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A recent study of species has shown that ultraviolet reflectance and fluorescence are most important factors to their successful courtship and mating. An interesting observation is that these signals are gender specific.

Male jumping spiders reflect a UV light with the help of patches of scales on its faces and bodies that are shown during their mating. On the other hand females, give off a green fluorescent light from their palps, which are small appendages to their faces.

Scientists have also confirmed that their eyes are particularly sensitive to ultraviolet and green light. Spiders showed no interest in members of the opposite sex that were not glowing.

So “it’s quite important how [the spiders] use private channels for communication, only restricted to one sex,” Li added in an interview with National Geographic News pod cast host Peter Standring “It’s very interesting and unique in the animal kingdom.”

Li speculates that this behavior may have been used as a way for the spiders to show their suitability as mates while avoiding unwanted attention from predators. Sometimes it works the other way round as well, because many birds can see ultra violet light.