Banksia peacock spider facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Banksia peacock spider |
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| Male | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Salticidae |
| Genus: | Maratus |
| Species: |
M. mungaich
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| Binomial name | |
| Maratus mungaich Waldock, 1995
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The Maratus mungaich, also known as the banksia peacock spider, is a tiny, colorful jumping spider. It belongs to a group of spiders called Salticidae. This special spider is found only in Western Australia.
Contents
About the Banksia Peacock Spider
The banksia peacock spider is named after the banksia plant. The word mungaich comes from the Noongar language, meaning "banksia." These spiders are quite small, usually only a few millimeters long.
What Makes Them Special?
Like other Maratus spiders, the male banksia peacock spider is very colorful. It uses its bright colors and special movements to attract a female during a dance called courtship. The male has long third legs that it stretches out during this dance. Only the male spiders have these amazing bright colors. The females are usually duller in color.
Where Do They Live?
This spider is found only in Western Australia. This means it is endemic to that area, which means it naturally lives nowhere else in the world. It often lives near banksia plants, which is how it got its name.
Discovery of the Spider
The banksia peacock spider was first officially described in 1995. A scientist named Julianne M. Waldock was the one who first studied and named this species. She later grouped it with other similar Maratus spiders in 2013.
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On a limb
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 | Jessica Watkins |
 | Robert Henry Lawrence Jr. |
 | Mae Jemison |
 | Sian Proctor |
 | Guion Bluford |
