Maratus volans
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Maratus volans , male during courtship |
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| ( O. P-Cambridge , 1874) |
Maratus Volans is in the eastern parts of Australia living maratus from the family of jumping spiders . It belongs to the genus Maratus , which has at least 20 different species.
Occurrence
Maratus volans , the so-called "flying spider", is the best known species of the genus Maratus . It was most commonly found near the coast of New South Wales , the southeastern part of Australia, about 70 km south of Melbourne and near Brisbane . According to the Queensland Museum, the spider is found in southeastern and central Queensland, on Thornton Peak , the fourth highest mountain in Queensland , and in Tropical North Queensland.
history
The first description of Maratus volans was published by Octavius Pickard-Cambridge around 1874. His observation that the dorsal plates rise and fall, and his erroneous assumption that the spiders even used these plates as wings and to support their jumps, led to the fact that the "Flying / gliding" (Latin volans) spider was spoken. The species was the kind of Maratus allocated because the males of this species have a dorsal valve. When one observed the Maratus more closely, the unique courtship behavior of the males, the so-called "courtship dance", was particularly noticeable.
Appearance
Maratus volans is around 3.8–6.0 mm in size. The females are very darkly colored and, unlike the males, have no dorsal valve on the opisthosoma . In the male, this is densely covered with colorful scales and usually shimmers brightly. In Maratus volans, these scales usually radiate from the center to the side. Maratus volans also has four particularly good, spotlight-like eyes on the forehead; there are two significantly smaller eyes on each side.
Lifestyle and diet
Maratus volans is a very lively and extremely fast spider. She also loves the sun and its warmth. In order to catch its victims, it does not weave a net, but pursues its victim until it paralyzes it with a bite at the right moment. Maratus volans only weaves to create a web of living space in which it lives and winters. It also offers protection during molting and egg-laying. Like all species of the jumping spider family, Maratus volans feeds on insects. Here are flies , crickets , Ensifera and Caelifera preferred.
The courtship dance
With the courtship dance, the males fight for the attention of the females. The male has flaps in the abdomen, which he lifts during his dance and unfolds in the final phase of the courtship dance. Pickard-Cambridge actually ascribed the functions of flying and gliding to these body parts, but this was never confirmed. Hence it stands to reason that they are only present for courtship behavior.
When the male is about three inches from the female, it lifts its belly and unfolds its side flaps. His abdomen is then recognizable as a colorful disk. To the right and left of it his third legs are stretched out. The male shakes this wildly back and forth. Running back and forth almost imperceptibly reduces the distance to the female. If the female is impressed by the male's courtship dance, she no longer moves and thus gives the male the chance to ascend. The male then turns his abdomen and introduces his pedipalps , which serve as sperm carriers. This process can take up to two hours. Immediately after the pedipalps are released, it will move far away from the female as quickly as possible.
literature
- JC Otto, DE Hill: An illustrated review of the known peacock spiders of the genus Maratus from Australia, with description of a new species (Araneae: Salticidae: Euophryinae) . In: Peckhamia . tape 96 , no. 1 , 2011, p. 1-27 ( peckhamia.com [PDF]).
- Julianne M. Waldock: What's in a name? Or: why Maratus volans (Salticidae) cannot fly . Ed .: Western Australian Museum. 2011, ISSN 1944-8120 ( australasian-arachnology.org [PDF]).
Web links
Maratus volans in the World Spider Catalog
- Youtube: The mating dance of the peacock spider , accessed in March 2013
- Animal documentation , accessed March 2013
- The Annals and Magazine of Natural History . (PDF; 536 kB) accessed in March 2013