Peacock Spider 12 (Maratus caeruleus)

Courtship display of the peacock spider Maratus caeruleus which lives on Middle Island in Western Australia.
Music in order of appearance
Subway Chase (Prizm Prime)
Satie Gnossienne No.1 (Piano Passion)
For still photographs head to my flickr album www.flickr.com...
Related peacock spiders www.flickr.com...
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[@Mochrie99]

Just when you think you've seen everything in the animal kingdom, you see these beauties. Despite being spiders, they're bloody gorgeous and, frankly, they dance better than I can. LOL!

[@biodiversityshorts]

Awesome, he even got away without getting eaten.

[@MajjesticSquid]

Ikr?! Lived to tell the tale. xD

[@MiTmite9]

The bird of paradise of the spider world. What a gentle lover he is. Awesome!

[@giovanna722]

So cute. He looks like he has goggles on :)

[@Exterminans95]

better lovestory than twilight

[@davidsv6104]

Exterminans95 😂😂😂😂

[@LucasLima-pi1ux]

a relic from the past

[@cappucosmico]

0:15 is adorable she like tilts her head and gestures at herself like "what? me? ur dancing for me o:??"

[@cappucosmico]

i almost feel bad tho that shes like adjusting her fangs and whatnot like she is so ready for a meal. lady spiders are so badass but i feel so bad,,,,, male spiders r so pure and innocent,,, look at this dork he just wants to please a lady with his silly dance to gain her affection and shes there like fuckin _polishing her fangs_

[@cappucosmico]

instead of facing the facts im gonna pretend the lady spider isnt gettin ready for dinner n a show but is instead stunned that this pretty, dorky guy is doing a dance to impress her and shes just like "omfg shit do i look ok?? are my fangs ok?? i think i forgot to clean my fangs this morning oh gee pls dont notice pls dont notice,,,,"

[@cappucosmico]

oh my lorddddd look at 0:27 his sparkly little spider butt is shaking in anticipation he is so ready to do his cute dance

[@melanyerodriguez1313]

This is the best string of comments on this video

[@soyking4412]

The female looked a bit wistful when lover boy flew away there.

[@Xalerdane]

Huh, I had no idea that they could rotate their abdomens like that.

[@halbertgonzalez2405]

M£3

[@ellepwnzstevedaily]

This is amazing! The close up of the hair flexing was breathtaking. Keep up the amazing amazing amazing work!

[@trondamundsen]

Absolutely fantastic! And very important work.

[@tammystewart438]

Trond Amundsen

[@trucha1618xx]

Beautiful, colorful spider! Watch how it make a mating dance!

[@RubenP1946]

Excellent photography!!

[@xSTARR999]

Your photography is amazing, and so is your subject matter.

[@scottwoody8886]

It's easy to miss, but please note at ~2:35 that the female sets a silky anchor on the tree bark, as if recognizing that this thing's about to get real!

[@Peacockspiderman]

well spotted

[@jcmp5422]

True 🤔

[@giovanna722]

I wonder what the silk thread is for? It's very elastic.

[@LuckWieldingLunatic]

3:33 "Okay we mated, I don't need you anymore"

[@KajiRider1997]

+LuckWieldingLunatic More like ''Fuck if I stay here a second longer I'm going to be food''

[@George_Tropicana]

*fling!”

[@stellaborealis4846]

LOL, if he stayed she would have eaten him alive. The female Peacock spiders are cannibalistic

[@wioi]

@@stellaborealis4846 he wouldn't be eaten alive 🤦‍♀️ spiders obviously have venom to kill their prey first. Also not only "female peacock spiders" are cannibalistic so are males and every other spider species. 🤦‍♀️

[@rosscayley8773]

Top little video this Jurgen. You have excelled your normal high standards. The details in the close-up shots are simply astounding.

[@Peacockspiderman]

Thanks

[@giovanna722]

Yes, it's fantastic. I love the Satie accompaniment. Bravo!

[@ChannahSorensen]

I LOVE THESE VIDEOS! Please keep up the good work Peacockspiderman!

[@Peacockspiderman]

Channah Sorensen I am making another one right now, maybe you can do the intro :)

[@ChannahSorensen]

Peacockspiderman Can't wait!!! PS- I would love to! :D Hehe

[@Peacockspiderman]

I will think about it....

