This unusual jumping spider boasts an exquisite variety of colors on its hind end — which serve an important physiological purpose.
Some animals sing to impress females, such as songbirds and humpback whales. Others, including elephant seals and deer, will fight each other for the right to mate with females. Peacock spiders have a much more unusual courtship ritual.
Peacock spiders belong to a group of spiders in the genus Maratus that gain their names from the male’s colorful abdomen, which bears a striking resemblance to a male peacock’s beautiful plumage.
Similarly to male peacocks, male peacock spiders can “fan out” their colorful abdomens and use them to impress female peacock spiders. In addition, they are able to incorporate them into an elaborate dance which involves moving rhythmically from side to side.
The male spider who displays the most vibrant colors and the best dance is all but guaranteed mating privileges with the female. If he fails to impress her, she will eat him, as is common in spider mating rituals (although, even if he does, she may still eat him).
On average this unusual dance lasts between four and fifty minutes, which makes peacock spiders fairly unique among arachnids. Despite the risk of being eaten, for male peacock spiders, the reward of sex is greater than the risk of cannibalism.
Watch the amazing courtship display in action in the videos below.
