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Peacock SpiderMaratus volans

Every figure, record and mechanism on the Peacock Spider profile was written from a source, and this is the working table behind it: 39 claims checked word for word against these sources. The left column is what the page says. The right column is the source's own words, copied, not paraphrased; a ... marks a cut and[brackets] an insertion. Open any source and check it yourself.

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Source
01

Girard, Kasumovic & Elias 2011

Girard, Kasumovic & Elias (2011). Multi-Modal Courtship in the Peacock Spider, Maratus volans (O.P.-Cambridge, 1874). PLoS ONE.

The page saysThe Australian jumping spider whose males unfurl a peacock-style fan and send vibrations through the ground to win over a female.
The source saysthe Australian endemic peacock spider ( Maratus volans ) stands out as an exceptional example. During courtship, a male peacock spider unfurls its brightly colored opisthosomal flaps, which are typically kept tucked around the abdomen
The page sayssend vibrations through the ground
The source saysVibrations are caused by oscillation of the abdomen
The page saysFruit flies and crickets when kept in the lab
The source saysSpiders were fed weekly a diet of fruit flies ( Drosophila melanogaster ) and occasionally crickets ( Acheta domesticus )
The page saysA hidden abdominal fan, waved in time with the third pair of legs, and vibrations sent through the ground
The source saysThe whole structure, which bears resemblance to the fan of a peacock, is then waved at a female in synchrony with an ornamented 3 rd pair of legs
The page saysA male peacock spider carries a secret, usually tucked around his abdomen. During courtship he unfurls brightly colored flaps into a fan that looks like a peacock's tail, and waves it at a female.
The source saysa male peacock spider unfurls its brightly colored opisthosomal flaps, which are typically kept tucked around the abdomen [33] . The whole structure, which bears resemblance to the fan of a peacock, is then waved at a female
The page saysa jumping spider native to Australia
The source saysthe Australian endemic peacock spider ( Maratus volans )
The page saysThe animals in one study came from around Sydney, New South Wales.
The source saysSpecimens were collected around the Sydney, New South Wales, area
The page saysMany male jumping spiders are more ornamented than their female counterparts, but the study's authors call this species an exceptional example.
The source saysAlthough male salticids are often highly ornamented relative to their female counterparts, the Australian endemic peacock spider ( Maratus volans ) stands out as an exceptional example
The page saysThe male's third pair is elongated and ornamented, with a dense black tuft on one segment and a thick white clump on another.
The source saysthe 3 rd legs of Maratus males are elongated and ornamented relative to the other pairs [33] . Specifically, the metatarsi of M. volans' 3 rd legs are covered with a dense tuft of black setae and a comparably thick clump of white setae adorn the tarsi
The page saysHe throws them up, swings them down and flicks them back up, about 3.2 times a second.
The source saysThe 3 rd legs are swiftly extended and raised to an approximately vertical, erect leg wave stance. Almost immediately, the 3 rd legs, while still extended, are lowered ... Rate: 3.2±0.6 waves/sec
The page saysThe fan swings side to side like a metronome, most often in time with the leg waves.
The source saysOpen opisthosomal fan (flaps expanded) moves back and forth laterally, similar to a metronome, at varying speeds. Most often produced in synchrony with leg waving
The page saysSometimes, when he pauses, he slowly flutters the edge of the fan. In several cases that made the female turn back toward him.
The source saysSometimes during these pauses, especially if a female is not oriented directly in front of males any more (either by his or her movement), males will slowly flutter the portion of the opisthosomal fan that can be tucked around the abdomen for a few seconds ... Indeed in several cases, fan flapping elicited such a response by females who would reorient themselves towards the male after he performed this behavior
The page saysThe male sends vibrations through whatever he is standing on, and every one of them comes with a bob of his abdomen.
The source saysanalysis of video recordings demonstrated that all vibrational signals coincide with opisthosomal bobbing
The page saysThe most common are "rumble-rumps", each lasting about 2.4 seconds.
The source saysRumble-rumps are the most common signals produced during courtship ... Rumble-rumps are short in duration (2.44± 0 .28 secNote: 2.44 sec in the source, rounded
The page saysHe seems to start them as soon as he detects a female, even from far away.
The source saysseemingly as soon as a male detects the presences of a female, and even at long-distances
The page saysUp close, he adds the leg waving and the fan dance.
The source saysWhen males get close to females, they begin to perform multimodal displays, primarily 3 rd leg waving and fan dancing (visual) along with rumble-rumps (vibrational)
The page saysNear the end comes the pre-mount display, with signals the researchers named crunch-rolls and grind-revs.
The source saysthose that occur during the pre-mount display only, which include (a) crunch-rolls , and (b) grind-revs
The page saysThen he tries to mount.
The source saysAt the end of a Gr-rev bout, males attempted to copulate with the female
The page saysa female's response, receptive or aggressive, was often seen when live males and females were paired. They say it shapes how a male carries on courting.
The source saysfemale feedback, in the form of receptivity and/or aggression (often seen in trials between both live sexes) undoubtedly contributes greatly to the way in which males proceed in their courtship efforts
The page saysMaratus spiders are mostly ground dwellers
The source saysspecies of Maratus and Habronattus share elongated 3 rd legs, have similarly structured genitalia, and are primarily ground-dwelling
The page sayspeacock spiders belong to the jumping spiders, a family of visual specialists
The source saysJumping spiders (Family: Salticidae) are visual specialists among the arthropods
The page saysIn the lab, the spiders were fed fruit flies weekly and crickets on occasion.
The source saysSpiders were fed weekly a diet of fruit flies ( Drosophila melanogaster ) and occasionally crickets ( Acheta domesticus )
The page saysin their video an example of each signal is audible, albeit softly
The source saysAn example of each signal is audible, albeit softly, in Video S1
The page saysScientists still do not know how the male makes them. One idea is that he rubs paired structures on his body together, and another is that his abdomen shakes the ground through his legs.
The source saysIt remains unclear which mechanisms males are using to produce vibrations though. Stridulation of paired structures on their abdomen and cephalothorax may be employed. Vibrations might also be generated by tremulation, that is, abdominal oscillations transferred directly to the substrate via the animals' legs
The page saysIn lab recordings of five males, a complete courtship took anywhere from 6 to 51 minutes, with an average of about 24 minutes.
The source saysOnly complete displays that progressed to a copulation attempt were used. In total, vibrations from 5 different males were scored. Coefficients of variation were calculated to quantify variation of signal elements within individuals and across the entire group sampled. Results Total courtship time of Maratus volans ranged from 6–51 minutes (mean = 24.35±19.49 min, N = 5)Note: 24.35 min, rounded; N = 5 males
The page saysThe final pre-mount display alone averaged roughly 54 seconds.
The source saysDuration: 54.1±7.4 secsNote: mean 54.1 sec in the source, rounded
The page saysThe researchers picked up the vibrations with a laser vibrometer
The source saysVisual and vibratory courtship display elements of males were captured using a JAI CCD camera (CV-S3200) and a Polytec Scanning Laser Vibrometer
The page saysOn the ground in Australia
The source saysspecies of Maratus and Habronattus share elongated 3 rd legs, have similarly structured genitalia, and are primarily ground-dwellingNote: stats.habitat
The page saystags: insectivore
The source saysSpiders were fed weekly a diet of fruit flies ( Drosophila melanogaster ) and occasionally crickets ( Acheta domesticus )
The page saysIn courtship the male waves an ornamented third pair of legs
The source saysthe 3 rd legs of Maratus males are elongated and ornamented relative to the other pairs [33] . Specifically, the metatarsi of M. volans' 3 rd legs are covered with a dense tuft of black setae and a comparably thick clump of white setae adorn the tarsiNote: vibe.reason
The page sayshis fan swings side to side like a metronome, most often in time with the leg waves
The source saysOpen opisthosomal fan (flaps expanded) moves back and forth laterally, similar to a metronome, at varying speeds. Most often produced in synchrony with leg wavingNote: vibe.reason