[@ChannahSorensen]

Peacockspiderman You should really make a book about these fascinating spiders as well. It's interesting to see characteristics of bravado when they are dancing around and I can also relate them to real life situations between female and male humans. I would personally love to study these spiders although I do have some form of arachnophobia. Haha.

[@Peacockspiderman]

Channah Sorensen A few other people suggested a book, I would certainly have tons of pictures to illustrate it with, and it would be colourful. Problem is finding time to do it. If somebody would approach me and do all the leg work it could happen. I assume you live in the US where these spiders don't occur, but you could study related jumping spiders, or just look at them occasionally, I am sure you would lose your arachnophobia quite quickly if you did.

[@masontaft1368]

Heh... What a stud

[@belcricri]

C'est merveilleux. MERCI !!!

[@heartofnova8768]

I really love seeing this little guys and how not only their colours are different, but their dance is as well. Wonderful work, as always!

[@JimPanse28]

I just made a presentation about the peacock spider for school. I have shown this all my classmates and my teacher and they were amazed about this :) tank you👍😄

[@lupegaru2]

I have always loved the jumping spiders and never bother one if I find it in my home. Your videos (and discoveries) are of a super quality and deserve world wide recognition. Thank you.!

[@simalandrea]

Watching these Peacok spider videos is like watching a NETFLIX series. Can't stop watching. These things are amazing.

[@taleandclawrock2606]

Wow!!!!@ The pulsating hairs! Outstanding fim, i dont know how long it has taken you to build these skills, but wow!.

[@cristop5]

What a player! It's love at first sight.

[@PJBovio]

OMG, if that ain't the ultimate fanny-dance of all time!! I don't think I've ever seen anything more beautiful than that male peacocker doing his elegantly choreographed ballet to entice his mate! BREATH-TAKING!!!

[@TheresiaSwiebel]

Gorgeous! Great love♥ for this peacockspiderman!

[@swedishjazz9546]

Beautiful video. Thank you for sharing!

[@wolfgirl2979]

I'm terrified of spiders but this is cool

[@dutchygirl]

+Peacockspiderman Your video's are just astonishing! Fantastic how you film and edit and show the world how beautiful these creatures are.

[@Peacockspiderman]

Thanks Cindy

[@Circuitkraken]

i like how around 2:00 he gets nervous when she moves and hops back to do his dance again then she hops away. "what? no wait! what did i doo come on pay attention to me look look how pretty i can be see?!" he follows to continue to show off for her.

[@tinaflintstone8148]

It was such a beautiful (sniff sniff) love story... then, BAM! typical male! Seriously though, this video is amazing! I’ve never seen (and never imagined to ever be able to see) spider behavior like that so close up and with incredible clarity. Well done Mr. Peacockspiderman! Well done!

[@mikenicholas9017]

great work, real drama and tenderness!

[@Peacockspiderman]

Mike Nicholas Thanks !

[@davedowner8593]

Jurgen the magnificent macro man... Another magical capture! You dah man! Cheers!

[@bigbuttmcgraw]

Stunning macro work. the extra close up at the end brilliant. so funny the female swatting the male away at the end lol.

[@veevee1017]

Same here Karen :) Thanks for sharing peacockspiderman!

[@Satelitko]

They look like tiny little robots! :D

[@devona457]

So beautiful

[@lujeanmartin8429]

You do AMAZING videos of these very cool little spiders! I was an arachnophobe for many years but by learning about them and finding out about how beneficial they are, I really enjoy watching them now. And these little guys sure can dance, eh? Thanks so much for sharing these with us!!! :)

[@Peacockspiderman]

Lujean Martin I love to hear from people with arachnophobia, thanks for your comment

[@Trizzle83be]

Better than most Hollywood movies, great video!

[@CaptnJackHammer]

Again another truly magnificent video for the world to see and enjoy

[@boughsoffolly]

You can't beat these dance moves.

[@MarcelloBranca]

Wow the hair flexing was ..... Unbelievable holy.....

[@lauriegraham8504]

I'm breathless!! Such beauty!!

[@mocha_pupsyt5956]

marvellous !!! thank you

[@srzbbzrn]

Lovely Spiders

[@jexotic1470]

Amazing!

[@Penfold8]

It's so interesting how their abdomens resemble masks in a couple of species. Beautiful spiders!

