Maratus hesperus (Otto & Hill, 2017)
Blue-Dot Peacock Spider Maratus hesperus Australia
Tiny eastern Australian peacock spider with a dark blue-purple male fan, pale blue margins and a conspicuous white or yellow central spot.
Usually low riskThe Blue-dot peacock spider, Maratus hesperus (Otto & Hill, 2017), was first described as Saratus hesperus and is now placed in Maratus. The adult male is only about 3.4–3.5 mm long in the original series and may show a dark blue, purple or black abdominal fan with pale blue side margins and a white to light-yellow central spot. Females and juveniles are much less conspicuous, so a tiny blue flash or a generic jumping-spider photograph is not enough for a species call.
Quick identification
- Very small salticid with large forward-facing principal eyes
- Adult male may show a dark blue, purple or black fan with pale blue margins
- A white to light-yellow central spot is the useful blue-dot clue
- Current catalogue distribution is Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria; the older Saratus name is a synonym
What to check next
Use the tiny scale, full adult-male dorsal fan and current eastern-Australian range together. Keep a female, juvenile, side-on view or isolated blue reflection at Maratus level unless an expert confirms the species.
When to seek medical help
This spider is not usually considered dangerous. Avoid handling it and seek medical advice for severe pain, allergic symptoms, infection signs or concern.
Where it is usually seen
Low plants, leaf litter, garden edges and sheltered ground-layer vegetation across the current Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria catalogue range. The original type material came from Canberra and Namadgi, but a historic type locality should not be treated as a current state filter without checking the taxonomy.