File:Maratus pavonis Jean and Fred Hort.jpg

This spider is called a Peacock spider due to the brilliant colours on its abdomen used during the mating ritual.

"The mating 'dance' of Maratus pavonis entails the male approaching a female if she is receptive, he stops briefly to raise a third leg vertically which is then lowered jerkily and the other third leg is raised and lowered in the same manner. If the female is still interested the male then moves forward and becomes more excited, eventually raising both third legs at the same time and jerking them down stiffly onto the substrate (this can be heard as a tap when the substrate is a dried leaf or other hard substance), at this point he jumps forward. This is repeated many times. When the male is about three centimetres away from the female, he suddenly raises his abdomen and unfolds the side flaps, thus creating an almost circular, brightly coloured 'target'. This is flanked by the third legs, held aloft, erect and straight. In addition the male vigorously shakes his flared abdomen at the female, jerking from side to side and imperceptibly closing the distance between them. Receptive females appear to be entranced by this performance and when the male finally is within touching distance, the female is immobile and allows him to climb over her cephalothorax, turn her abdomen over and insert a pedipalp. This entire procedure can take up to two hours and when the male has discharged both pedipalps he quickly moves away from the immobile female which seems to take several seconds to recover and move off herself." Debunking an urban myth: The jumping spider Maratus cannot fly!