Peacock Spiders are my favorite subject, they are tiny at around 4 mm long, where they lack size, they make up for it with looks and intelligence. The Peacock Spider or Maratus family are native to Australia, there are over 20 described species. Due to their small size, one can only assume there are many more yet to be discovered.
So far I have located and photographed 3 different species of Maratus, M. volans, M. splendens and M. plumosus. Finding peacock spiders is like finding a needle in a haystack, I have spent many months searching for different species. They live in larger nature reserves, among the shrubs and leaf litter.
The reason I spend so much time researching these little creatures, is the courtship display they perform. You can see the M. volans in full display at the top of this post and in the video near the bottom. The top and sides of the spider's abdomen are covered by colorful and sometimes iridescent pattern. On the sides are flaps which fold out when the abdomen is raised, in a peacock like fashion.
This amazing display occurs when the male sees a female, he first raises his third pair of legs in the air and waves them to get the females attention. A common trait in the Maratus family is the longer third pair of legs which are usually hairier with a white tip at the end that kind of looks like a sock. The white tips stand out against the drab color of the leaf litter, making it easier to get the females attention.
When the male has the females attention he raises and fans out his abdomen and starts to shake it. He moves back and forth, waving his legs and shaking his abdomen, it almost looks like the spider is dancing, it is a spectacular sight. As the display goes on he slowly approaches the female until he is close enough to attempt to mate.
As peacock spiders are jumping spiders they will kill and consume other jumping spiders they come across, including spiders of the same species. I believe this is why the males have evolved to do this amazing display, I have witnessed the female become almost hypnotized by the males display. As the female is in a trance it allows the male to safely traverse through the females strike zone and mate successfully. Each member of the Maratus family has different patterns on it's abdomen and a different set of dance moves so to speak.
Stay tuned for more Peacock spider photos and information
Stay tuned for more Peacock spider photos and information