Smallest rainbows created by peacock spiders

[Still Waters]

Brightly colored Australian peacock spiders (Maratus spp.) captivate even the most arachnophobic viewers with their flamboyant courtship displays featuring diverse and intricate body colorations, patterns, and movements - all packed into miniature bodies measuring less than 5 mm in size for many species. However, these displays aren't just pretty to look at, they also inspire new ways for humans to produce color in technology.

One species of peacock spider - the rainbow peacock spider (Maratus robinsoni) - is particularly impressive, because it showcases an intense rainbow iridescent signal in males' courtship displays to the females. This is the first known instance in nature of males using an entire rainbow of colors to entice females to mate. But how do males make their rainbows?

https://phys.org/news/2018-01-nature-smallest-rainbows-peacock-spiders.html

[GlitterRose]

 

[khol]

girls always playing so hard to get !    no wonder ya gotta learn to dance and wear your best tux    what cool little critters 

 

[pallidin]

I guess it can be confirmed, by tacit assumption, that that particular species of spider (at least the male) can