Phidippus octopunctatus
I think 2010 was the last time I saw one of these so it was
exciting to find what I think is a male on Antelope Island,
Davis County, UT. I was not able to get in close because it was
inside a bush, so I shot a picture from inside the car. When I got
out to get closer, it dropped to the ground and disappeared in
the brush. They are a very skittish species. © Carol Davis 7-1-2018
This most recent Phidippus octopunctatus I found was also on Antelope
Island. They are hard to find. © Carol Davis 7-22-2010
This spider was walking around the base of a sunflower but it hid in a vertical
position when it saw me watching it and attempting to get a photograph. I don't
know how I got this in focus, but it worked. It's ironic that having never seen one
of these before, I came upon another one the same day in a different area
on Antelope Island . © Carol Davis, 7-23-2009
Phidippus octopunctatus is an interesting spider that's found throughout the Great
Basin desert. According to one page I read, this spider builds a prominent nest
in a bush to hold its egg sac. This third picture now makes me a little curious.
I don't know if the spider was alive or dead, but it wasn't moving and it was
actually hanging upside-down (just flip this photo). © Carol Davis, 7-23-2009
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