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    • Are peacock spiders venomous ?
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    • how long do they live ?
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    • Do they use a web to catch their prey ?
    • Do females eat the males whose dance they don't like ?
    • Where can I buy them ?
    • How many species of peacock spider ?
    • Where do they live ?
    • What do they eat ?
    • Are they endangered ?
    • What do their names mean ?
    • What is your favourite peacock spider ?
    • Where can I learn more about peacock spiders ?
    • How do you name a new species ?
    • How many more species are there to be discovered ?
    • Do males display only to a female of their own species ?
    • Which was the first peacock spider ?
    • How many species were known when you found your first ?
    • How are they related ?
    • Do they interbreed ?
    • Are all peacock spiders included on this site ?
  • Size
  • Named peacock spiders (Males, species a - o)
  • Named peacock spiders (males, species p - z)
  • Undescribed peacock spiders
  • Jotus remus
  • Juveniles
  • Edited videos
    • Maratus albus
    • Maratus amabilis
    • Maratus ammophilus
    • Maratus anomalus
    • Maratus aquilus
    • Maratus aurantius
    • Maratus australis
    • Maratus avibus
    • Maratus bubo
    • Maratus caeruleus
    • Maratus calcitrans
    • Maratus candens
    • Maratus chrysomelas
    • Maratus constellatus
    • Maratus cristatus
    • Maratus cuspis
    • Maratus electricus
    • Maratus elephans
    • Maratus eliasi
    • Maratus flavus
    • Maratus gemmifer
    • Maratus harrisi
    • Saratus hesperus
    • Maratus icarus
    • Maratus inaquosus
    • Maratus jactatus
    • Maratus julianneae
    • Maratus karrie
    • Maratus lentus
    • Maratus linnaei
    • Maratus lobatus
    • Maratus melindae
    • Maratus mungaich
    • Maratus nemo
    • Maratus neptunus
    • Maratus nigromaculatus
    • Maratus nimbus
    • Maratus nubilis
    • Maratus ottoi
    • Maratus personatus
    • Maratus pinniger
    • Maratus robinsoni
    • Maratus pardus
    • Maratus sapphirus
    • Maratus sarahae
    • Maratus sceletus
    • Maratus speciosus
    • Maratus speculifer
    • Maratus splendens
    • Maratus sylvestris
    • Maratus tortus
    • Maratus trigonus
    • Maratus unicup
    • Maratus vespa
    • Maratus vespertilio
    • Maratus volans
    • Maratus miles
    • 1. First encounter
    • 2. Early days
    • 3. Crash
    • 4. Peckhamia
    • 5. Movie time
    • 6. Attenborough and Prince Charles
    • 7. Stuart
    • 8. The Calendar
    • 9. Lane Cove
    • 10. Whitton
    • 11. Bluff Knoll
    • 12. Facebook
    • 13. David Knowles
  • News
  • Otto & Hill publications
  • Other publications
Menu

