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Photo#1274766
Stream/Wetland Phidippus audax - byrantae - Phidippus audax - female

Stream/Wetland Phidippus audax - byrantae - Phidippus audax - Female
Alexandria, Virginia, USA
July 23, 2015
Size: 14-15mm
I didn't think I'd see an audax with her coloration and markings without leaving the state, but here you have it. She had a surprisingly prominent clypeus fringe, plenty of leg tufts, and some remnants of carapace markings (lateral). (I was unsure of the carapace markings at first, but one of her offspring has reached adulthood and has them). Her chelicerae were sort of a green-gold/bronze color, less blue than I've seen on other audax in the area.

She was a surprisingly docile spider, but would frequently do a threat display at prey insects before eventually eating them (including harmless sorts like flies and moths, which I've never seen a jumper threaten so heartily). I think at some point her eyesight started going bad - she eventually stopped reacting to moving objects/prey farther away than 1-2cm, and later stopped hunting entirely (although she didn't stop eating or drinking for another month or two after that - she'd eat recently dead insects, or prey caught and discarded by another jumping spider).

Images of this individual: tag all
Stream/Wetland Phidippus audax - byrantae - Phidippus audax - female Stream/Wetland Phidippus audax - byrantae - Phidippus audax - female

Moved
Moved from Jumping Spiders.

Moved
Moved from ID Request.

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