Copyright © Bouvard Coast Care Group
Designed & Hosted by Westcountry
Bouvard Coast Care Group
Working for the future to protect our coastal dune system, fauna and wildlife
Peacock Spider Group
By Carole Anderson - BCCG Member & Group Sponsor I must first explain that I am only an amateur on spiders and have only recently taken up the interest so am prepared to stand corrected but it was I who collected specimens of this species for Jurgen Otto to take back to Sydney so as they could be described and given a name. I have also been taking photos of them at every opportunity and I have discovered that this particular species seems to be around for most of the year where as some of the others are only found in spring. Maratus flavus ( flavus meaning yellow in Latin) - and otherwise known as Colonel Mustard - is the name given to the Peacock Spider that is described in Peckhamia 160.1 by J C Otto and D E Hill and is unique to this area of the South-west of Western Australia known as Tims Thicket. It is important to preserve this area as it may be the only place in the world that this species exists. This is the area in Tims Thicket where Maratus flavus is found:
You can join this group by contacting: Carole spiders@bouvardcoastcare.org.au
Photos by Carole Anderson and Jurgen Otto © https://www.peacockspider.org/
Males are only about 4mm and females about 5mm. They are found in leaf litter and on small green plants not very tall in height. They feed on small live insects and
catch them by jumping on them. They do not build webs like other spiders.
In late winter into spring the male displays (dances) to the female to get her approval to mate. It can go on for quite awhile before she lets him. The female makes a
nest of silk and lays her eggs in a small silk cocoon and the spiderlings take about 4-5 weeks to emerge. She stays in the nest with the eggs until they hatch and does
not eat in that time.
All species of Peacock Spider are only found in Australia and to date there are 70 different species of which most are in Western Australia and over half of them in the
South-west of the state.
Maratus flavus has been photographed by others before me but had never been described (named) until February 2018.
Here is a video from YouTube by Jurgen Otto https://www.peacockspider.org/
If you’d like to find out more about this rare spider why not join the Bouvard Coast Care Peacock Spider Group (it’s free!) by emailing Carole at
spiders@bouvardcoastcare.org.au
You will find a wealth of information on Jurgen Otto’s website and Facebook page
Colonel Mustard needs you!
Vote to request City of Mandurah Fire department to use First Nations principals for prescribed burning in our
Tims Thicket Reserves to protect our peacock spiders.
Find out more ….
Copyright © Bouvard Coast Care Group
Designed & Hosted by Westcountry
Bouvard Coast
Care Group
Working for the future to protect our
coastal dune system, fauna and wildlife
Peacock Spider Group
By Carole Anderson - BCCG Member & Group Sponsor I must first explain that I am only an amateur on spiders and have only recently taken up the interest so am prepared to stand corrected but it was I who collected specimens of this species for Jurgen Otto to take back to Sydney so as they could be described and given a name. I have also been taking photos of them at every opportunity and I have discovered that this particular species seems to be around for most of the year where as some of the others are only found in spring. Maratus flavus ( flavus meaning yellow in Latin) - and otherwise known as Colonel Mustard - is the name given to the Peacock Spider that is described in Peckhamia 160.1 by J C Otto and D E Hill and is unique to this area of the South-west of Western Australia known as Tims Thicket. It is important to preserve this area as it may be the only place in the world that this species exists. This is the area in Tims Thicket where Maratus flavus is found:
Photos by Carole Anderson and Jurgen Otto ©
https://www.peacockspider.org/
Males are only about 4mm and females about 5mm.
They are found in leaf litter and on small green plants
not very tall in height. They feed on small live insects
and catch them by jumping on them. They do not build
webs like other spiders.
In late winter into spring the male displays (dances) to
the female to get her approval to mate. It can go on
for quite awhile before she lets him. The female
makes a nest of silk and lays her eggs in a small silk
cocoon and the spiderlings take about 4-5 weeks to
emerge. She stays in the nest with the eggs until they
hatch and does not eat in that time.
All species of Peacock Spider are only found in
Australia and to date there are 70 different species of
which most are in Western Australia and over half of
them in the South-west of the state.
Maratus flavus has been photographed by others
before me but had never been described (named)
until February 2018.
If you’d like to find out more about this rare spider why
not join the Bouvard Coast Care Peacock Spider Group
(it’s free!) by emailing Carole at
spiders@bouvardcoastcare.org.au
You will find a wealth of information on Jurgen Otto’s
website and Facebook page
Colonel Mustard needs you!
Vote to request City of Mandurah Fire department
to use First Nations principals for prescribed
burning in our Tims Thicket Reserves to protect
our peacock spiders.
Find out more ….
