Discovering Spiders

There are an estimated 43,000 species of spider found worldwide with over 650 found in Britain alone – despite this they are often overlooked and under-recorded as a group.

This course aims to introduce learners to the general body plan of a spider, their ecological roles within ecosystems and discusses the wild array types of webs our UK species can produce. We also delve into how spiders have influenced human cultures and technology globally before getting out and finding some examples of UK spider species.

If you’re interested in finding out more about spiders but don’t feel ready for a beginner’s ID workshop, then this is the course for you. Discovering spiders is a very gentle introduction to some of our planets most misunderstood invertebrate groups, introducing aspects of their biology and ecology and aims to give learners the skills and confidence before delving into species Identification.

• 4-week online course for adults, with a weekly time commitment of 3-5 hours per week.
• Access to study content, activities and tutor-graded assignments through the FSC virtual learning platform.
• Access to weekly live virtual classroom sessions at the end of each week with the course tutor through Zoom (recorded for those that are unable to attend the live sessions).
• E-certificate upon course completion.
• Learners will benefit from having access to a 10X hand lens to get the most out of this course.
• Please note that this course is NOT a species identification course.
• Please email [email protected] if you have any questions.

This course is aimed at adults only and course attendees must be at least 18 years old in order to attend.

What topics are covered in this course?

• ARA101: Spider Biology In the first week’s content, we introduce spiders as a taxonomic group and how they differ from other invertebrate groups.  By the end of this section, learners should be able to identify the main body parts of a spider and their functions. Learners will also look at a spider’s generalised lifecycles and their roles within the ecosystems.
• ARA102: Spider Silk and Spider Webs In the second weeks content learners look at the types, structure and uses of spider web.
• ARA103: Spider Behaviour and Attitudes to Spiders In the third week’s content, we have a look at the types of behaviour exhibited by spiders including the various styles of hunting exhibited by different groups of spiders. Learners will also be able to identify different forms of mating behaviours and ways in which spiders disperse from their hatching site.
  We also look at human attitudes to spiders, we explore the roots of fear and why spiders are so often feared by others. Learners will be shown examples of media coverage on spiders and look at the facts behind those reports. Learners will also be shown some examples of how spiders are represented across different human cultures historically on a global scale.
• ARA104: Finding SpidersIn the final week of taught content learners start to bring together the knowledge gained in the last three weeks to help them locate spiders. Learners will look at types of spider habitats, look at basic collection methods and develop the skills needed to collect and handle spider specimens without harming them. Learners will also begin to learn and practice the formation of observations in order to start to build the foundations for the formation of basic identification skills. This topic ends with the last of our practical assignments, to find and make observations of a live spider specimen.

Course fees

Regular Price: £60   For professionals and residents outside of the UK.  Select ‘Attendee (Online)’

Subsidised Price: £20   Subsidised by the FSC BioLinks project for non-professionals eg. volunteers, biological recorders, wildlife gardeners, amateur naturalists and students.Available to UK residents only.   Select ‘Attendee Discounted (Online)’

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