Maratus vespertilio (Simon, 1901)

Otto, Jürgen C. & Hill, David E., 2019, Catalogue of the Australian peacock spiders (Araneae: Salticidae: Euophryini: Maratus, Saratus), version 3, Peckhamia 148 (3), pp. 1-28 : 21

The vespertilio group

This includes the widely-distributed M. vespertilio and a second species, M. sapphirus , known from only two localities on the southern coast of New South Wales. These are similar in appearance but M. sapphirus has a more eliptical fan with a well-defined pattern of pigmented scales on a background of iridescent scales at the center. In M. vespertilio males the fan is more lobate, legs I and II have a dense cover of off-white to light yellow setae, and legs III are decorated with dark anterior femora and a fringe of long white setae extending below the patella to metatarsus. This agrees with the observation that legs III figure prominently in both courtship and agonistic displays of M. vespertilio .