Arachnology (from Ancient roman ἀράχνη (arákhnē), meaning "spider", and λόγος (lógos), meaning "study") is the scientific study of arachnids, which comprise spiders and related invertebrates such as scorpions, pseudoscorpions, harvestmen, ticks, and mites. Those who study spiders and other arachnids are arachnologists. More narrowly, the study of spiders alone (order Araneae) is known as araneology.
The word "arachnology" from Ancient Greek ἀράχνη (arákhnē), meaning "spider", and λόγος (lógos), meaning "study". The Ancient Greek word for "spider" itself refers to Arachne, the female protagonist of an ancient tale of the Greek Mythology.
Arachnology as a science Arachnologists are primarily responsible for classifying arachnids and studying aspects of their biology. In the popular imagination, they are sometimes referred to as spider experts. Disciplines within arachnology include naming species and determining their evolutionary relationships to one another (taxonomy and systematics), studying how they interact with other members of their species and/or their environment (behavioural ecology), or how they are distributed in different regions and habitats (faunistics). Other arachnologists perform research on the anatomy or physiology of arachnids, including the venom of spiders and scorpions. Others study the impact of spiders in agricultural ecosystems and whether they can be used as biological control agents.
Subdisciplines Arachnology can be broken down into several specialties, including: acarology – the study of ticks and mites araneology – the study of spiders scorpiology – the study of scorpions
Arachnological societies Arachnologists are served by a number of scientific societies, both national and international in scope. Their main roles are to encourage the exchange of ideas between researchers, to organise meetings and congresses, and in a number of cases, to publish academic journals. Some are also involved in science outreach programs, such as the European spider of the year, which raise awareness of these animals among the general public.
International International Society of Arachnology (ISA) website
Africa African Arachnological Society (AFRAS) website
Asia Arachnological Society of Japan (ASJ) website Asian Society of Arachnology (ASA) website Indian Society of Arachnology website Iranian Arachnological Society (IAS) website
Australasia Australasian Arachnological Society website
Europe Aracnofilia – Associazione Italiana di Aracnologia website Arachnologia Belgica – Belgian Arachnological Society (ARABEL) website Arachnologische Gesellschaft (AraGes) website Association Francaise d'Arachnologie (AsFrA) website British Arachnological Society (BAS) website Czech Arachnological Society website European Society of Arachnology (ESA) website Grupo Ibérico de Aracnologia (Iberian Peninsula) website Magyar Arachnolgia – Hungarian Arachnology
North America American Arachnological Society (AAS) website
Arachnological journals Scientific journals devoted to the study of arachnids include:
Acarologia Acta Arachnologica – published by the Arachnological Society of Japan Arachnida: Rivista Aracnologica Italiana Arachnology – published by the British Arachnological Society Arachnology Letters – published by the Arachnologische Gesellschaft International Journal of Acarology Journal of Arachnology – published by the American Arachnological Society Revista Ibérica de Aracnología – published by the Grupo Ibérico de Aracnología Revue Arachnologique Serket
Popular arachnology In the 1970s, arachnids – particularly tarantulas – started to become popular as exotic pets. Many tarantulas consequently became more widely known by their common names, such as Mexican redknee tarantula for Brachypelma hamorii.
Various societies now focus on the husbandry, care, study, and captive breeding of tarantulas, and other arachnids. They also typically produce journals or newsletters with articles and advice on these subjects.
British Tarantula Society (BTS) website Deutsche Arachnologische Gesellschaft (DeArGe) website The American Tarantula Society (ATS) website
See also
Cultural depictions of spiders Entomology
References
External information links International Society of Arachnology Spider Myth: Spiders are Easy to Identify Myth: Spider species are distinguished and identified by "markings."