Peacock Spider

  • About
  • Contact
  • Merchandise
  • Female peacock spiders
  • FAQ
    • Are peacock spiders venomous ?
    • How many species did you discover and name ?
    • how long do they live ?
    • How small or large are they ?
    • Do they use a web to catch their prey ?
    • Do females eat the males whose dance they don't like ?
    • Where can I buy them ?
    • How many species of peacock spider ?
    • Where do they live ?
    • What do they eat ?
    • Are they endangered ?
    • What do their names mean ?
    • What is your favourite peacock spider ?
    • Where can I learn more about peacock spiders ?
    • How do you name a new species ?
    • How many more species are there to be discovered ?
    • Do males display only to a female of their own species ?
    • Which was the first peacock spider ?
    • How many species were known when you found your first ?
    • How are they related ?
    • Do they interbreed ?
    • Are all peacock spiders included on this site ?
  • Size
  • Named peacock spiders (Males, species a - o)
  • Named peacock spiders (males, species p - z)
  • Undescribed peacock spiders
  • Jotus remus
  • Juveniles
  • Edited videos
  • Unedited video
    • Maratus albus
    • Maratus amabilis
    • Maratus ammophilus
    • Maratus anomalus
    • Maratus aquilus
    • Maratus aurantius
    • Maratus australis
    • Maratus avibus
    • Maratus bubo
    • Maratus caeruleus
    • Maratus calcitrans
    • Maratus candens
    • Maratus chrysomelas
    • Maratus constellatus
    • Maratus cristatus
    • Maratus cuspis
    • Maratus electricus
    • Maratus elephans
    • Maratus eliasi
    • Maratus flavus
    • Maratus gemmifer
    • Maratus harrisi
    • Saratus hesperus
    • Maratus icarus
    • Maratus inaquosus
    • Maratus jactatus
    • Maratus julianneae
    • Maratus karrie
    • Maratus lentus
    • Maratus linnaei
    • Maratus lobatus
    • Maratus melindae
    • Maratus mungaich
    • Maratus nemo
    • Maratus neptunus
    • Maratus nigromaculatus
    • Maratus nimbus
    • Maratus nubilis
    • Maratus ottoi
    • Maratus personatus
    • Maratus pinniger
    • Maratus robinsoni
    • Maratus pardus
    • Maratus sapphirus
    • Maratus sarahae
    • Maratus sceletus
    • Maratus speciosus
    • Maratus speculifer
    • Maratus splendens
    • Maratus sylvestris
    • Maratus tortus
    • Maratus trigonus
    • Maratus unicup
    • Maratus vespa
    • Maratus vespertilio
    • Maratus volans
    • Maratus miles
  • My memories
    • 1. First encounter
    • 2. Early days
    • 3. Crash
    • 4. Peckhamia
    • 5. Movie time
    • 6. Attenborough and Prince Charles
    • 7. Stuart
    • 8. The Calendar
    • 9. Lane Cove
    • 10. Whitton
    • 11. Bluff Knoll
    • 12. Facebook
    • 13. David Knowles
  • News
  • Otto & Hill publications
  • Other publications

Maratus pardus

named and described by Otto & Hill 2014

distribution: catalogue

more photographs: Flickr

video: YouTube

female

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Maratus pavonis

named and described by Dunn 1947

Dunn, R. A. 1947. A new salticid spider from Victoria. Memoirs of the National Museum of Victoria 15: 82-85.

Dunn 1957 is the first publication in which the display of a peacock spider is mentioned

Dunn, R. A. 1957. The Peacock Spider. Walkabout, April 1st, 1957: 38-39.

distribution: catalogue

more photographs on Flickr

female

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Maratus personatus

named and described by Otto & Hill 2015

distribution: catalogue

more photographs: Flickr

video: YouTube

videos: Vimeo

Articles in New Scientist, The Verge, National Geographic, Live Science, IFL Science, Daily mail, Phys Org

female

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Maratus pinniger

This species was discovered by Paul Winthrop and has recently been named by Jurgen Otto and David Hill in Peckhamia . Additional photographs can be viewed on flickr.

Videos: vimeo

distribution: catalogue

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Maratus playa

described by Jurgen Otto and David Hill in Peckhamia 308.1

additional photographs: flickr

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Maratus plumosus

named and described by Otto & Hill 2013

distribution: catalogue

more photographs: Flickr

video: Facebook

female

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Maratus proszynskii

named and described by Waldock 2015

distribution: catalogue

more photographs: Flickr

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Maratus purcellae

named and described by Otto & Hill 2013

distribution: catalogue

more photographs: Flickr

video: Facebook

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Maratus robinsoni

named and described by Otto & Hill 2012a , updated by Otto & Hill 2012b

distribution: catalogue

more: Flickr

video: YouTube

articles: Live Science, Cosmos, IFL Science, Nature,

female

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Maratus sagittus

Described and named by Schubert and Whyte 2019

Photo copyright Robert Whyte

distribution: catalogue

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Maratus sapphirus

named and described by Otto & Hill 2017

distribution: catalogue

more photographs: Flickr

articles: SMH, news, ganggangtours

female

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Maratus sarahae

Otto & Hill 2012 illustrated and described this spider in detail but allowed Waldock 2013 to name it. Otto & Hill 2014 subsequently republished their description of Maratus sarahae in the context of other species in the Maratus mungaich group.

