Peacock Spider

avibus

latin, meaning birds, referring to the pattern on the male's expanded fan which resembles two birds facing each other

banyowla

reference to this species’ discovery in Banyowla Regional Park. Banyowla was a Nyoongar (Aboriginal) elder at the time of European settlement.

boranup

in reference to the Boranup area near Margaret River where this spider was found

bubo

latin, name for horned owl. The pattern on the expanded fan of Maratus bubo is reminiscent of the face of an owl

caeruleus

latin, meaning blue, referring to the colour on the male's abdomen

calcitrans

latin, meaning kicking, referring to the rapid kicks the male during the courtship display

candens

latin, meaning glowing, referring to the two iridescent patches on the male’s abdomen

chrysomelas

formed from the Greek words for gold and black, probably referring to the pattern on the male's abdomen which consists of large black markings on an iridescent background

Cinereus

latin, meaning ashen, referring to the colouration of the maleclupeatus

clupeatus

latin, meaning shield bearer, referring to the shape and ornamentation on the male's abdomen that looks like a medieval shield.

constellatus

latin for starry , refers to the opisthosomal markings of the male which resemble a starry night sky.

combustus

latin, meaning burnt, referring to the flame-like markings on the back of the male abdomen

cristatus

latin, meaning tufted or crested, referring to the white tufts on the male's abdomen

cuspis

latin, meaning spear, referring to the figure on the abdomen that looks like a spearhead

digitatus

latin, meaning with fingers, referring to the inflatable spinnerets that move like fingers during the courtship display

electricus

named in reference to the pattern on the male's abdomen which resembles the connection on a circuit board

elephans

in reference to the pattern on the male's abdomen that resembles the face of an elephant

eliasi

honouring Damien Elias

felinus

latin, meaning feline (cat-like), referring to the picture of a cat’s face on the back of the male abdomen

fimbriatus

latin, meaning fringed, referring to the fringe of long and thins scales on the male's abdomen

expolitus

latin, meaning polished, referring to the male’s shiny abdomen

flavus

latin, meaning yellow, referring to the mustard-like colour of the male's abdomen

fletcheri

honouring Adam Fletcher

gemmifer

latin, meaning bearing gems, referring to the pair of bright silvery spots on the male's abdomen that look like gem stones.

griseus

latin meaning grey

harrisi

honouring Stuart Harris, a citizen scientist from Canberra, who discovered this spider 

harveyi

honouring Mark Harvey

hesperus

greek name for Venus as the evening star, referring to the conspicuous white mark, like a star, on a background of dark blue. The only peacock spider not in the genus Maratus but in the genus Saratus

hortorum

honouring Jean and Fred Hort

icarus

named after Icarus of the Greek mythology, referring to pattern of the male abdomen resembling a winged person

inaquosus

latin for arid, dry, lacking water, referring to dry habitat where this species is typically found in.

jactatus

latin, meaning rocking or jolting, referring to the lateral rocking of the male that punctuates the courtship display

julianneae

honouring Julianne Waldock

karrie

named in reference to the area in southwest Western Australia that is known for its large Karri trees

kiwirrkurra

refers to the type locality and recognises the community of the Kiwirrkurra indigenous protected arealentus

kochi

honouring the German arachnologist Carl Ludwig Koch 

laurenae

in honour of Lauren Marcianti

lentus

latin, meaning slow, referring to the slow movements of the male during courtship

leo

honouring Andrew Leo who discovered this spider

licunxini

honouring Li Cunxin, the artistic director of the Queensland ballet. This species has been synonymised under Maratus fimbriatus

literatus

latin, meaning lettered, referring to the symbol in the male's eye region which resembles the letter W

linnaei

honouring Carl Linnaeus, person who came up with the binomial system we still use to name species

lobatus

latin, meaning lobed, referring to the ear-like flaps on the male's abdomen

madelineae

honouring  Madeline Girard

maritimus

referring to the the occurrence of this spider along the coast

montanus

referring to this occurrence of this spider on the top of a mountain, namely Mt. Ragged in southwestern Australia

