All You Need to Know About Spiders

Wolfgang NentwigBiology studies, 1981 PhD, University of Marburg (Germany)1983–1984 Visiting Researcher at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (Panama), Assistant Professor University of Regensburg1988–2019 Professor of Ecology, University of Bern (Switzerland), research interests in agroecology, invasion ecology, spider ecology, spider venomCo-founder of "araneae – Spiders of Europe" (https://araneae.nmbe.ch) and co-organizer of the World Spider Catalog (https://wsc.nmbe.ch) Jutta AnsorgStudies in energy- and process engineering and PhD 2001, Technical University of Berlin1993–1998 Lecturer in practical mathematics and research in the field of process engineering1998–2014 Engineer in international power plant and waste incineration plant construction in Switzerland Since 2014 specialist for airpollution control and noise protection in the Canton of Aargau (Switzerland) She has been involved with spiders outside of work for about 45 years.Angelo BolzernBiology studies and PhD 2010, University of Basel (Switzerland)2012–2013 Research visit to the American Museum of Natural History, New York (USA) on spider taxonomy and systematics2014–2018 Freelance researcher, employment in practical nature conservation and environmental education, training as a high school teachersince 2019 Staff member Education & Outreach, Natural History Museum Basel (Switzerland)Holger FrickBiology studies and PhD 2010, University of Bern and Natural History Museum Bern (Switzerland)2010–2011 PostDoc at the Natural History Museum of Denmark, Copenhagen2011–2014 Head of Department, Office for the Environment and Curator of the State Natural History Collection Liechtenstein2014–2019 Head of the natural history museum, Naturama Aargau (Switzerland)2019–2020 Project Manager, Swiss Academy of Sciences and Natural History Museum Fribourg (Switzerland)Since 2021 Head of Biosciences and Curator of Invertebrates at the Natural History Museum Basel (Switzerland)Anne-Sarah GanskeBiology studies, 2014 Bachelor of Science (Biology), 2016 Master of Science (Biodiversity and Ecology), University of Greifswald (Germany)2017–2018 Marie-Skłodowska-Curie Fellow at the Natural History Museum Vienna (Austria)2019 PhD in Biology at the University of Vienna (Austria); Research topics: morphology and sensory biology of spiders; morphology, systematics and phylogeny of centipedesAmbros HänggiBiology studies, dissertation 1987, University of Bern (Switzerland)Assistantat the University of Bern and freelance biologist; Co-editor of the catalogue of Swiss spiders (1990)1990-2020 Curator for invertebrates (excluding insects) at the Natural History Museum Basel (Switzerland), from 2021 honorary assistant; Conception and implementation of special exhibitions and projects for the comprehensible communication of research resultsResearch focus on faunistics and systematics of spidersCo-founder of "araneae - Spiders of Europe" (https://araneae.nmbe.ch)Christian KropfBiology studies, 1992 PhD, University of Graz (Austria)1992–1995 Assistant at the University of Graz1994 Research visit University of New Delhi (India)since 1995 Curator for invertebrates at the Natural History Museum Bern (Switzerland) since 1996 Lecturer at the University of Bern, 2011 Habilitationmain research interests taxonomy, systematics, functional morphology of arthropods, especially spidersCo-founder of "araneae – Spiders of Europe" (https://araneae.nmbe.ch) and co-organizer of the World Spider Catalog (https://wsc.nmbe.ch) Anna StäubliStudies in Natural Sciences, 1998 Diplom an der ETH Zürich (Switzerland)2005 resp. 2006/2011 further education in systematics and taxonomy of spiders and butterflies 1998–2013 employee in office for nature conservation in agricultureSince 2013 owner of the company Projekte Ökologie Landwirtschaft: specialized in field surveys of spiders, butterflies, grasshoppers and dragonflies, as well as nature conservation consulting and impact monitoring

“All You Need to Know About Spiders is an excellent introduction to spider biology for general readers. It is an easy and informative read and will provide all of the essential information anyone curious about this aspect of the natural world will need to know in order to appreciate how incredible spiders are and how essential they are in controlling insect populations in all terrestrial habitats of this planet.” (Paula E. Cushing, The Quarterly Review of Biology, Vol. 99 (3), September, 2024)“The book is well-illustrated. … this popular book has made a very good impression on me. No doubt it will be a very useful and reliable source of general information about spiders for 6th-formers, students and aspiring naturalists. Yet, not belonging to any of these categories, as a professional arachnologist, I found the reading of this book refreshing and very rewarding. Finally, it is a good value for money. I highly recommend it to both amateur and professional arachnologists alike.” (Dmitri V. Logunov, Newsletter of the British Arachnological Society, Issue 154, 2022)

• PrefacePart I: Morphology and function of spiders- What do spiders look like?.- How do spiders hear, smell, taste, and sense?.- How do spiders see?- How do spiders move?  -How can spiders grow despite their outer skeleton?.- Spider venom.- Spider silk.- Prey catch and spider webs.- How do spiders feed and digest?- Sex of spiders Part II: We live in a world full of spiders- Some like it cold.- how spiders survive adverse seasons.- How do spiders defend themselves against enemies? -The importance of spiders in our environment.- Species richness of spiders.- Worldwide import and spread of spiders.- Spiders in and at our house- Fascinating spiders- Part III: our emotional side towards spiders- Fear of spiders.- Communication about spiders.- spiders and humans: a tense relationship? -Spiders as pets?- Appendix- Common spider families- How to determine spiders?-Authors- Association for the Promotion of Spider Research- References- Index.