Maratus linnaei Waldock 2008

Otto, Jürgen C. & Hill, David E., 2017, Five new peacock spiders from Western Australia (Araneae: Salticidae: Euophryini: Maratus Karsch 1878), Peckhamia 152 (1), pp. 1-97 : 61

Maratus linnaei Waldock 2008

Maratus linnaei was first found at Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve in Western Australia ( Waldock 2008). We have also seen it at two other locations near Denmark in Western Australia: Rudyard Beach Nature Reserve (34.9797°S, 117.4217°E) and Mt . Lindesay National Park (34.8454°S, 117.3986°E). We include this account of the courtship display of M . linnaei ( Figures 67-70 ) for purposes of comparison with the closely related M. electricus . As in that species, the female M . linnaei closely follows the male display from a distance of ~ 4-5 mm ( Figures 67 , 69 ). Males may advertise their presence by waving their extended legs III with or without elevation of the fan ( Figure 68 ). As in M . electricus, the opisthosoma is turned in the direction of movement and bobbed continuously as a male side-steps in front of a female ( Figure 69 ). Continuous bobbing of the opisthosoma in place was recorded at ~7.3 cycles/s ( Figure 70 ). Legs III are held in a caliper-like position as the fan is waved and bobbed behind it during a close approach .

Figures

Figure 67. Courtship display by male Maratus linnaei. Legs III were held in a caliper-like position when the male waved and bobbed the opisthosoma near an attentive female.

Figure 68. Four series (1.1-1.10, 2.1-2.6, 3.1-3.10, 4.1-4.10) of consecutive frames from 25 FPS video clips of a male Maratus linnaei. 1, Alternating slight wave of legs III. 2, Bilateral scissors movement. 3, Waving legs III with pedipalp flicker. 4, Bobbing of the elevated opisthosoma with slight waving of legs III and pedipalp flicker. Arrows indicate movement of legs, pedipalps, or the opisthosoma, or side-stepping (4.9 only) relative to the preceding frame. All of these movements appear to represent advertisement to get the attention of a nearby female. When the male is close to an attentive female legs III are held in a caliper-like position (Figures 69-70).

Figure 69. Sequential frames from a 25 FPS video showing a female M. linnaei (foreground) closely following the display of a male stepping from side to side. The opisthosoma was turned in the direction of this stepping.

Figure 70. Consecutive frames from a 25 FPS video of a male M. linnaei continuously bobbing the opisthosoma at a rate of ~7.3 cycles/s as it was held to one side in front of an attentive female. Arrows indicate the direction of rotation of the opisthosoma relative to the preceding frame, and the slope of the yellow line is given in the upper right corner of each frame.