The red, blue and black colored males have flap-like extensions of the abdomen with white hairs that can be folded down. They are used for display during mating: the male raises his abdomen, then expands and raises the flaps so that the abdomen forms a white-fringed, circular field of color. The species, and indeed the whole genus Maratus have been compared to peacocks in this respect.
The third pair of legs is also raised for display, showing a brush of black hairs and white tips. While approaching the female, the male will then vibrate raised legs and tail, and dance from side to side.
Jumping spiders are often very colourful spiders. Maratus volans is not an exception.
Although tiny, male spiders have an iridescent colouring of red, green and blue.
The cephalothorax (head-breast part) and legs are usually dark brown to black with red stripes but the greenish upper abdomen is patterned with red and blue stripes.
Females and the immatures of both sexes are dull, brown drab coloured creatures.
Mature spiders are small with a length of between 4 and 5 mm.
The spider can be found in Queensland and New South Wales
The spider's courtship behaviour is comparable with the European Saitis barbipes. The name of the peacock spider was changed a few times. From Attus volans to Saitis volans and recently to Maratus volans.
Like many other Australian common spiders the genus name was given by European arachnologists more than a century ago. After detailed studying many Australian spiders are found not to be related to European spiders and will undergo name changes.
Maratus volans has a few common names: flying spider, gliding spider and the preferred name peacock spider.
Although volans in its name suggest the spider can fly, it actually does not use its flaps to extend the distance of its jump. He uses the abdominal flaps only for courtship and displays them like a peacock.
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