The 'pretty as a peacock' spider

Photo: Jurgen Otto / Rex Features

A male spider shows off a stunning array of colours as it performs an impressive mating ritual in front of a watching female.

The peacock spider lifted its tail to display its incredible blue, orange and yellow plumage in a bid to make an impression.

The images of the 4mm long spider were captured by amateur photographer Jurgen Otto, from Sydney, Australia.

He originally spotted the species, also known as Moratus volans, in the wild but found them much easier to photograph inside his home.

Male peacock spiders keep their tails, which are flap-like extensions of their abdomen, folded down by their side until they spot a brown coloured female.

They then lift both the flaps and their third pair of legs and then vibrate and dance from side to side.

Jurgen, 44, said: "I first came across this spider a couple of years ago on a bushwalk.

"When I saw it the first time I was pretty much blown away - it was an unexpected display of colours that difficult to forget.

"While the flaps are visible when they are folded up at the side of the abdomen, one cannot imagine how they would look like when they are extended."

Jurgen, who works as an entomologist, began bringing the insects into his home to photograph because he felt he could get better images that way.

He has recreated the spiders' habitat on his dining room table using leaves, sticks, and soil.

But this means his wife and two sons have to huddle in the one unused corner of the table during meal times.

He added: "The male display only lasts for a few seconds, but I found that with some patience I could observe it whenever I brought a male and female together close enough.

"Between September and December, when the spiders are active, this pile of dirt forms a semi-permanent feature in our house

"Taking pictures of this species has become a bit of an obsession but it requires incredible patience.

"Taking pictures of them inside the house is easier than in the wild, as I can watch the spiders better on the table.

"The difficulty is not just to get the male displaying. One has to quickly focus on the specimen in a second before the display ends."

Jurgen described the species as 'the most spectacular spider species on earth', adding: "Photographing them is a real passion of mine.

"In my mind, there is no other spider species in the world this colourful and that exciting in terms of its behaviour".

Peacock spiders are only found in the wild in eastern parts of Australia.

Jurgen, who is originally from Germany, works at the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service in Sydney.

http://www.rexusa.com/storytext/features/m13290f737/peacock_spider

See also: http://cryptozoologynews.blogspot.com/2009/11/pictured-tiny-but-colourful-peacock.html