Maratus volans facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Maratus volans |
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The Maratus volans is a super cool type of jumping spider. It's part of a group called Maratus, which are also known as peacock spiders because of their amazing colors! These tiny spiders live in different parts of Australia. They have special eyes that help them see lots of colors, even ones we can't see, like UV light. This helps them find their food.
Male Maratus volans spiders are famous for their bright, colorful flaps on their bodies. They use these flaps to put on an incredible dance show to impress the females!
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About the Peacock Spider
Both male and female Maratus volans spiders are quite small, growing to about 5 millimeters long. That's about the size of a pencil eraser!
Female spiders and young spiders of both sexes are usually brown. But they have special patterns that help scientists tell them apart from other similar spiders.
Amazing Behavior
The Courtship Dance
Male Maratus volans spiders are very colorful, with red, blue, and black patterns. They have special flaps on their bodies that can fold down. When it's time to find a mate, the male spider lifts his body, then spreads out these flaps. This makes his body look like a bright, colorful circle with white edges. It's like a tiny, living rainbow!
Because of this amazing display, these spiders, and the whole Maratus group, are often compared to peacocks. The male spider also lifts his third pair of legs, which have black hairs and white tips. He even claps these legs together to get the female's attention!
As he gets closer to the female, the male spider wiggles his body, waves his legs, and dances from side to side. It's a full-on show! Females are usually more interested in the visual dance than any sounds the male makes.
Vibrations in the Dance
Besides the visual show, the male peacock spider also makes vibrations during his dance. We don't know exactly how they make these vibrations, but they come mostly from fast movements of their body.
There are different kinds of vibrations, but they all help the male show off. Males who put more effort into both their visual dance and their vibrations are more likely to find a mate. This extra effort might show that the male is healthy and strong. However, the visual dance is still the most important part for mating success.
Female's Choice
If a female spider likes a male's dance, she will choose to mate with him. The longer and more energetic the male's dance and vibrations are, the more likely she is to mate.
Other important things for the male include staying close to the female and keeping her in his sight. If the female is interested, she might signal back by moving her third pair of legs. For M. volans, females usually only mate once.
When Females Get Aggressive
If a male keeps dancing when the female isn't interested, she might try to attack him! She could even try to eat him. This can also happen after they've mated. If this happens, the male spider can usually escape by quickly jumping away.
The way female M. volans act helps explain why the males have developed such unique colors and dances. If a female has already mated, she will be more aggressive and less interested in other males' dances. She sends a signal that tells males she's not available. This helps males save their energy and also protects both spiders from predators who might be attracted by the dance.
Mating Display
During his courtship dance, the male spider slowly moves closer to the female. He lowers his body almost to the ground until they are about one body length apart. If the female doesn't run away, he starts a special pre-mating display.
In this display, the male moves his third legs to the front, over his other legs, and pulls back his colorful fan flaps. Then, he lowers his third legs and spreads them apart, making them tremble. His first legs are held straight up in front of his body, almost touching the female. After this, he moves forward to mate. Mating can last from a few minutes to several hours!
Hunting and What They Eat
Peacock spiders are active hunters during the day. They mainly eat insects and other spiders. Their amazing eyesight helps them sneak up on their prey. Unlike many other spiders, they don't build webs to catch food. Instead, they use their sharp vision to stalk their prey, then chase and leap onto their target to deliver a quick bite. They can jump up to 40 times their own body length!
Reproduction and Life Cycle
Spider Activity
M. volans spiders are usually most active during the spring in Australia. This is their breeding season. The adult males appear from August to December, while the females appear a bit later and live longer. In December, females hide away to lay their eggs and protect them from danger.
Life Stages
Young female peacock spiders look a lot like the adults. Young male peacock spiders don't have the colorful fan flaps or the special third legs yet. They only get their bright colors when they become adults and are ready to mate. These spiders usually live for about one year.
Laying Eggs
In December, female M. volans spiders dig nests underground to lay their eggs. They can lay between 6 to 15 eggs at a time. Some females have even been seen laying several groups of eggs in a row!
Where They Live
Distribution
M. volans spiders are found in specific parts of Australia, including Queensland, New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory, Western Australia, and Tasmania. They live in many different types of environments, unlike some other Maratus species that only live in very specific places.
Habitat
Most peacock spiders live on the ground, often among fallen leaves or dry twigs. Female spiders are thought to blend in with leaf scars on dry twigs. But you can find them in many different places, from sand dunes to grassy areas.
How Their Bodies Work
Amazing Eyesight
Peacock spiders have eight eyes! Their main eyes are like tiny telephoto lenses and have a special retina that helps them see very clearly, even in UV light. They have some of the best eyesight for their size in the animal kingdom. This amazing vision helps them hunt their prey. They also have other eyes that help them detect movement.
Colorful Scales
The male spider's body has special scales that create its famous colorful display. These scales can reflect light in both the visible and ultraviolet ranges. With small movements, some male peacock spiders can even make their scales change colors, from red to green to violet!
What's in a Name?
An English spider expert named Octavius Pickard-Cambridge first described this spider. Later, in 1991, another scientist named Marek Żabka moved it to the Maratus group. He said it was "difficult to describe adequately the great beauty of the colouring of this spider."
The name volans means "flying" in Latin. The person who sent the first spiders to O.P-Cambridge thought they used their flaps like wings to help them jump. However, spider experts have since shown that these spiders do not actually fly.
See also
In Spanish: Araña pavo real para niños
