from only one location in the Panhandle, according to Edwards in PECKHAMIA 2(3): 33-36, December 1982. Although the article was written over 25 years ago, I'd not expect this species to have been found since then in the south-central part of Florida. Besides not being found away from the Gulf coast (according to Edwards, same reference), Maevia hobbsae is relatively unmarked, so can be eliminated as a possible ID. I saw in some reference--which I failed to note :(--that intermedia has been found in Florida, but I don't recall if it mentioned the location. And I haven't been able to find photos of this species for comparisons. But since the Okeechobee male fit the two different male michelsoni in the photos I mentioned above, I feel pretty confident it was michelsoni, too.

Images of this individual: tag all
Maevia jumper - Paramaevia michelsoni - male Maevia jumper - Paramaevia michelsoni - male

Paramaevia michelsoni
Based on the location and color pattern, this is an adult male of Paramaevia michelsoni.

Moved
Moved from Maevia michelsoni.

Moved
Moved from Maevia.

 
Any thoughts on this one?

 
michelsoni, too
Thanks for pointing this individual out. I've moved the two images to the species page. This jumper was found in the same county as where I've found several individuals of this species. The vegetation this jumper was on was a dead cabbage palm frond stem, lying on the ground. This is a favorite habitat of this species and some of the other tiny jumper species I've found in the county. These little jumpers perch on the prostrate stems--usually only an inch or two from the ground--watching for prey, intruders, and mates.

 
Palm frond?

 
Yes--either cabbage palm or palmetto frond
It appears that this tiny jumper, probably a very early instar michelsoni, was on a live frond, which may have been hanging very close to the ground. But I found the adult male michelsoni several feet off the ground on a structure, so I'm sure this species does spend time on live vegetation off the ground, too. From what I've been able to glean from the literature, michelsoni is the only Maevia species found in south central FL, where Highlands and Okeechobee counties are located. But I think Jeff was wise to place it on the genus page, since this individual was too immature to show the definitive markings described in the literature.

I can offer no opinion on thi
I can offer no opinion on this, but was wondering wether you collected this specimen?

-K

 
I've downloaded the note by E
I've downloaded the note by Edwards and Hill (PECKHAMIA 30.2:1-15) in which the authors accepted the reclassification of michelsoni back into Paramaevia. With the note, there is a color photo of a male michelsoni which matches the male in my images.

 
No, I didn't collect it, as I
No, I didn't collect it, as I didn't yet have my collecting permit, which is required for this location and under the conditions of our arthropod survey agreement. Unfortunately, I haven't seen another like this individual since I photographed it, but I will be on the lookout for another of this type this year.

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