Species Pelegrina
maybe 5 mm long
I found another immature Pelegrina just weeks after finding the first one (this one is a male). This tiny creature was at
Garr Ranch on Antelope Island just webbing out a home on a fence post. How I spotted it, I'll never know. Nothing could slow
down the spider and it kept spinning and spinning all over this shaded post. I took random shots when there was the least
little pause but the photos were the pits. I thought it was the Peppered Jumper (Pelegrina galathea) but the experts at
Bugguide.net don't think so or can't tell for sure. Either way, it's a first for me.
Although this is a terrible photo, I still love looking at the little grouchy face
of this spider. © Carol Davis, 6-19-2009
I was excited to find this spider by accident. I just pulled over on the side of the road periodically this day
on Antelope Island and scanned the area with my binoculars. There was a little spider, which I would have
ignored since it reminded me of the Zebra Jumping Spider, but something told me to take a closer look.
I knew it was a keeper as soon as I saw the strange zigzag pattern. Though my spider may not be the
Peppered Jumper, I think you should might still enjoy watching this film about the Pelegrina galathea by
David Edwin Hill you can view here. It's rather long but you can move it along to different sections
(but you'll miss some good stuff). It's well worth viewing and opens the door to just how
the Peppered Jumper lives. © Carol Davis, 5-31-2009
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