Maratus species
Peacock Spider Identification Guide Australia
An Australian group of 2–6 mm jumping spiders: mature males may have brilliant display scales and ornaments, while females and juveniles are usually cryptic.
Usually low riskAbout the Peacock spider
Peacock spider is a group name for Australian jumping spiders in the genus Maratus, not one colour pattern. The practical first identification is a minute, alert jumping spider with two dominant front eyes and no capture web. Brilliant abdominal fans and dances apply mainly to mature males; females, juveniles and non-displaying males can look much plainer.
How to identify a peacock spider
Begin with scale. Peer-reviewed research describes Maratus as sexually dimorphic jumping spiders usually only 2–6 mm long. At normal viewing distance they may look like a moving speck, so a phone macro or magnifying lens is often necessary. Next confirm the jumping-spider face: the two central front eyes are much larger than the surrounding eyes, and the compact spider actively watches movement. Mature males provide the strongest genus clue. Depending on species, the abdomen may carry reflective red, blue, green, orange, yellow, white or super-black scales; some have lateral flaps, fringes or enlarged brushes on the third legs. During courtship a male can lift or fan the abdomen and wave the third legs toward a female. Not every species has the same fan, and a male walking or feeding may keep its ornaments folded. Use size, eyes, body form, sex, locality and an exact dorsal pattern together before choosing a named species.
Clues that are not enough on their own
- Bright red, blue or orange colour by itself, because other jumping spiders can also be metallic or patterned
- A dancing video without a clear view of the spider, location or scale
- Jumping behaviour alone, which is shared across the large family Salticidae
- Absence of a colourful fan, because females, juveniles and some males are plain or keep ornaments folded
Colour, sex and life-stage variation
Sex and life stage change the appearance dramatically. Adult males are the familiar photographed spiders, but females are commonly brown, beige or grey with leaf-like or mottled abdominal markings, and juveniles lack the complete adult display pattern. Even males of related species can differ in which legs are ornamented, whether the abdomen expands, and the arrangement of coloured scales. Structural colours also shift with light angle, flash and focus, so blue may appear green or disappear in a poor image. The hero photograph shows a displaying male flying peacock spider, Maratus volans, photographed by Jürgen Otto. It demonstrates eyes, fan and leg display, but it must not be treated as the universal colour pattern for the genus.
Behaviour, web and retreat
Peacock spiders are daytime visual hunters. They stalk tiny insects and other arthropods, then jump rather than trapping prey in a web. A safety line of silk may be attached before a jump, and a small silken retreat is used for resting, moulting or egg care. Courtship is deliberate communication rather than random dancing: the male positions himself where the female can see him, raises ornamented legs and, in many species, elevates or expands the abdomen. The female may watch, approach, ignore or reject the display. A spider seen jumping is not automatically Maratus—many Australian salticids hunt the same way—so behaviour should support the eye, size and body clues rather than replace them.
Australian distribution
The Australian Faunal Directory recognises Maratus and lists records across every state and territory, with extra distribution information for New Zealand. That broad genus record does not mean each colourful species occurs Australia-wide. Many named peacock spiders have narrow regional or habitat ranges: for example, the common peacock spider occurs across southern Australia, while the coastal peacock spider is associated with south-western Western Australian coastal vegetation. Treat the state filters on this group page as a route into Maratus, then use exact locality, habitat, sex and dorsal pattern to compare species pages. A surprising record should remain at genus or family level until an expert checks it.
What to do if you find one
Leave the spider where it is when practical. Its size makes handling and relocation more likely to injure or lose it than to help. Photograph at body level in bright natural light, first capturing the whole plant or ground setting and then the face and dorsal pattern. Avoid flash reflections that erase structural colours, and do not chase a male into repeated displays. If one is indoors, guide it into a small clear container with paper and release it onto low vegetation nearby without touching it. Do not disturb a silken retreat or egg sac. After a suspected bite, follow current Australian health advice and respond to symptoms rather than assuming that a tiny jumping spider caused them.
Compare with similar spiders
Use body shape, web or retreat, location and behaviour together before settling on a likely match.
- Flying peacock spider — Flying peacock spider - Maratus volans is the species shown in the hero image and has a distinctive expanded male fan. Use its dedicated page only when pattern and eastern Australian location fit; the broad peacock page remains safer otherwise.
- Common peacock spider — Common peacock spider - Maratus pavonis is a southern Australian species whose male has a blue field with symmetrical red markings. Females are duller, and that exact pattern should not be applied to every Maratus.
- Coastal peacock spider — Coastal peacock spider - Maratus speciosus is a south-western Western Australian dune and coastal-vegetation species with conspicuous orange-fringed male display structures. A spider near any Australian coast is not automatically this species.
- Jumping spider — Jumping spider - use the family-level page when the large front eyes and active hunting fit but sex, locality or dorsal pattern does not support Maratus. Many tiny garden jumpers are not peacock spiders.
Sources for this profile
These accessible authoritative sources support the identification and bite-safety context on this page.
- Australian Faunal Directory: Maratus
- Australian Museum: Jumping spiders
- Western Australian Museum: Common Peacock Spider
- Scientific Reports: Peacock spider colour and display
- healthdirect: Spider bites
Profile review
Published by Spider Identifier Australia. Last factual review: 10 August 2026.
Quick identification
- Minute body, usually about 2–6 mm long without the legs
- Jumping-spider face with two very large forward-facing central eyes
- Compact, alert hunter that turns to look and moves in short runs or jumps
- Mature male may have coloured abdominal scales, fringes, flaps or an ornamented third leg pair
- No prey-catching web; usually on leaf litter, ground, grass or low vegetation
What to check next
Measure the body without the legs and take sharp macro photographs from the front and directly above. Record the location and date. If the spider is plain, confirm jumping-spider eyes and body shape first; a female or juvenile often cannot be assigned to a Maratus species from an ordinary photograph.
When to seek medical help
Peacock spiders are tiny and are not among the Australian spiders highlighted by healthdirect as medically dangerous. Avoid handling. For a suspected bite, wash the area and use a wrapped cold pack for local discomfort. Seek medical advice if pain is severe, symptoms persist or worsen, swelling or itching increases, or you are concerned. Call Triple Zero (000) for breathing difficulty, collapse or other signs of anaphylaxis.
Where it is usually seen
Leaf litter, low shrubs, grasses, heath, woodland, coastal vegetation and gardens. They roam while hunting and courting rather than sitting in a capture web, but may make a small silken shelter for resting, moulting or guarding eggs.