Our research on spiders or Aranaea is increasing our knowledge of their diversity, distribution and complexity.
Understanding and identifying new species of spiders
Spiders are predators that belong to a group that includes scorpions, harvestmen and mites. They are found in a wide range of environments, from desert soils to flowers in the tops of rainforest trees.
In Australia only 2700 species, in 500 genera and 78 families, have been described out of an estimated 10,000 species.
Many species of spiders contribute to the biological control of pests in crops.
The family Salticidae (Commonly known as jumping spiders) includes 339 described species and a further 1000 species may be present. They are found in all terrestrial and arboreal habitats throughout Australia and are highly endemic, especially in central and western parts of the continent. The salticid faunas of the tropical and coastal habitats of eastern and northern Australia show a strong New Guinean and Oriental influence.
Salticids are skillful jumpers that use their excellent vision to hunt in daylight. Some mimic ants, beetles or flies and some species may even supplement their diet with nectar.
Jumping spiders show complex behaviors and understanding them may lead to new insights into evolution.
Current spider related projects
The team at CSIRO are actively working on a couple of spider related projects, these include:
We partner with small and large companies, government and industry in Australia and around the world.