melindae

honouring Melinda Moir

michaelorum

honouring Michael Doe and Michael Duncan

mungaich

aboriginal word meaning Banksia, referring to the the Banksia trees that grow throughout the range of this species

nambung

locality in Western Australia, derived from an aboriginal word that may refer to the crooked winding course of the Nambung river

nemo

named in reference to spider’s orange face, resembling the clownfish “Nemo” from the movie animation “Finding Nemo”

neptunus

named in reference to Neptun, the three dark bands on the male's abdomen resemble Neptun's trident, and the background colour is similar to that of the ocean

nigromaculatus

latin, probably referring to the black marks on the male's abdomen

nimbus

latin, meaning clouds, referring to the white transverse bands on the males abdomen on a background of sky-blue scales, resembling white cirrus clouds in the evening sky

noggerup

name of the type locality for this species in Western Australia.

nubilis

latin, meaning cloudy, referring to the blueish white abdomen of the male

occasus

latin, meaning sunset, referring to the colours on the male abdomen

ottoi

honouring Jurgen Otto

pardus

latin, meaning leopard, referring to the spots on the the male's abdomen

pavonis

pavo is latin for peacock, probably referring to the colouration on the male's abdomen as well as the fact that it lifts the abdomen during the courtship display

personatus

latin, meaning masked, referring to the striking blue mask of this spider frame by bright white scales on either side

pinniger

latin, meaning pinnate or feather-bearing, a reference to the long feather-like setae at the male’s abdomen. Pinnager (or pennager) is also a medieval English occupational surname for a pennant or ensign-bearer.

playa

english, describing the flat-floored bottom of an undrained desert basin that becomes at times a shallow lake. Reference to this spider’s habitat in inland Australia

plumosus

latin, meaning plumed, referring to the plumes at the end of the male's abdomen

proszynskii

honouring Jerzy Prószyński

purcellae

honouring Michaela Purcell who discovered this spider

robinsoni

honouring Peter Robinson who discovered this spider

sagittus

latin, meaning arrow, referring to the arrow-shaped marking on the abdomen

sapphirus

in reference to the spiders occurrence at the Sapphire coast of Australia and the colouration on its abdomen

sarahae

honouring Sarah Comer

sceletus

latin, meaning skeleton, referring to the black and white markings of the male that resemble a skeleton

scutulatus

latin, meaning with a shield

speciosous

latin, I think it means brilliant

speculifer

latin, meaning "bearer of mirror", probably referring to the shiny black abdomen of the male

spicatus

latin, meaning spiked, referring to the spikes that protrude from the male's abdomen on either side

splendens

latin, glittering or gleaming, probably referring to the male's abdomen, but possibly also to the posterior part of the carapace which has an area of silvery scales

suae

in honour of Sunayana (Su) Rammohan

sylvestris

latin, of the forest, referring to the habitat of this species which is unusually dense and wet forest

tasmanicus

referring to Tasmania, the Australian state (island) where this species was first found

tessellatus

latin, meaning tessellated, referring to the pattern on the male's abdomen

tortus

latin, meaning twisted, referring to the peculiar twisting of the abdomen during the male's courtship display

trigonus

latin, meaning triangular, referring to the triangular shape of the male expanded abdomen

tidallik

named after Tidallik the frog which is subject to an Aboriginal dreamtime story. The spider has a pattern on the abdomen which is reminiscent of the outline of a crouching frog.

unicup

in reference to the Lake Unicup area in southwestern Western Australia where this spider was found

velutinus

latin, meaning velvety, referring to the velvety surface on the male's abdomen

vespa

latin, meaning wasp, referring to the pattern on the male's abdomen that resembles the face of a wasp

vespertilio

latin, meaning bat-like.

volans

latin, meaning flying. The person who named this spider was given the individuals by a collector in Australia who described how the male of this species uses his flaps to extends its jumps. We now know that this is not the case 

volpei

in honour of Nick Volpe

vultus

latin, meaning face, referring to the pattern on the male's abdomen that resembles a face, with eyes, nose, and mouth

watagansi

named after the Watagans mountains north of Sydney where this spider was first found

yanchep

a locality in Western Australia and the name for a bulrush ghat grown around lake margins in that area