Peacock Spider - Maratus volans

Peacock Spider

Maratus volans

New NEW There's an alternative version of this page at the new website www.ark.au/peacock-spider.html

Family: Salticidae (Jumping Spiders). The world's most diverse and abundant spider family, with over 500 described genera and 5000 described species, which is more than 13% of all described spiders.

Size: Male and female up to 5 mm body length

Distribution:

Habitat:

References:

About the Peacock Spider

The peacock spider is an amazing and beautiful spider. I would not like to be one though. Male peacock spiders perform an elaborate courtship dance to try and impress a female. If the male continues his dance when the female is not interested, she attempts to attack, kill, and feed on him. She may also do this after mating. In this case, presumably, her attack isn't because he had poor dancing skills. Sometimes the male can escape by jumping.

Therefore, if you are a male peacock spider, it's very important to be good at dancing and at jumping.

Peacock spiders are very small, like a few millimetres, and you need some specialised photographic equipment to get a really good picture of one.

Note that dead spiders usually fade in colour, so nearly all the spiders will look blacker or darker in colour in real life than they do in the photos of dead spiders from the museum.

Peacock Spider - Maratus volans
Male Peacock Spider. Photo taken at Australian Museum, Sydney. High Resolution 2260 x 1884.

Peacock Spider - Maratus volans
Male Peacock Spider. Photo taken at Australian Museum, Sydney. High Resolution 1759 x 1214.

Peacock Spider - Maratus volans
Female Peacock Spider. Photo taken at Australian Museum, Sydney. High Resolution 1512 x 1176.

Peacock Spider - Maratus volans
Male Peacock Spider. Photo by Jurgen Otto.

Recommended Reading

Spiders: A Wild Australia Guide, by Patrick Honan - Peacock Spider - Maratus volans Spiders: A Wild Australia Guide, by Patrick Honan.

96 pages. This is a smaller spider guide showing the most well known spiders and then a few more.

From the publisher, "Australia is home to more than 2000 known species of spiders - and it is estimated that four times that number actually exist in this country waiting to be discovered! Within the ranks of Australian spiders we find some of the most uniquely interesting and skilled creatures of the animal world, along with a few potentially-deadly species and even more harmless individuals with fearsome reputations. Love them or loathe them, spiders are a part of everyday life, and this Steve Parish WILD AUSTRALIA GUIDE provides an insight into the lives of some of these often-reclusive visitors to our gardens, homes and wild places. From how to identify them and where they live, to their unique skills and behaviours, this guide lets you get up close to some of the most common Australian spiders. Who knows? You may even find some of these fascinating creatures living right under your nose."

Purchase from Australia (Booktopia) (Probably Unavailable)

See Also

Australian Mammals
Australian Birds
Australian Reptiles
Australian Frogs
Australian Fish
Australian Wild Plant Foods

Return to Australian Spiders
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Peacock Spider - Maratus volans

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