Maratus volansMaratus volans Dancing Maratus volans Female & Immature Maratus volans Prey

The Maratus volans are daily hunters (like all members of the genus Maratus), feeding primarily on small insects, especially those that come within their reach, including flies, moths, wasps, bees, winged ants and grasshoppers.

Maratus volans with prey, Central Coast NSW © Michael Doe
Maratus volans with prey, Central Coast NSW © Michael Doe

Occasionally when opportunity arises, they may catch and feed on arthropods that are larger then themselves.

The female Maratus volans spider have been known to eat the males, especially during the mating ritual.

Female Maratus volans with prey, NSW © Michael Doe
Female Maratus volans with prey, NSW © Michael Doe

Maratus volans spiders can themselves become prey for other spiders and other carnivorous insects that are bigger in size. Despite their small stature, their ability to jump 40 times their body length to avoid predation is their main defence strategy.

Male Maratus volans with prey, NSW © Michael Doe
Male Maratus volans with prey, NSW © Michael Doe

Footnote & References

  1. Photographs (Project Maratus) © Michael Doe
  2. Michael Doe on Flickr – spiderphotography21 and michael doe (Project Maratus)
Maratus volans with prey, NSW © Michael Doe
Maratus volans with prey (a Dolichopodid Fly), Central Coast NSW © Michael Doe

Maratus volansMaratus volans Dancing Maratus volans Female & Immature Maratus volans Prey

MaratusMaratus Image Index Maratus amabilis Maratus anomalus Maratus elephans Maratus hortorum Maratus madelineae Maratus nigromaculatus Maratus plumosus Maratus purcellae Maratus speculifer Maratus volans

SpidersIndex of Spider Images Spiders in Australia Spiders Index Araneidae — Orb Weavers Arkys Australian Huntsman Spider Barking Spider Black House Spider Carepalxis sp Celaenia sp Crab Spiders Deinopidae — Net-casting Spiders Dolomedes sp Dolophones sp Flower Spiders Hackled Orbweavers (Uloboridae) Herennia sp Jewel Spider Jumping Spider Long Jawed Spider (Tetragnatha sp) Lynx Spider (Oxyopes) Mangrovia albida Maratus Missulena occatoria (Red-headed Mouse Spider) Miturgidae Nicodamidae (Red and Black Spider) Nyssus coloripes (Orange-legged Swift Spider) Ogre-faced Net-casting Spider Poltys sp (Twig Spider) Redback Spider Scorpion-tailed Spider (Arachnura higginsi) Thomisidae Tiger Spider (Trichonephila plumipes) White-spotted Swift Spider (Nyssus albopunctatus) Wolf Spider