Salticus

{{Short description|Genus of spiders}} {{Automatic taxobox | name = | image = Edwards Salticus scenicus 01.jpg | image_caption = Female ''Salticus scenicus'' | image2 = Salticus austinensis on lichen cropped.jpg | image2_caption = ''S. austinensis'' | taxon = Salticus | authority = Latreille, 1804<ref name=wsc /> | type_species = ''Salticus scenicus'' | type_species_authority = (Clerck, 1757)<ref name=wsc /> | subdivision_ranks = Species | subdivision = See text. | synonyms = ''Attus'' }}

'''''Salticus''''' (from Latin “''saltus''” – leap or jump<ref name="latin" />) is a genus of the family Salticidae (the jumping spiders). ''Salticus'' is the type genus for the family Salticidae.<ref name="edwards2011" />

==Description==

left|thumb|Male ''Salticus'' spider resting his pedipalps on his chelicerae

Coloration is determined by various scales (modified setae) covering a brown or black integument. Narrow scales (or hairs) may be black or red/rust colored, while broad scales are either iridescent (often magenta or green) or opaque granular white or yellow.<ref name="hill1979" />

alt=Salticus palpalis male|left|thumb|A mature male ''Salticus palpalis'' from Arizona, US.

Several common species have a dorsal pattern of black narrow scales and white granular scales arranged in transverse stripes, especially on the abdomen, from which the common name “zebra spiders” originates, e.g. Holarctic ''Salticus scenicus'' (Clerck, 1757). Some ''Salticus'' species in the Southwestern US and Mexico have red and white transverse stripes on the abdomen, e.g. ''Salticus palpalis'' (Banks, 1904). Some lack the “zebra” stripes completely and have both dorsal abdomen and cephalothorax covered with iridescent scales, e.g. ''Salticus peckhamae'' (Cockerell, 1897).<ref name="peckham1909" /> Since the dorsal coloration does not seem to be involved in the male's courtship display the coloration may have been selected for camouflage or mimicry. For example, there is a strong similarity between ''S. palpalis'' and ''Agapostemon'' sweat bees.<ref name="cowles2018" />

''Salticus'' species range in length from 3-7 mm.<ref name="peckham1909" /><ref name="bellmann2011" /> Males are smaller than females, but have elongated chelicerae and pedipalps.

==Habits== Like most Salticidae, they prefer open, sunny habitats. They are often found on vertical surfaces including man-made structures such as walls and fences or natural such as tree trunks. They are commonly found near water, where they feast on emergent aquatic gnats and other insects. One study recorded dipterans as 70% of prey items.[http://britishspiders.org.uk/bulletin/130406.pdf] ''Salticus'' species have been observed preying on insects several times their body size.

==Distribution== This genus has at least one species recorded from every continent except Antarctica. One common species, ''S. scenicus'', is a widely distributed Holarctic species associated with human habitations. ''S. scenicus'' has the second most jumping spider observations on iNaturalist. Most other ''Salticus'' species have a more restricted distribution. Two areas with high species diversity are the Southwestern portion of the United States (into Mexico) and the Mediterranean. Four species have been recorded from the Canary Islands

==Species== thumb|thumbtime=42|''Salticus cingulatus''

