Peacock spiders live approximately for one year, about half of that is spent growing up. So by the time they are adults they only live for a few more months.
The young emerge from the egg in the Australian summer and then go through several moults from which they emerge a little bigger and with a few more scales on their bodies. These moults take place inside a silken envelope or moulting sac and the spider becomes motionless during this time.
Each moulting episode can last for several weeks and the spider does not consume any food during the process. The moulting sacs are often covered with debris and then they are impossible to see amongst the surrounding soil or litter.
After the final moult, usually some time in spring (September - November) the spiders have their adult colours and fully functional genitalia. They are now able to mate and during the next couple of months the males are busy courting females.
Females that mate produce eggs soon after and then look after their brood inside an egg sac for about one month until the young are old enough to feed. Mother and offspring then emerge together from the egg sac. The young disperse and are unlikely to meet their mother again. At the end of summer very few peacock spider adults can be seen, most have died.