Peacock Spiders (Maratus volans), especially males, take the crown for being the cutest and colorful Arachnids. However, courting and mating for the male can be a risky business because failure to impress the female may mean getting eaten. They belong to the family Salticidae showing technicolor abdomens plus slick dance moves in males to attract a mate. Females have a mottled look of browns and blacks with males having the ostentatious look earning them the name peacock. They do not build webs but stalk prey before bouncing and preying on them. Looking for them on sand dunes of the temperate coast or semi-arid grasslands of Australia.
The Peacock Spider has an overall legspan length between .28”-.35” (7-9 mm). Peacock Spiders have a typical body length of .16”-.2” (4-5 mm), body width of .06”-.08” (1.5-2 mm), and body height of .055”-.07” (1.4-1.8 mm). The common lifespan of the Peacock Spider is between 1 year.
Peacock Spiders (Maratus volans), especially males, take the crown for being the cutest and colorful Arachnids. However, courting and mating for the male can be a risky business because failure to impress the female may mean getting eaten. They belong to the family Salticidae showing technicolor abdomens plus slick dance moves in males to attract a mate. Females have a mottled look of browns and blacks with males having the ostentatious look earning them the name peacock. They do not build webs but stalk prey before bouncing and preying on them. Looking for them on sand dunes of the temperate coast or semi-arid grasslands of Australia.
The Peacock Spider has an overall legspan length between .28”-.35” (7-9 mm). Peacock Spiders have a typical body length of .16”-.2” (4-5 mm), body width of .06”-.08” (1.5-2 mm), and body height of .055”-.07” (1.4-1.8 mm). The common lifespan of the Peacock Spider is between 1 year.