Flying Peacock Spider
Maratus volans
The flying peacock spider is a tiny jumping spider of eastern Australia, often found in leaf litter and low vegetation in heath, scrub, and open woodland. It hunts small insects and other minute arthropods by sight, stalking close before making a precise leap rather than using a prey-catching web. Males are famous for raising colorful abdominal flaps and waving their third pair of legs during courtship displays. Despite the name, it cannot fly; the name came from an early mistaken idea that the male’s flaps might help it glide.
- Type
- Swift
- Conservation status
- NE