More than 2200 species of the wild flora and fauna photographed in Zihuatanejo, Guerrero, Mexico and the surrounding area.
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Spiders of Zihuatanejo
ORDER ARANEAE
Common Hentz Jumping
Hentzia palmarum
-Arthropods (Phylum Arthropoda)
-Chelicerates Subphylum Chelicerata
-Typical Spiders (Suborder Araneomorphae)
-Entelegyne Spiders (Infraorder Entelegynae)
-Salticoid Spiders (Superfamily Salticoidea)
-Jumping Spiders (Family Salticidae)
-Typical Jumping Spiders (Subfamily Salticinae)
-Tribe Dendryphantini
-Subtribe Dendryphantina
-Long-jawed Jumping Spiders (Genus Hentzia)
-Common Hentz Jumping Spider (Hentzia palmarum)
Hentzia palmarum does not build webs to catch prey; instead, it relies on stealth and speed to stalk and leap onto small insects. Active during the day and frequently seen on plants, fences, or walls, this spider is harmless to humans and contributes to natural pest control.
Description
• Hentzia palmarum, commonly known as the common Hentz jumping spider, is a small spider in the family Salticidae. Adults measure approximately 4–6 mm in body length. Males are typically dark reddish-brown with contrasting white markings along the body, legs, and mouthparts. Females are generally paler and hairier, often with dark, triangular markings along the abdomen. Its prominent forward-facing eyes provide excellent vision for hunting.
Range
• Hentzia palmarum occurs in North America, from southern Canada through the United States and into Mexico, and is also recorded in Bermuda, the Bahamas, and Cuba.
It is native to Zihuatanejo, Guerrero, and the surrounding area.
Habitat
• It inhabits shrubs, small trees, woodland edges, scrub, and other areas with woody vegetation. It can be found on leaves, twigs, and branches, including in mangroves and coastal scrub. It hunts actively among vegetation rather than relying on a prey-catching web.
Diet
• Hentzia palmarum feeds on small insects and other arthropods. It uses its keen eyesight to locate prey, stalks it, and leaps onto it to capture and subdue it with its fangs. It may also consume tiny insects found on leaves and branches.