[@libertariantranslator1929]

Goodness... I never imagined spider porn could be this... this... mesmerizing!

[@happypotatoesforlife]

This spider know some ballet moves

[@littlegreengamer]

I'd sure love it if I walked outside one morning and saw a peacock spider dancing on my front porch.

[@noneya8831]

lol she wasnt having any of that for a while. I love these little guys so beautiful the whole vid was just..awesome

[@karenwhite8247]

I've just discovered your videos (and photos on Flickr), I am totally entranced by these amazing and beautiful little spiders. Spending a happy afternoon watching.

[@Peacockspiderman]

Karen White thanks Karen, always appreciate people who watch some of my other videos, not just those that ar currently popular

[@Raatatosk]

Just can't wait for your next macro movie of these wonders of nature. This one and #3 and #8 are my favorites.

[@Peacockspiderman]

I am so glad you like the other two as well. #3 is one of my favourites but sadly has so many views

[@Raatatosk]

Peacockspiderman Indeed very strange that it has so few likes/views. Hope it gets spread around. I have spread it through my channels.I think most are not as deeply amazed by spiders as you and me so they look for impressive colors and don't see all the amazing behaviors, the small and subtitle details in what and how they do it. SO much to study about them.

[@Calamitys_Edge]

these are the cutest spiders,'u' u must have a really good cam for this type of quality and so close to them too enough to see all there hairs n details #o#

[@sharonj57]

Your work is absolutely delightful!

[@chickeninthebock4954]

this is sooo peacack spider isss sooo cuts and colourful !!!!!

[@LowStackTom]

Ich liebe ihre Makroaufnahmen und den perfekt getakteden Music-track dazu :) Danke sehr, gerne öfters!

[@caseycbenn]

Finally... a porno that has nice cinematography, a relatable plot, great music, and a wholesome ending.

[@janedoex8345]

omg this tiny thing is so pretty ! 😮never thought I would say this about a spider....

[@sarahrose0413]

What an amazing little love story!!! Thank you for posting these wonderful videos!!!

[@nikkitytom]

A perfect gem. The filming, editing and music are spot on. 👍

[@markwebb8427]

Bloody brilliant photography.. well done..

[@-candela-1230]

Wow, what a nice video, close up and sharp. thanks for uploading that. the spiders are incredibly beautiful.

[@Diana-cm7vg]

I love your work. Thanks for sharing! Greetings from Dominican Republic!

[@Peacockspiderman]

+Diana Santana Greetings from Australia !

[@francessaykaly9180]

Incredibly beautiful video - and thanks for noting the music. Before I read it, I guessed the second piece was Satie.

[@soanedewinter1474]

I was brought here by your feature in National Geographic. Keep up the beautiful work.

[@MeDicenKB]

You should be The Amazing Peacock Spiderman, that focus work is fascinating

[@TheBrainandBeyond]

Love all of these clips - amazing. Thanks for sharing this close look at a world most of use would never see - I'm now a big Peacock Spider fan.

[@Peacockspiderman]

+Ellen Leanse Thanks Ellen, welcome to the fan club !

[@Peacockspiderman]

+Peacockspiderman also check out "Spid-a-boo" and "Spid-a-boo 2". They are not peacock spiders but remarkable in their own way

[@judesjewels7831]

Jürgen, I just saw on the National Geo site that you and David Hill have only recently described three new species of peacock jumpers. I saw the brief video clip and was enchanted with M. sceletus! He might be the least colourful but he sure makes up for that with his amazing dancing skills. I watched the short clip over and over and can't help laughing each time he shakes it. He reminds me a little of a flasher. I know you put a LOT into making these videos - no doubt days of work into videos only a couple minutes long at most. But your efforts are very well appreciated by many. I look forward to watching these three new species when you're ready to show them. This time I got to get a good look at how the female twists her abdomen around for the male. And even more excitedly, I got to see what I think was his tiny packet of sperm he placed in the female. Is that what the shiny round thing was he looked to be placing in her epigynum? I think you should be awarded something for your work in making spiders better liked by many. With some of us, you're 'preaching to the choir' but you've done much to make spiders seem cute to many of the others. I've pointed out your videos to any friends who don't run screaming when I tell them I've got some cute dancing spiders to show them. Oh well, I still love my spider-hating friends and maybe someday I'll be able to convert them.

