About Maratus speciosus (O.Pickard-Cambridge, 1874)
Maratus speciosus, sometimes called the coastal peacock spider, is an Australian jumping spider species belonging to the family Salticidae. It is only known to live in vegetation growing on coastal sand dunes in southwestern Western Australia.
Like other spiders in the genus Maratus, males of this species perform a courtship display. During the display, they raise their third pair of legs and their abdomen to show their colourful opisthosomal plate to potential female mates. Along with their elaborate dance movements, males contract their front and back body halves against each other, creating vibrations that travel through the ground. Females detect these vibrations, which stimulates them and increases the male's chance of successful mating.
Unlike other Maratus species, male Maratus speciosus have a fringe of bright orange setae (hairs) along both edges of the opisthosoma that only become visible during this courtship display.
Maratus speciosus is a member of the arachnid class. Both males and females have a body length of about 5 millimetres, which is around the size of a pencil eraser, and it is described as the smallest spider species. It is a diurnal cursorial hunter that feeds on insects. Like all jumping spiders, it relies on sharp vision and jumping ability to travel and spot prey from far distances.
