Maratus pavonis aka Dunn’s Peacock Spider
Male
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Family: Salticidae
Subfamily: Euophryinae
Mount Barker, South Australia – Longleat Property – October 17th, 2014 – on a warm, sunny day in the flower garden
Photos: Michal Dutkiewicz
Text: Michal Dutkiewicz & extra additions by Karin Dawson
When Karin Dawson invited me up to photograph Feather-legged Assassin Bugs (As featured on a David Attenborough documentary) and this Peacock Spider, I still couldn’t believe that we had one of these colourful Spiders here in South Australia! – There are a number of species of the Peacock Jumpies in Australia. They are members of the Jumping Spider family Salticidae, and this is, as far as Karin and I can ascertain, the only species that occurs here in South Australia.
Only the males are brightly-coloured. The species occurs from South Australia around the southern east coast of Australia, including Tasmania, and there is a slightly brighter variant with a slightly different abdomen from Western Australia that Jumpies fans from those parts might want to keep a look out for. I wish we could have gotten closer shots, but he was moving very quickly …
Karin observed the female to be about 8 mm long, and the male was only 4 mm long; a big discrepancy in size, but certainly not unusual in the the spider world.
http://www.arachne.org.au/01_cms/details.asp?ID=2446
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maratus
SA Natureteers 
I am so jealous you’ve spotted one in real life. Apparently they are in Western Australia but I’ve yet to see one. Well spotted!
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Hi Redterrain – My friend Karin has these in her garden in Mount Barker – If she has them in such a prosaic and unassuming place as her garden, who knows how widespread they are? – In any event, Salticidae (Jumping Spiders) come in such an abundance of species, that I am certain that, wherever you live, you’ll be able to find an enormous number of this Peacock Spider’s relatives, even if they may be less brightly coloured! – But then again, you may find even brighter ones near you in profusion!
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