[@giovanna722]

My first experience with spiders was a daddy-long-legs, which, although not a member of the spider family, was a real turnoff. I like these little guys much better!

[@jasonartamis2655]

AMAZING!!!

Hallo Jürgen, es war nicht anders zu erwarten! Das Video hat Dich einiges an Arbeit und Geduld gekostet, es ist Dir gut gelungen und bereitet uns allen viel Freude. Gruß Rüdiger

[@BaileysShopofScales]

Beautiful! Great work, as always!

[@vickib4063]

Fascinating how he turns her abdomen upside down to mate but her head seems to stay the right way up. Amazing close up of a minute spider.

[@chesswarlock9384]

Fantastic footage. thanks for sharing😀

[@bigbuttmcgraw]

amazing spiders, amazing photography. :)

[@CentralValleyForum]

Your videos deserve many many views then you get. Great stuff!

[@Peacockspiderman]

Nick Soares well, let's hope more people will watch them !

[@miltonrb1984]

Great video!!!

[@davidcrunkmd]

why the amazing, beautiful, astonishing videos don't have millions of views is beyond me! these little guys are absolutely jaw dropping! we have similar little jumping spiders here on West coast of USA in Willamete Valley. in Oregon. most are fairly plain looking but still just as intelligent and interesting too watch. no where near as flashy and beautiful though!

[@brelamich]

Perfect images quality dude continue I love your videos.

[@sunyellow703]

Beautiful!

[@MelaniePhoenix]

Thank you so much for filming and sharing these incredible videos! I'm hooked!!!!! It's absolutely amazing to see these beautiful creatures in such vivid detail and get so much insight into their behavior. I've subscribed to your channel. Looking forward to your future posts.

[@Peacockspiderman]

Mel CC Thanks Mel, I am currently working on another one, hopefully you will enjoy it too. Comments like yours make it all worthwhile for me !

[@elizabethtorres6069]

Peacock 12 is gorgeous, his colors are spectacular and he has swag! Are these females color blind. Why are they so picky? Oh crap! She gave in.💕💕💕💕🕷💕🕷💕🕷💕

[@leepalmer7082]

There so cute for a spider 🥺

[@PlumBoss84]

This is me trying to impress the Mrs. All that jazz and there's a chance it won't work.

[@SaritaWolf]

That female looked like she was already gravid!

[@foxus666]

Wonderfull !

[@Feimann]

great job amazing video

[@willemkossen]

Wow! Finally succes!

[@judesjewels7831]

Just wanted to mention that your and David's paper written on M. jactatus and M. sceletus is available for anyone to download. The amount of photos you've included is a real bonus too. Not sure whether to thank you, the journal Peckhamia or both but I appreciate being able to read more. Thank you!

[@Peacockspiderman]

Thanks for the feedback. Yes I have been very happy with Peckhamia since David Hill, the editor of the journal, introduced me to it. Doesn't cost anything to publish in it, is free to download, accommodates loads of high res pictures, and is fast, what more would one want. I wish there was a journal like this for every group of spiders. But it takes dedication. If you want to thank anyone, thank David Hill !

[@user-xb6lp2kc1q]

Это просто обалдеть, как интересно за ними наблюдать❤️

[@MrAndrew1953]

I mean seriously - get a room first spidies!! These videos should be R rated - OMG.

[@jonathonbattiest4522]

most spiders scare the hell out of me but not this kind.Its quite amazing actually.

[@starsidd1638]

Most sensible video!!

[@Callabris]

Looks like Romeo's dance was a winner. He managed not to be dinner to :P

[@ObiJuanKenobi3]

0:30 III'm, FABULOUS

[@joaooliveira7251]

Nice!!!

[@TheoryTheory2222]

Wow!

[@vikingtimbo]

You can't get much closer "close ups" than those shots towards the end! Amazing video. I'm curious about the movements of the hairs on the male's leg: does it serve any known purpose or is it just a side effect of the spider's excitement, a spider equivalent of goose bumps or something?

[@Peacockspiderman]

***** Glad you like it. Yes, I think the movement of the setae is just a side effect, I cant think of anything for what it may be useful. It must be the result of increase in pressure inside the body

[@zepp7777]

ми-ми-мишечка :-)

[@renachristina]

Fantastisch