This male peacock spider
is the size of a grain of rice.
He's perfectly at home
in a lawn that resembles
his natural grassland.
He has superb eyesight...
..which helps in his search
for a mate.
And there she is -
a female peacock spider.
To invite her to mate,
he will produce a series of
vibrations known scientifically
as rumble-rumps.
Sensing his movements through
her legs, the female demands
a suitor who can produce
soothing, even vibrations.
Anything muddled or intermittent
is unacceptable.
But the pandemonium
created by humans
can make sensing vibrations
very difficult.
Fortunately, he has another
tactic he can employ...
..to divert her attention
from all else in the garden.
Eyes locked, the enchantment begins.
She appraises the dance in
all its colourful splendour
as his routine becomes
increasingly vigorous.
But her head is easily turned.
A rival suitor muscles in
to try his luck.
She strikes in less than
a tenth of a second
and injects a lethal dose of venom
into his brain.
The rival is now not a mate,
but a meal.
Undeterred, our suitor once more
steps into the line of fire.
He must mesmerise...
..or die.
At touching distance, he gears up
for the final flourish.
Just one mistake now
will cost him his life.
While his front legs rotate
her abdomen into position,
he gathers his sperm and passes it
into her reproductive organs.
So, simple quirks of nature
allow him to thrive
in this suburban environment.
He can either tap dance
or use his dazzling good looks
to overcome disturbance
from his noisy neighbours.
There are over 50 different species
of peacock spider -
each dancing their own routine -
many in the gardens and green spaces
of Australia's cities.
