New spider species dance to woo the girls

A Sydney scientist has discovered seven new species of the tiny Australian peacock spider - a spectacularly coloured arachnid that dances to attract a female mate.

Jurgen Otto, with the help of colleague David Knowles, made the two latest discoveries of the creatures while looking for other spiders in Western Australia in November and had all seven named in the scientific journal Peckhamia last month.

"They are very, very colorful. They often have iridescent scales and they do something quite remarkable - they perform a courtship dance for females, to impress them," Otto said.

While footage of the dances is proving popular online, some female peacock spiders end up eating the colorful males if they are not impressed by the courtship.

The discovery means there are now 48 known species, found mostly in southern Australia and ranging in size from 3 to 5 millimeters. Juveniles measure just half a millimeter.

Otto, who studies mites during the day, developed a passion for the tiny spiders in 2005 after discovering an arachnid on a photograph he took following a bush walk in a national park in New South Wales.

He said of the dancing spiders, which pose no threat to humans: "They are harmless. They are cute. They are colorful and they remind people of their own cat. I often compare them with kittens with too many legs, so people get really excited when they see them.

"People who hate spiders confess that they can't help loving these ones. In time, this will change the opinions people have of spiders, I hope."