A spider smaller than a grain of rice dances in color to avoid being eaten by his date

Male peacock spiders raise a flap of iridescent, rainbow-colored abdomen and wave modified legs in a precise rhythmic display to court females — who are large enough to kill and eat him if unimpressed. Entomologist Jürgen Otto's photographs and videos, published from 2005 onward, brought the tiny Australian genus Maratus to wide attention. A single misstep in the dance can be fatal for the male.

— Jürgen Otto, David Hill, Maratus (peacock spiders) — Peckhamia journal, various papers, 2011 onward