Large, beautiful ochre-colored salticid with dorsal stripes and four white spots

P. pius...

Based on a brief inspection under the microscope (luggage just arrived today), this is P. pius. Now that I've got a copy of Edwards 2004 in my hands, I see that he gives a range of "west to Arizona" and describes the species as an "old field, prairie, and desert grassland species [that] matures in summer, with females living until autumn."

The average temp. lows in Dec. and Jan. for Rapid City are -11 deg. C. or so, but perhaps this mature female overwintered? Or another consideration: the specimen appears to have a parasite on the pedicel -- perhaps that is involved?

More pictures to follow later.

… Kevin Pfeiffer, 2 July, 2011 - 9:47am

G.B. agrees on species, says

G.B. agrees on species, says that this looks indeed like a gravid female, which would be appropriate for the time of year.

… Kevin Pfeiffer, 5 July, 2011 - 11:27pm

Phidippus

Maybe P. pius?

… Jay Barnes, 19 June, 2011 - 7:41pm

Good to see you lurking aroun

Good to see you lurking around BugGuide again, Jay! When are you going to post some more of your amazing photos?

… dragonfly12, 20 June, 2011 - 11:38pm

You're too kind

Soon, I hope. Finally starting to find tiny bits of free time here and there.

… Jay Barnes, 13 July, 2011 - 9:47pm

Thanks, Jay, I think you might be right. I've got the female ~~and possibly one or two males, I believe~~. Will check more closely after I return home in July. Would be exciting -- the Minnesota Dept. of Natural Resources says that it's rare; habitat "upland prairie".

… Kevin Pfeiffer, 19 June, 2011 - 9:23pm

More info

I should add that as with Thomas Shahan's specimen mine was in broadleaf grass (for lack of a more scientific description), and captured with a sweep net (the photos with the stones in the background are "staged"), on the eastern slope of a ridge that splits Rapid City in two (an outlier of the major uplift that is the Black Hills). Fortunately much (most?) of Skyline Drive is in public hands and won't be developed into housing projects, etc. It's a beautiful getaway from the traffic below.

Map (elev. 1085 m)

Thomas Shahan (Oklahoma):

… Kevin Pfeiffer, 20 June, 2011 - 12:06pm