distribution: catalogue

more photographs on Flickr

video 1 on YouTube

video 2 on YouTube

My story about finding this spider: Sarah’s peacock spider

female

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Maratus sceletus

named and described by Otto & Hill 2015

distribution: catalogue

more photographs: Flickr

video: YouTube

articles: National Geographic, live science, Sci-News, arkinspace, Sciency Thoughts, new scientist

female

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Maratus scutulatus

Described and named by Ludwig Koch in 1881 under the name Ergane scutulata and subsequently given many different names

Most recent and most detailed redescription by Jurgen Otto, Robert Whyte and David Hill (2019) in Peckhamia 180.1 under the name Hypoblemum scutulatum

This species has had a colourful and confusing taxonomic history which you can also read about in Peckhamia 180.1. A recent phylogenetic analysis by Girard et al (2021) confirmed the close relationship of this species with other peacock spiders, a relationship that was already hypothesised by others. It was included into Maratus by Jurgen Otto and David Hill (Peckhamia 148.4) to maintain the monophyly of the genus Maratus

distribution: catalogue

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Maratus speciosus

named and described by Pickard-Cambridge 1874

Pickard-Cambridge, O. 1874. On some new genera and species of Araneida. The Annals and Magazine of Natural History. Series 4, volume 14, Issue Number 81, Paper 24: 169―183, plate XVII.

First photographic account including courtship display by Otto & Hill 2012

In depth description of courtship display by Hill & Otto 2014

distribution: catalogue

more photographs: Flickr

video: YouTube ; Vimeo

video (YMCA): YouTube

video (Conga): YouTube

female

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Maratus speculifer

named and described by Simon 1909

Simon, E. 1909. Lief. 12. Araneae, 2me partie. In: Die Fauna Sudwest-Australiens. Ergebnisse der Hamburger sudwestaustralischen Forschungsreise 1905 herausgegeben von Prof. Sr. W. Michaelseon und Dr. R. Hartmeyer. Band II, Lieferung 9―13. Verlag von Gustav Fischer in Jena. 155―212.

distribution: catalogue

more photographs: Flickr

female

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female
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Maratus spicatus

named and described by Otto & Hill 2012a , updated by Otto & Hill 2012b

distribution: catalogue

more photographs on Flickr

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Maratus splendens

named and described by Rainbow 1896

Rainbow, W. J. 1896. Descriptions of some new Araneidae of New South Wales. No. 7. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 21: 628-633.

Story about my rediscovery of Maratus splendent 115 years after it was last seen: here

first photographic account including courtship by Otto & Hill 2011
in depth comparison of Maratus splendens and Maratus pavonis by Hill & Otto 2011

detail comparison of Maratus splendens and its relatives by Otto & Hill 2014

distribution: catalogue

more photographs: Flickr

video: YouTube ; Vimeo

study on colour production in Maratus splendens: Stavenga, Otto & Wilts 2016

female

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Maratus suae

Named by Schubert 2020

distribution: catalogue

Article: The Conversation

Video: Museum Victoria

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Maratus sylvestris

Named by Otto & Hill 2019

More photographs on Flickr

distribution: catalogue

Video on Vimeo

female

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Maratus tasmanicus

named and described by Otto & Hill 2013

distribution: catalogue

more photograph: Flickr

video: YouTube

female

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Maratus tessellatus

named and described by Otto & Hill 2016

distribution: catalogue

more photographs: Flickr

female

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Maratus tiddalik

Named and described on 13 October 2020 by Jurgen Otto and David Hill 2020 in Peckhamia 223.1

