Peacock spider’s incredible courtship display to attract mates
THEY’RE flashy, they’re furry and in spring the amazing courtship displays of the Australian peacock spider have to be seen to be believed.
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IN A patch of remnant bushland at the end of a Central Coast street, the world’s most beautiful spider could be dancing up a storm in the name of love.
Spring is the time of year when these tiny peacock spiders (Genus maratus) are looking for mates and the courtship displays of the male have to be seen to be believed.
The male bobs and shimmies his spectacular colours and waves his cute little hairy legs at the female in the hope of mating success. He better do a good job because she’s likely to eat him if she doesn’t like what she sees.
It’s an exciting time of year for two Central Coast men for whom finding, identifying and photographing these unique Australian arachnids has become an obsession.
Michael Doe and Adam Fletcher went to school together and have been friends for more than 30 years.
By chance they both ended up in Woy Woy where they resumed their shared enthusiasm for macrophotography — mostly of insects.
After seeing spectacular pictures of peacock spiders online — the pair decided to search some bushland at the end of their Woy Woy street back in 2012.
Several hours of scrabbling about in the leaf litter uncovered their first maratus spider.
The images the pair posted to social media were noticed by Western Sydney University entomologist Michael Duncan who helped them to set up a formal research project — now named the Maratus Project.
The trio frequently travel Australia in search of new species — mapping locations and gathering species data where ever they go.
They work with museums in Western Australia and Queensland to identify maratus spiders they find and have managed to uncover seven new species some of which have yet to be named.
“There is no other little creature that puts on such a vivid display — the variety of species, the different colours and behaviours,” Michael Doe said.
“They’re like the birds of paradise of the spider world.
“The excitement when we find a new species is just amazing.
PROJECT GOES WILD
The sensational images of the spiders have spawned huge social media interest. Project Maratus has 13.5K followers on Instagram and a growing audience on Facebook and Twitter.
Mr Doe and Mr Fletcher also have their own social media channels to showcase their images and are contacted regularly by people over seas asking about the spiders.
“Our hope is really to raise awareness about the species — but also about the importance of conserving remnant bushland,” Mr Doe said.
“There’s so much we don’t know about what is there. If that little patch of bush at the end of the street was gone — we might never have started this research,” he said.
The pair have done some council talks about peacock spiders but would like to do more with schools and community groups.
“If people get interested in the beauty of these little creatures, they are more likely to fight to save local bushland and act to protect it,” he said.
PEACOCK SPIDER FACTS
■ Peacock spiders (Genus Maratus) are a type of jumping spider so named because of the males’ colourful iridescent body patterns and flashy dance style. The colours and the dance are used in courtship displays.
■ The dance of each species is thought to be unique including spirited waving of colourful abdominal fans and leg drumming.
■ If you’re a male peacock spider you want to make sure your floor routine is up to scratch because the female will not hesitate to eat suitors with substandard moves.
■ Peacock spiders are unique to Australia and grow to 2-7mm.
■ They are aggressive predators who stalk their prey. They are venomous, but not to humans.
■ Male spiders live for about a year — moulting off their old skin several times as they grow. It’s only after the last moult that the spider gets its colourful patterning. Before that it’s a dull brown — the same colour as the female.
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