Maratus speciosus [Peacock Jumping Spider]

[LookCloser]

LookCloser (2021) Maratus speciosus  O. P-Cambridge, 1874 (Salticidae) Peacock Jumping Spider. Spider photographed in visible and infrared light. LINK

 

Location:  Australia

 

Synonyms:

• Salticus speciosus O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1874
• Habrocestum speciosum Keyserling, 1883
• Saitis speciosus Simon, 1901

 

Other Common Names:

• Coastal Peacock Spider

 

Reference:

1. Wikipedia (acc 29 Oct 2023) Maratus speciosus. Wikimedia Foundation, San Francisco, CA. LINK

 

Comment:

     This is a subject I have been working towards for a while, and I admit that this is what started me down the UVR pathway in the first place.

 

Jumping spiders (Salticidae) are know to have UV sensitive receptors in their visual systems. (Journal of Comparative Physiology A volume 192, pages 871–878 (2006))

 

Peacock spiders (Maratus spp.) are known to have highly complex structural and pigmented colours, including cool properties like

• structurally-assisted super-black, https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2019.0589
• and diffraction grating nanostructures producing structural colours. https://doi.org/10.1039/C9NA00494G

 

Peacock spiders are also one of my favorite macro subjects, and I happen to have a population very close to hand. Put all of those bits of information together and it's a logical next step to take a few UVR shots of these little beasts. So here is a very rough first go at imaging Maratus speciosus, the Coastal peacock spider. In time I will do better, but this shows some tantalizing details that demand further exploration.

 

Gear:

Olympus em5i full spectrum converted.

Enna München Lithagon 35mm f3.5.

M4/3 to M42 focusing helicoid for macro magnification.

Kolari UV bandpass filter

Ambient sunlight

 

Note the black patches on the opisthoma are the "super-black" cited above, and that this super-black is no darker than the rest of the surrounding visible red when viewed in UV.

 

VISIBLE LIGHT: This is not the same animal shown below, but is representative of the visible colours and standard pattern.

Note the black patches on the opisthoma are the "super-black" cited above, and that this super-black is no darker than the rest of the surrounding visible red when viewed in UV.

(Olympus em10iii, Olympus 60mm f2.8, diffused flash)

 

 

ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT:

A really nice false-golden sheen in this orientation

 

Same animal as the last UV shot showing a false-blue sheen in a different orientation

[colinbm]

These Peacock Jumping Spiders are lil' cuties.

[Andy Perrin]

Wow, that’s a beautiful spider. A longer lens with more working distance might make it easier to not scare them. 

[Stefano]

That false yellow is very cool, you don’t see it often. This probably is a structural color as that blue looks structural to me.

[LookCloser]

22 hours ago, colinbm said:

These Peacock Jumping Spiders are lil' cuties.

I completely agree Colin, such fantastic little beasts

 

 

19 hours ago, Andy Perrin said:

Wow, that’s a beautiful spider. A longer lens with more working distance might make it easier to not scare them. 

Thanks Andy, my usual macro lens is a 60mm and the working distance on that is about right.  The 35mm on a focusing helicoid does necessitate getting considerably closer but thankfully these spiders are not easily scared. Providing I haven't disturbed them too much,  I have more issues with them jumping onto the lens than scaring them off.

 

 

13 hours ago, Stefano said:

That false yellow is very cool, you don’t see it often. This probably is a structural color as that blue looks structural to me.

I agree stefano,  the two different colours in different orientation would indicate the same