Additional photographs in flickr

distribution: catalogue

female

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Maratus tortus

named and described by Otto & Hill 2018

more photographs: Flickr

distribution: catalogue

videos: YouTube , Vimeo

article: ABC, Guardian, DailyMail

female

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Maratus trigonus

named and described by Otto & Hill 2017

distribution: catalogue

more photographs: Flickr

videos: Youtube ; Vimeo

articles: ABC, Science Alert, forbes, mother nature network, news hub, IFL Science

female

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Maratus unicup

named and described by Otto & Hill 2018

more photographs: Flickr

distribution: catalogue

videos: YouTube , Vimeo

article: ABC, Guardian, DailyMail

female

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Maratus velutinus

named and described by Otto & Hill 2012a , updated in Otto & Hill 2012b

distribution: catalogue

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Maratus vespa

named and described by Otto & Hill 2016

distribution: catalogue

more photographs: Flickr

video: Vimeo ; Facebook

female

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Maratus vespertilio

named and described by Simon 1901

Simon. E. 1901. Etudes arachnologiques. 31e. Memoire. L. Descriptions d'especes nouvelles de la famille des Salticidae (suite). Annales de la Societe Entomologique de France 70: 66-76.

Additional account by Otto & Hill 2011

First account of this species’ unique hopping contests by Otto & Hill 2012

distribution: catalogue

more photographs on Flickr

video on YouTube including the peculiar male “hopping tests”

videos on Vimeo

female

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Maratus volans

named and described by Pickard-Cambridge 1874

Pickard-Cambridge, O. 1874. On some new genera and species of Araneida. The Annals and Magazine of Natural History. Series 4, volume 14, Issue Number 81, Paper 24: 169―183, plate XVII.

story of my first encounter with this spider: First encounter

story about discovering the Maratus volans display: Early Days

story about the first attention by media:Take off and crash

story about the first scientific article about the Maratus volans display: Peckhamia

story about filming Maratus volans: Movie time

story about introducing David Attenborough and Prince Charles to Maratus volans: Attenborough and Prince Charles

distribution: catalogue

more photographs: Flickr

videos: YouTube , Vimeo

articles: Plosone, Peckhamia 74.1

female

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Maratus volpei

Named by Schubert 2020

Photograph copyright Nick Volpe

distribution: catalogue

Article: The Conversation

Video: Museum Victoria

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Maratus vultus

named and describe by Otto & Hill 2016

distribution: catalogue

more photographs on Flickr

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Maratus yanchep

Named and described by Jurgen Otto and David Hill (2023) in Peckhamia 311.1

news article : WAtoday

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Maratus watagansi

named and described by Otto & Hill 2013

more photographs on Flickr

distribution: catalogue

female

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prev / next
Back to Named peacock spiders (males, species p - z)
4
Maratus pardus
3
Maratus pavonis
6
Maratus personatus
13
Maratus pinniger
8
Maratus playa
6
Maratus plumosus
4
Maratus proszynskii
3
Maratus purcellae
6
Maratus robinsoni
1
Maratus sagittus
3
Maratus sapphirus
5
Maratus sarahae
4
Maratus sceletus
17
Maratus scutulatus
6
Maratus speciosus
4
Maratus speculifer
3
Maratus spicatus
5
Maratus splendens
5
Maratus suae
4
Maratus sylvestris
4
Maratus tasmanicus
3
Maratus tessellatus
15
Maratus tiddalik
3
Maratus tortus
6
Maratus trigonus
3
Maratus unicup
4
Maratus velutinus
3
Maratus vespa
6
Maratus vespertilio
9
Maratus volans
1
Maratus volpei
4
Maratus vultus
16
Maratus yanchep
5
Maratus watagansi

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