Platycryptus undatus

Platycryptus undatus
Female Platycryptus undatus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Araneae
Family:	Salticidae
Genus:	Platycryptus
Species:	P. undatus
Binomial name
Platycryptus undatus (de Geer, 1778)
Synonyms
Aranea undata Aranea lurida Attus cunctator Attus milberti Attus undatus Attus lentus Salticus sundevalli Attus familiaris Attus rupicola Marpissa undata Marpissa conspersa Marpissa varia Dendryphantes undatus Dendryphantes conspersa Dendryphantes varia Marptusa familiaris Marptusa rupicola Marpissa familiaris Marpissa rupicola Metacyrba undata Platycryptus undata Platycryptus undatus

Platycryptus undatus, also called tan jumping spider, is a species of jumping spider.

Distribution

male Platycryptus undatus

Platycryptus undatus occurs in North and Central America. The distribution of this species ranges from the Eastern States and adjacent Canada, to Texas and Wisconsin.^[1] Females of this species are between 10 and 13 mm in body length, and males range from 8.5 to 9.5 mm. Like some other species of jumping spider, this species appears to exhibit curiosity towards humans who come into its visual field (jumping spiders all have very good vision.) It favors vertical surfaces such as fences, walls, etc and because of its habits it is easily seen. It does not frantically flee humans and may be gently "herded" onto a hand, where it may make a thorough exploration and even jump from finger to finger. These spiders are not at all inclined to bite, but even though they are rather small they can deliver a defensive bite if they are pinched or squeezed.

Eggs are laid and hatch during the summer, and adults and other stages overwinter in their individual silken shelters. Although the shelters are built separately and keep the spiders out of direct contact with each other, Kaston reports that as many as fifty of them may crowd their shelters for hibernation together so tightly that they form a continuous blanket under the loose bark of a standing tree.^[2]

Physical characteristics

The bodies of these spiders are rather compressed in the vertical direction, which allows them to hide themselves under the loosened bark of trees and in other tight places. They have a prominent pattern on their abdomens which may make them more difficult to distinguish on mottled surfaces.

References

1. ^ Kaston, Benjamin Julian (1953). How to Know the Spiders. Dubuque. ISBN 0-697-04898-5. 
2. ^ Kaston, Benjamin Julian (1981). Spiders of Connecticut (Bulletin 70, revised ed.). Connecticut Geological and Natural History Survey. p. 454. 

• Platnick, Norman I. (2008): The world spider catalog, version 8.5. American Museum of Natural History.

External links

• Picture of P. undatus (free for noncommercial use)
• Good information on spiders' lifestyles from the University of Kansas.
• Lucian K. Ross: A jumping spider feeding on an earthworm. Peckhamia, 71, 1, S. 1-2, September 2008 PDF