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.