Marpissa pikei (Peckham & Peckham, 1888) - Pike Slender Jumper

First described by the Peckhams and placed in the genus Hyctia, this jumper was reassigned to Marpissa by Barnes. Barnes characterized this widespread eastern species as often found in grasslands and tolerant of relatively dry habitats. This is consistent with the Emerton's remark that M. pikei is common on "sand grass" (beach grass?). In their first comprehensive work on the Attidae the Peckhams give prominant mention to two spider collections that "have been of especial use to us." One was the collection of Nicolas G. Pike (1818-1905). Pike, a native of Massachusetts, is perhaps best known for his collection and drawings of fish (1867-1874) from the island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean. Pike spent his last 25 years in New York and was associated with the Brooklyn Institute. His spider collection and drawings were among the 70,000 plus specimens exhibited annually by the Entomology Department of the Brooklyn Institute.
Peckhams, 1888; Emerton, 1902; New York Times, 24 May 1890; Gudger, 1929

• ♦ *BSNH - Hyctia pikei - Essex (Ipswich), Suffolk (Chelsea), Barnstable (Cape Cod) - Bryant, 1908: 94
• ♦ C. C. Beaton / MCZ - Marpissa pikei - Nantucket (Polpis Rd.), September 2006 - Catalog # 126881
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• ♦ Connecticut - Kaston, 1948, no records for this species although Barnes (Barnes, 1958:19) published a single record of a female - June 1903 Norwalk.
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• *See Bryant, 1908
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Barnes, 1958. North American Jumping Spiders of the Sub-family Marpissinae (Araneae,Salticidae). American Museum Novitates: 1867: 1-50.