Striped Lynx Spider (Oxyopes salticus)
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The Striped Lynx is a hunting spider that builds no web for snaring prey. About ¼ inch in length, this spider tends to run and jump about very quickly, actively pursuing insects. The female, pictured above, has stripes, hence the name. The male, however, shown below, looks completely different, with a brown head and silvery black abdomen. The large black appendages in the front of the male's head are pedipalps, specialized organs that allow for sperm transfer to the female. The pedipalps of females look like small legs and are simply used for moving food to the jaws. Lynx spider females guard their egg cases until the young hatch. The tiny hatchlings disperse by ballooning, which is when they produce silk strands that are allowed to blow in the wind and carry the spiders to new habitat.
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class: Arachnida / order: Araneae / family: Oxyopidae / genus: Oxyopes / species: salticus
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