Did you know that you're rarely more than six feet away from a spider? Or that these abundant predators—the largest entirely carnivorous order of animals—structure the terrestrial food chain? In this seminar, Dr. Vladimir Ovtsharenko, Research Scientist in the Museum's world-renowned spider lab, introduces the study of spiders. As an example of how to study invertebrates, he explains the importance of counting and cataloging spiders, how each new species is a treasure, and why he has devoted his career to studying them.
Authoring Scientists:
Key Science Concepts
- You are rarely more than six feet away from a spider.
- Spiders live everywhere, from Alpine peaks to deserts—even underwater. There are more individual spiders, and more spider species, than in any other group of predators.
- Their sheer numbers, coupled with their enormous appetites, make spiders the planet's dominant terrestrial predators. By controlling insect populations, they play a vital role in maintaining the balance of nature.
- Special adaptations—including spinning silk, producing venom and using sophisticated hunting tactics—have contributed to the spider's extraordinary evolutionary success.
- As the strongest natural fiber known to man, spider silk is specialized for tasks such as building webs and trapping prey.
- Field journaling and drawing are important techniques for arachnologists, who use specialized microscopes, cameras, dissecting instruments and illustrations to study spiders in depth.
- Collecting spiders involves a variety of techniques, including sweep nets, funnel and pitfall traps, and collecting by hand.
- Well-maintained collections are crucial to ongoing scientific work. Over 36,000 species of spider have been described, but they represent only a third to a half of those that still await discovery.
