Maevia jumper - Paramaevia michelsoni -  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
Contributed by Lyn Atherton on 18 January, 2010 - 5:36pm Last updated 13 April, 2010 - 11:57pm |