Welcome to the family! Expert discovers three new species of colourful spiders the size of a grain of RICE
- Three new spider species from WA's south-west were officially named this week
- They are called Maratus aquilus, Maratus felinus, and Maratus combustus
- Named by spider taxonomist Joseph Schubert, each species easily identifiable
- The trio of peacock spiders have been described as tiny, colourful and harmless
Australia's spider population has welcomed the addition of three tiny, colourful but totally harmless species.
The newly discovered species of peacock spiders, who call Western Australia home were officially named on Wednesday.
Named by spider taxonomist Joseph Schubert, the new species are now known as Maratus aquilus, Maratus felinus, and Maratus combustus, each identifiable by their distinctive patterns.
The new Maratus felinus peacock spider (pictured) can be identified by its cat like features. It was one of three new species officially named this week
The Monash University research assistant made the discovery with a group of photographers from Project Maratus at Lake Jasper and Mount Romance in Western Australia's south-west.
He says arachnophobes have no reason to fear creepy critters.
'These little guys are completely harmless! They're roughly the length of a grain of rice,' Mr Schubert tweeted this week.
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He told 10 daily: 'They're incredibly, small but so charismatic and so colourful,'
In his research findings, which were published in international scientific journal Zootaxa this week, Mr Schubert said each of the new species can be identified by the different markings on their abdomen.
The aquilus species refers to markings on the spider resembling an eagle's face seen from the front.
The felinus species has markings that resemble a cat.
The combustus species was named after its 'fiery explosion' pattern.
'These little guys are completely harmless,' spider taxonomist Joseph Schubert said. Pictured is the Maratus aquilus, named for its eagle like markings on the abdomen
Around 60 of the 74 peacock spider species have been discovered in the past 10 years, according to Mr Schubert's research findings.
'This interest is driven by the unique courtship behaviour of the males of most species which display an elevated and often vibrantly coloured opisthosoma and third pair of legs to nearby females,' the report states.
Of all the peacock spider species, almost half can only be found in Western Australia's south-west.
The new species call Western Australia's south-west home. Pictured is the Maratus combustus
'The Southwest Australia ecoregion is known as one of the planet’s major biodiversity hotspots and a hotspot for peacock spider diversity,' Mr Schubert's report states.
The trio of new species are among four Mr Schubert has named in recent months.
In January, he also named the Maratus sagittus species native to Queensland's Cape York Peninsula.
The three new species were named by spider taxonomist Joseph Schubert (pictured)
- (PDF) Three new peacock spiders from Southwestern Australia (Araneae: Salticidae: Euophryini: Maratus Karsch, 1878)https://www.researchgate.net/publication/331503634_Three_new_peacock_spiders_from_Southwestern_Australia_Araneae_Salticidae_Euophryini_Maratu
- Three New Peacock Spider Species Discovered In Australia | 10 daily
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