WALK LIKE AN EGYPTIAN

Words: Chris Stafford

Common name: Jewelled peacock spider Scientific name: Maratus gemmifer This jewelled peacock spider is so eensy-weensy it goes almost unnoticed in the bush of southwest Western Australia — but it’s certainly not for lack of look-at-me antics. The male’s peacock-like courting display involves unfurling a fantastical fan adorned with an iridescent gem-like spot that resembles an eye as depicted in Egyptian hieroglyphics. It’s one of 67 species in the Maratus genus, which belongs in the jumping spider family Salticidae — though “jump” hardly captures the subtlety of this fella’s mating moves. Try sidestep, slide and sashay, as captured in a YouTube video of disco-dancing peacock spiders cut by researcher Jürgen Otto to the tune of Stayin’ Alive: “Well, you can tell by the way I use my walk I’m a woman’s man, no…

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Good Organic Gardening (Digital) - 1 Issue, Issue #14.5

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