Source
02

Girard, Elias & Kasumovic 2015

Girard, Elias & Kasumovic (2015). Female preference for multi-modal courtship: multiple signals are important for male mating success in peacock spiders. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences.

The page saysa male's success depended on a combination of his visual display and his vibrations
The source sayssuccess contingent upon a combination of visual and vibratory displays

Source
03

Waldock 2013

Waldock (2013). A review of the peacock spiders of the Maratus mungaich species-group (Araneae: Salticidae), with descriptions of four new species. Records of the Western Australian Museum.

The page saysIn male Maratus spiders, the color patterns come from specialised short hairs that cover the back of the abdomen and parts of the carapace.
The source saysThe speci fi c (and often spectacular) colour patterns on male Maratus species are the result of specialised short squamous setae, which cover the dorsal abdominal scute and parts of the dorsal carapace
The page saysThose hairs reflect different colors depending on the angle they are seen from.
The source saysThese setae re fl ect different colours depending on the angle of orientation

Source
04

Otto & Hill 2011

Otto & Hill (2011). An illustrated review of the known peacock spiders of the genus Maratus from Australia, with description of a new species. Peckhamia.

The page saysOne male that researchers measured was 4.5 millimeters long.
The source saysvolans (4.5 mm, n=1)Note: a single measured male; the source's list is of smaller males measured
The page saysQueensland Museum records also list the species from southeastern and central Queensland.
The source saysMuseum records (R. Raven, pers. comm.) list M. volans from southeastern and central Queensland, as wellNote: source says 'Dated Queensland Museum records'
The page saysfound most often near the coast of New South Wales
The source saysthe best-known Maratus , found most often near the coast of New South Wales
The page saysmost often near the coast of New South Wales
The source saysthe best-known Maratus , found most often near the coast of New South WalesNote: stats.habitat
The page sayswith museum records from Queensland
The source saysMuseum records (R. Raven, pers. comm.) list M. volans from southeastern and central Queensland, as wellNote: stats.habitat

How the table was made: a writer drafted the profile from these sources and logged each claim with its quote, a reviewer with nothing but this table checked every sentence said no more than its quote, and a script confirmed each quote appears word for word in the source. The method is in the site'sAbout page.