Arachnology is the

scientific Science is a systematic endeavor that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe. Science may be as old as the human species, and some of the earliest archeological evidence for ...

study of

arachnid Arachnida () is a class of joint-legged invertebrate animals (arthropods), in the subphylum Chelicerata. Arachnida includes, among others, spiders, scorpions, ticks, mites, pseudoscorpions, harvestmen, camel spiders, whip spiders and vinegaroon ...

s, which comprise

spider Spiders ( order Araneae) are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, chelicerae with fangs generally able to inject venom, and spinnerets that extrude silk. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species ...

s and related invertebrates such as

scorpion Scorpions are predatory arachnids of the order Scorpiones. They have eight legs, and are easily recognized by a pair of grasping pincers and a narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward curve over the back and always end ...

pseudoscorpions Pseudoscorpions, also known as false scorpions or book scorpions, are small, scorpion-like arachnids belonging to the order Pseudoscorpiones, also known as Pseudoscorpionida or Chelonethida. Pseudoscorpions are generally beneficial to humans sin ...

, and

harvestmen The Opiliones (formerly Phalangida) are an order of arachnids colloquially known as harvestmen, harvesters, harvest spiders, or daddy longlegs. , over 6,650 species of harvestmen have been discovered worldwide, although the total number of ext ...

. 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 Arachnology is the scientific study of arachnids, which comprise spiders and related invertebrates such as scorpions, pseudoscorpions, and harvestmen. Those who study spiders and other arachnids are arachnologists. More narrowly, the study of s ...

" derives from

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

, ''arachnē'', "spider"; and , ''-logia'', "the study of a particular subject".

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 Evolution is change in the heritable characteristics of biological populations over successive generations. These characteristics are the expressions of genes, which are passed on from parent to offspring during reproduction. Variation t ...

to one another (taxonomy and systematics), studying how they interact with other members of their species and/or their environment (

behavioural ecology Behavioral ecology, also spelled behavioural ecology, is the study of the evolutionary basis for animal behavior due to ecological pressures. Behavioral ecology emerged from ethology after Niko Tinbergen outlined four questions to address when ...

), or how they are distributed in different regions and habitats (

faunistics Fauna is all of the animal life present in a particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is ''flora'', and for fungi, it is ''funga''. Flora, fauna, funga and other forms of life are collectively referred to as '' biota''. Zool ...

). Other arachnologists perform research on the

anatomy Anatomy () is the branch of biology concerned with the study of the structure of organisms and their parts. Anatomy is a branch of natural science that deals with the structural organization of living things. It is an old science, having its ...

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 Acarology (from Ancient Greek /, , a type of mite; and , ) is the study of mites and ticks, the animals in the order Acarina. It is a subfield of arachnology, a subdiscipline of the field of zoology. A zoologist specializing in acarology is call ...

– the study of

tick Ticks (order Ixodida) are parasitic arachnids that are part of the mite superorder Parasitiformes. Adult ticks are approximately 3 to 5 mm in length depending on age, sex, species, and "fullness". Ticks are external parasites, living by ...

s and

mite Mites are small arachnids (eight-legged arthropods). Mites span two large orders of arachnids, the Acariformes and the Parasitiformes, which were historically grouped together in the subclass Acari, but genetic analysis does not show clear evid ...

s * araneology – the study of

spiders Spiders (order Araneae) are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, chelicerae with fangs generally able to inject venom, and spinnerets that extrude silk. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species di ...

* scorpiology – the study of

Arachnological societies

Arachnologists are served by a number of

scientific societies A learned society (; also learned academy, scholarly society, or academic association) is an organization that exists to promote an academic discipline, profession, or a group of related disciplines such as the arts and science. Membership may ...

, 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 An academic journal or scholarly journal is a periodical publication in which scholarship relating to a particular academic discipline is published. Academic journals serve as permanent and transparent forums for the presentation, scrutiny, and ...

