Peacock spider

A jewel in miniature

The peacock spider is a tiny jumping spider, only a few millimetres long, but among the most spectacular in the animal kingdom. The male owes its fame to its abdomen, which carries on its back a richly coloured flap of skin, with iridescent patterns of blue, red, orange and green, that it can raise and open like a peacock's fan. The females, by contrast, are more subdued, of a brownish-grey, camouflaged colour. Like all jumping spiders, it has large front eyes that give it a curious, lively gaze.

Habitat and distribution

It is native to Australia, where it lives in a variety of environments, from woodlands to grassy areas. It is a ground-dwelling, diurnal spider, moving nimbly through the low vegetation and the soil, hunting actively during daylight hours.

The courtship dance

What makes the peacock spider famous is the male's courtship, a genuine display. When it meets a female, the male raises the coloured flap of its abdomen and waves it like a fan, lifts a pair of legs and performs a rhythmic dance of movements and vibrations. It is a risky performance: if the female is not convinced, she may react aggressively. Its extraordinary vision, able to perceive the full colour spectrum and even ultraviolet, is essential both for courtship and for hunting.

Behaviour and curiosities

It does not build webs to catch prey: like all jumping spiders, it is an active hunter, spotting small insects and catching them with a precise, lightning leap. Despite the species name ('volans', meaning flying) and its showy appearance, it does not fly: the name comes from an old interpretation that the coloured flaps served to glide. It is completely harmless to humans, both for its minute size and for its calm nature.