Monday, April 2, 2012

Zebras on Bodega Head?

Today I looked up to see a small jumping spider (~5 mm) on the window screen.  Upon taking a closer look, it had strong black and white stripes on the abdomen and seemed worth photographing.  Here are a few quick shots: 




A close-up of the beautiful eyes and bright white palps from above.
 

Although new to identifying jumping spiders, I think this is a Zebra Spider (Salticus scenicus).  Gleaning information from the Internet, it sounds like this is a commonly encountered salticid, often found around buildings and yards, on walls, rocks, fences, and windowsills.

Salticus scenicus has a Holarctic distribution it is widespread and occurs in the Nearctic (northern North America) and the Palearctic (Europe and northern Asia).  Look for one on a windowsill near you!

It will be interesting to see how many species of jumping spiders live on Bodega Head. 

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