Dick Walton - Natural History Services
al and hdt

Habronattus moratus (Gertsch & Mulaik, 1936)

NA Range Map
Salticidae of North America
Richman, Cutler& Hill 2012

The holotype location for this species is Edinburg, TX (Hidalgo Co.). In fact all North America records for Habronattus moratus are from Hidalgo and Starr Cos., TX. Unfortunately much of the upland thorn scrub habitat where this species resides has been plowed under for agricultural purposes. Maddison’s and Hedin’s DNA analysis demontrated that this species belongs in the H. viridipes group but unlike other males in the group leg III is unmodified in H. moratus. Leg III does show dark banding (see Fuller’s image below) as well as the typical viridipes group v-shaped scale pattern on the cephalothorax.
Griswold, C. E. 1987; Maddison and Hedin, 2003; Wayne Maddison pers. comm.

Fuller image