Photo by Jürgen Otto—Reuters. A specimen of the newly-discovered Australian Peacock spider, Maratus Bubo, shows off his colourful abdomen. Bubo, is the genus name for horned owls, a reference to the owl-like pattern on this spider’s abdomen.
Photo by Jürgen Otto—Reuters. After seeing a photo of this spider in Western Australia, Jürgen raised this Maratus Lobatus spider from an egg before photographing and identifying it.
Photo by Jürgen Otto—Reuters. Maratus Albus was found at the Eyre Bird Observatory in Nuytsland Nature Reserve. It lacks the flaps that differentiate other peacock spiders.
Photo by Jürgen Otto—Reuters. The name for Maratus Vespa comes from the generic name for wasps, a reference to the pattern on the spider’s abdomen, which looks like a wasp’s face. M. Vespa performs an elaborate mating dance, which uses the iridescent patches in the center of the fan to attract the attention of a female.
Photo by Jürgen Otto—Reuters. Maratus Tessellatus relies on leg work, as opposed to a flashy abdomen, for its courtship display. Its legs move so fast that in a normal 25 fps video clip, they appear only as a blur.
By: time.com
