Maratus volans, better known as the Peacock Spider, is the
dandiest, the cutest little thing you’ll see today. The male of
this species has two rounded, most brilliantly colored skin-like
flaps on either side of his abdomen that are folded down close
against the sides of the body, like a shawl. The brilliant
colouring is not just for decoration, he uses it when he courts his
mate.
To get the attention of the female spider the male first waves his
legs, vibrate his abdomen and moves from side to side. He also
raises his third legs which have a brush of black bristles and the
white-tipped ends. And then like a peacock, he raises the two
magnificently coloured flaps and dances for the female. It’s this
final act that has earned the spider, and indeed the whole
genus Maratus, the name of Peacock Spider.
The Peacock Spider is extremely tiny – a mere four millimetre in
length. Hiding in the undergrowth, it is the sort of thing an
average Australian bushwalker would pass right by, but not Dr
Jurgen Otto who captured these shots on his camera.
“I have a very keen eye for small things”, said Dr Jurgen Otto.
“When I walk around the bush I usually don't look into the trees, I
usually look on the ground. There was a spider that just looked
different to other spiders I'd seen before so I was very
curious...and I took a couple of photos.”
The photographs revealed a most extraordinary looking jumping
spider.
“Since then I've been wrapped and wanted to take more pictures
so I kept coming back for 3 years but unfortunately I kept
searching at the wrong spot.”
Three years later, Jurgen's perseverance paid off and he
captured what he believes is the only footage of Australian Peacock
spiders.
