Colourful Jumper

Got this little fella on my wife's gazanias. In the second one he's having lunch. I have a query some one may help with. These jumpers have one leg on each side with a very bright white tip. I observed them lifting this leg in the air until vertical, then they gave it a little wobble then lowered it again, only to repeat it again with the leg on the other side. Is this some sort of insect attracting method of trying to attract a female?

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Trace - wonderful captures. I've never seen a Jumping Spider like this myself, but I have seen images of it in my various reference spider books I can positively identify it as being known as the "Gliding Spider", scientific name Saitis volans (male). An excerpt from the wonderful book "Australian Spiders in Colour" by Ramon Mascord also helps answer your question:

I'm not sure if it's rare or not, but very well spotted. See if you can get more images of it!

Dave

Nice captures...

I had one of these jump on me today. Wasn't as colourful though...

That spider looks like it has been spray-painted...

An excellent shot Trace.

Trace these are great shot of a beautiful spider. Are you sure you didn't spray paint it as Bernie suggests? LOL!!! Just kidding!!

Dave: Thanks you for posting that extremely interesting info on the spider.

excellent shot Trace. looks like he's got war paint on and ready for battle.

Bill

great tattoo on this little one, he sure is unique

I'm sure you painted it. No, really lovely spider.

dpastern wrote in post #4003212
Trace - wonderful captures. I've never seen a Jumping Spider like this myself, but I have seen images of it in my various reference spider books I can positively identify it as being known as the "Gliding Spider", scientific name Saitis volans (male). An excerpt from the wonderful book "Australian Spiders in Colour" by Ramon Mascord also helps answer your question:


I'm not sure if it's rare or not, but very well spotted. See if you can get more images of it!

Dave

Thanks for your comments all. Dave, I did a bit of a web search and found out some more info (Spiders of Australia). The waving of the leg is actually a courtship gesture - so there is bound to be a female in them gazanias, somehwere. I did get a few more shots with the reversed 18-55 and my ghetto macro. Happy chappy I am, the Sigma 105 is in the mail, should be here next week - chaffing at the bit I tell ya!

Excellent find, what a cute little guy, like the markings on it abdomen

Amazing colour patterns on the abdomen- wonderful capture
Brian V.

Trace - most Jumpers do a dance when attracting a female, but they'll use both of the front 2 sets of legs, not just 2, and that's from my personal experience of being lucky enough to witness a mating ritual Given its gliding nature, and that you said that they were the middle legs, I reckon it was thinking of gliding. Also - spiders don't hear in the normal sense, the hairs on their legs detect vibrations in the air, and it could also be that it was trying to detect you.

Dave

Hi Dave. This was actually waving its leg just after jumping. There was actually four of them on two small gazanias. The courtship info came from the website I came across.

http://www.xs4all.nl …w/australian/Sp​idaus.html

See below cut from site

Maratus volans (was Sailtis volans). Peacock or gliding spider
This male spider has two flaps on either side of his abdomen that are put away underneath him when not in use. and are edges with white hairs.When the spider jumps he extends the flaps and uses them to glide through the air as far as 20 cm. His size is betwen 4 and 5 mm.
When the brightly coloured male courts with his relatively duller mate he expands his flaps and raisesw his with white hairs tipped legs. A spectacular courtship dance.

Cheers Trace

thats a cool spider

Trace wrote in post #4009583
Hi Dave. This was actually waving its leg just after jumping. There was actually four of them on two small gazanias. The courtship info came from the website I came across.

http://www.xs4all.nl/~​ednieuw/australian/Spi​daus.html

See below cut from site

Maratus volans (was Sailtis volans). Peacock or gliding spider
This male spider has two flaps on either side of his abdomen that are put away underneath him when not in use. and are edges with white hairs.When the spider jumps he extends the flaps and uses them to glide through the air as far as 20 cm. His size is betwen 4 and 5 mm.
When the brightly coloured male courts with his relatively duller mate he expands his flaps and raisesw his with white hairs tipped legs. A spectacular courtship dance.

Cheers Trace

Good stuff, glad to see that you found that most excellent website.

Dave