Spiders AIDGAP
Spiders AIDGAP is an identification guide to the 34 families of spiders in Britain.
- Identification taken to family level
- Illustrated with line drawings throughout
- Many families can be identified from living specimens
Over 600 species of spider occur in Britain and Ireland. They are an important component of terrestrial ecosystems. Spiders are exclusively carnivorous, and they are often present in great numbers. As a result they are extremely significant in the food chain.
Unfortunately spiders are a difficult group for the beginner. A good first step is to assign the spider to a family.
This guide features two keys, enabling alternative routes to identification. Firstly there is a traditional dichotomous key to spider families. This key uses morphological characters that are visible under low-power magnification. Secondly there is a tabular guide to spider families, including a range of behavioural and ecological characters. Accompanying text includes sections on spider morphology, biology and ecology. The illustrated glossary defines the important terminology used for spider anatomy.
The spiders guide is part of the AIDGAP series (Aids to Identification in Difficult Groups of Animals and Plants). The aim of AIDGAP series is to produce accessible keys suitable for non-specialists from age 16+. Although written by specialists, all AIDGAP guides go through field tests in draft form. As with all guides in the series, the Spiders AIDGAP underwent extensive testing before publication, by beginners and specialists alike. The author has revised this, the first published version, in the light of the testers’ experience.