. Some are also involved in

science outreach Science outreach, also called Education and Public Outreach (EPO or E/PO) or simply public outreach, is an umbrella term for a variety of activities by research institutes, universities, and institutions such as science museums, aimed at promoting ...

programs, such as the ''European spider of the year'', which raise awareness of these animals among the general public. International *

International Society of Arachnology The International Society of Arachnology (ISA) promotes the study of arachnids and the exchange of information among researchers in this field. It acts as an umbrella organisation for regional societies and individuals interested in spiders, and ...

(ISA)
website
Africa *African Arachnological Society (AFRAS)
website
Asia *Arachnological Society of Japan (ASJ
website
*Asian Society of Arachnology (ASA
website
*Indian Society of Arachnolog
website
*

Iranian Arachnological Society The Iranian Arachnological Society (IAS) was founded in 2010 as an academic society for amateur and professional arachnologists and individuals interested in Arachnids (including spiders, scorpions, harvestmen, ticks, mites and Solifugae) in or ...

(IAS
website
Australasia *

Australasian Arachnological Society The Australasian Arachnological Society is a body dedicated to promotion of knowledge and study of arachnids (spiders and other 8-legged arthropods) in the Australasian realm, which includes Australia, New Zealand, South-east Asia, Oceania and th ...

br>website
Europe *Aracnofilia – Associazione Italiana di Aracnologi
website
*Arachnologia Belgica – Belgian Arachnological Society (ARABEL
website
*Arachnologische Gesellschaft (AraGes
website
*Association Francaise d'Arachnologie (AsFrA

*

British Arachnological Society The British Arachnological Society (BAS) is the UK’s first body devoted exclusively to the study of arachnids. The primary objectives of the Society are to encourage interest in arachnology in people of all ages and to generate, promote and diss ...

(BAS
website
*Czech Arachnological Societ
website
*European Society of Arachnology (ESA
website
*Grupo Ibérico de Aracnologia (Iberian Peninsula
website
*Magyar Arachnolgia – Hungarian Arachnology North America *

American Arachnological Society The American Arachnological Society (AAS) is a scientific organization founded in 1972 in order to promote the study of arachnids by seeking to achieve closer cooperation and understanding between amateur and professional arachnologists along wi ...

(AAS
website

Arachnological journals

Scientific journal In academic publishing, a scientific journal is a periodical publication intended to further the progress of science, usually by reporting new research. Content Articles in scientific journals are mostly written by active scientists such as s ...

s 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 The American Arachnological Society (AAS) is a scientific organization founded in 1972 in order to promote the study of arachnids by seeking to achieve closer cooperation and understanding between amateur and professional arachnologists along with ...

'' – 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 Tarantulas comprise a group of large and often hairy spiders of the family Theraphosidae. , 1,040 species have been identified, with 156 genera. The term "tarantula" is usually used to describe members of the family Theraphosidae, although ...

– started to become popular as exotic pets. Many tarantulas consequently became more widely known by their common names, such as

Mexican redknee tarantula Mexican redknee tarantula is a common name for several spiders and may refer to: *''Brachypelma hamorii ''Brachypelma hamorii'' is a species of tarantula found in Mexico. It has been confused with '' B. smithi''; both have been called Mexican re ...

for ''

Brachypelma hamorii ''Brachypelma hamorii'' is a species of tarantula found in Mexico. It has been confused with '' B. smithi''; both have been called Mexican redknee tarantulas. Many earlier sources referring to ''B. smithi'' either do not distinguish between ...

''. Various societies now focus on the

husbandry Animal husbandry is the branch of agriculture concerned with animals that are raised for meat, fibre, milk, or other products. It includes day-to-day care, selective breeding, and the raising of livestock. Husbandry has a long history, startin ...

, 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

References

External information links

International Society of Arachnology

{{Authority control Spiders and humans Subfields of zoology Subfields of arthropodology