Phidippus otiosus (Hentz, 1846) - Canopy Jumping Spider

The male and female Phidippus otiosus seen here are the first two records for New Jersey and likely indicate a northern range expansion for this southern spider. Known as Canopy Jumper it is an arboreal species and one of the larger salticids in North America. I located these spiders in a small copse of hackberry and black locust trees. This is a fall maturing species and at one point I saw the male displaying. While the female will at times tolerate the male's presence in and around her "nest" site (see video), once she mates the male is no longer welcome except as a meal. Typically the female will place her egg sack in a tree cavity or behind bark and the young eclose in spring. Florida forms of this species are often yellowish to orange and at least some seem to be hybrids with P. regius.
During my sojourns to Cape May in 2013 and 2014 I spent a good deal of time trying to find this species in the area where I first saw the spiders in 2012. To date these efforts have been fruitless.
Edwards, 2004