''Maratus pavonis'' (the common peacock spider) is a species of jumping spider ( Salticidae), endemic to

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

, where it is found in Western Australia, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania.WSC Salticidae:''Maratus pavonis''(Dunn, 1947), World Spider Catalog (WSC)
Retrieved 5 August 2019. The species epithet, ''pavonis'', derives from the Latin, ''pavo'', ''pavonis'', meaning "peacock".

The male holotype is tiny, measuring just .Dunn, R.A. (1947
''A new salticid spider from Victoria.'' Memoirs of the National Museum of Victoria, 15:82-85.
/ref> In courtship, males in the ''

Maratus ''Maratus'' is a spider genus of the family Salticidae (jumping spiders). These spiders are commonly referred to as peacock spiders due to the males' colorful and usually iridescent patterns on the upper surface of the abdomen often enhanced with ...

'' genus extend their elongated third legs,Hill, D.E. (2009
Euophryine jumping spiders that extend their third legs during courtship (Araneae: Salticidae: Euophryinae: ''Maratus'', ''Saitis'')
'' Peckhamia'' 74.1:1-27. Retrieved 6 August 2019. and only the male is so brightly and beautifully coloured.Dunn, R.A. (1957) For its likeness and differences from '' Maratus splendens'', see Otto & Hill (2011).Otto, J.C. & Hill, D.E. (2011
An illustrated review of the known peacock spiders of the genus ''Maratus'' from Australia, with description of a new species (Araneae: Salticidae: Euophryinae)
'' Peckhamia'' 96.1:1-27. Retrieved 6 August 2019.

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Further reading