{{as of|2025|10}}, this genus includes 45 species:<ref name="wsc" /> {{Div col}} * ''Salticus afghanicus'' Logunov & Zamanpoore, 2005 – Afghanistan * ''Salticus aiderensis'' Logunov & Rakov, 1998 – Turkmenistan * ''Salticus alegranzaensis'' Wunderlich, 1995 – Canary Islands * ''Salticus annulatus'' (Giebel, 1870) – South Africa * ''Salticus austinensis'' Gertsch, 1936 – United States, Mexico, Central America * ''Salticus beneficus'' (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1885) – India * ''Salticus bonaerensis'' Holmberg, 1876 – Argentina * ''Salticus brasiliensis'' Lucas, 1833 – Brazil * ''Salticus canariensis'' Wunderlich, 1987 – Canary Islands * ''Salticus cingulatus'' (Panzer, 1797) – Europe, Turkey, Russia (Europe to Far East), Kazakhstan, Mongolia * ''Salticus confusus'' Lucas, 1846 – Portugal, Spain, France (Corsica), Bulgaria, Greece (Crete), Morocco, Algeria * ''Salticus conjonctus'' (Simon, 1868) – Spain, France, Italy * ''Salticus coronatus'' (Camboué, 1887) – Madagascar * ''Salticus devotus'' (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1885) – Pakistan * ''Salticus dzhungaricus'' Logunov, 1992 – Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan * ''Salticus falcarius'' (Hentz, 1846) – United States * ''Salticus flavicruris'' (Rainbow, 1897) – Australia (New South Wales) * ''Salticus gomerensis'' Wunderlich, 1987 – Canary Islands * ''Salticus insperatus'' Logunov, 2009 – Iran * ''Salticus iteacus'' Metzner, 1999 – Greece * ''Salticus jugularis'' Simon, 1900 – Australia (Queensland) * ''Salticus karakumensis'' Logunov & Ponomarev, 2020 – Turkmenistan * ''Salticus kraali'' (Thorell, 1878) – Indonesia (Ambon) * ''Salticus latidentatus'' Roewer, 1951 – Russia (South Siberia, Far East), Mongolia, China, Japan * ''Salticus lucasi'' Zamani, Hosseini & Moradmand, 2020 – Iran * ''Salticus major'' (Simon, 1868) – Portugal, Spain, France * ''Salticus meticulosus'' Lucas, 1846 – Algeria * ''Salticus modicus'' (Simon, 1875) – France * ''Salticus mutabilis'' Lucas, 1846 – Macaronesia, Europe, North Africa, Turkey, Caucasus. Introduced to Argentina * ''Salticus noordami'' Metzner, 1999 – Greece, Turkey, Cyprus, Israel, Iran * ''Salticus palpalis'' (Banks, 1904) – United States, Mexico * ''Salticus paludivagus'' Lucas, 1846 – Algeria * ''Salticus peckhamae'' (Cockerell, 1897) – United States * ''Salticus perogaster'' (Thorell, 1881) – Papua New Guinea (Yule Is.) * ''Salticus propinquus'' Lucas, 1846 – Mediterranean * ''Salticus proszynskii'' Logunov, 1992 – Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan * ''Salticus ravus'' (Bösenberg, 1895) – Canary Islands * ''Salticus ressli'' Logunov, 2015 – Turkey * ''Salticus scenicus'' (Clerck, 1757) – North America, Europe, Russia (Europe to Far East), Caucasus, Kazakhstan, Iran (type species) * ''Salticus scitulus'' (Simon, 1868) – France (Corsica) * ''Salticus tricinctus'' (C. L. Koch, 1846) – Mediterranean to Central Asia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Afghanistan * ''Salticus turkmenicus'' Logunov & Rakov, 1998 – Turkmenistan * ''Salticus unciger'' (Simon, 1868) – France, Switzerland, Italy, Malta, Slovenia, Albania * ''Salticus unicolor'' (Simon, 1868) – Slovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Greece * ''Salticus zebraneus'' (C. L. Koch, 1837) – Europe, Turkey, Russia (Europe, Caucasus), Iran {{Div col end}}

==References== {{Reflist|refs= <ref name="wsc">{{cite web | url=https://wsc.nmbe.ch/genus/2941 | title=Gen. ''Salticus'' Latreille, 1804 | publisher=World Spider Catalog | doi=10.24436/2 | accessdate=2025-10-17}}</ref> <ref name="peckham1909">{{Cite book |last=Peckham |first=George Williams |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VkwbAAAAYAAJ&q=peckham+1909&pg=PA355 |title=Revision of the Attidae of North America |date=1909 |publisher=Democrat Printing Company, State Printer |language=en}}</ref> <ref name="latin">{{Cite web |title=Latin Definition for: saltus, saltus (ID: 33976) - Latin Dictionary and Grammar Resources - Latdict |url=https://latin-dictionary.net/definition/33976/saltus-saltus |access-date=2020-07-18 |website=latin-dictionary.net}}</ref> <ref name="edwards2011">{{Cite journal |last=Edwards |first=G.B. |date=2011 |title=A review of the type designations of the genus Salticus Latreille, genus Attus Walckenaer, and the family Salticidae Blackwall (Arachnida: Araneae), with special reference to historical connections with the Genus Myrmarachne MacLeay |url=https://peckhamia.com/peckhamia/PECKHAMIA_93.1.pdf |journal=Peckhamia |volume=93 |issue=1 |pages=1–11}}</ref> <ref name="hill1979">{{Cite journal |last=HILL |first=DAVID EDWIN |date=1979 |title=The scales of salticid spiders |journal=Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society |volume=65 |issue=3 |pages=193–218 |doi=10.1111/j.1096-3642.1979.tb01091.x |issn=0024-4082}}</ref> <ref name="cowles2018">{{Cite book |last=Cowles |first=Jillian |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_3GYDwAAQBAJ&q=amazing+arachnids&pg=PA7 |title=Amazing Arachnids |date=2018-06-12 |publisher=Princeton University Press |isbn=978-0-691-17658-1 |language=en}}</ref> <ref name="bellmann2011">{{Cite book |last=Bellmann |first=Heiko |title=Nueva Guia de Campo de Aracnidos de Europa |publisher=Ediciones Omega |year=2011 |isbn=978-84-282-1558-9 |location=Barcelona, Spain}}</ref> }}

==Further reading== *Murphy, Frances & Murphy, John (2000): An Introduction to the Spiders of South East Asia. ''Malaysian Nature Society'', Kuala Lumpur.

==External links== * {{inaturalist taxon}} * Dr. Heiko Metzner's ''Worldwide Database of Jumping Spiders'' (includes descriptions, distribution maps, drawings/photos for most species listed in the ''World Spider Catalog'') [https://www.jumping-spiders.com] * Video of ''Salticus scenicus'' [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uGLGJ1bjkQ]

Category:Salticidae Category:Salticidae genera Category:Articles containing video clips Category:Cosmopolitan spiders Category:Taxa named by Pierre André Latreille