Araneae Collection

Heteropoda venatoria, huntsman spider
This a large brown spider with a flattened body structure and a leg span of between 7 and 12 cm. These spiders hunt at night, and mainly prey upon cockroaches

Thespesia populnea, portia tree
Finished watercolour by Sydney Parkinson made during Captain James Cooks first voyage across the Pacific, 1768-1771

Oligonychus ununguis, red spider mite
Red spider mites are arachnids with four pairs of legs and no antennae. They are a plant-sucking pest mainly active in the hot summer weather

Pepsis heros, tarantula hawk wasp
The tarantula hawk wasp has a wingspan of 11cm, and a body length up to 7cm. As their name suggests, they feed on tarantual spiders

Macrocheira kaempferi, giant Japanese giant spider crab
Specimen of the giant Japanese spider crab (Macrocheira kaempferi). This bottom-feeding, deep-sea crustacean is the largest crab in the world reaching a leg span of almost 4m

Spiders, insects and hummingbird on guava tree
Hand-coloured engraving based on Maria Sibylla Merian watercolour. From Metamorphosis insectorum Surinamensium, 1726 edition. Date: 1726

Macrocheira kaempferi, Japanese spider crab
Specimen of the largest crab alive. When fully grown its legs can span amost 4m. It lives at the bottom of the Pacific around Japan

Phormictopus cancerides, Haitian brown tarantula
The Haitian brown tarantula (Phormictopus cancerides) is an aggressive bird-eating tarantula. Specimen derives from the Republic of Haiti in the Caribbean

Dysdera crocata, woodlouse spider
This spider tends to live underneath stones and logs with its main prey being woodlice

Theraphosa leblondi, goliath tarantula
This spider, from the northern Amazonia, has a leg-span of 250mm

Tarantula
Watercolour by J Hayes from the Thomas Hardwicke Collection, c.1820 Date: circa 1820

Spider-hunting wasp
A spider-hunting wasp wedging her prey between grass blades before making a burrow

Sicilian amber containing two spiders which date from the Oligocene period about 30 million years old. Fig. 36 from Amber the Natural Time Capsule

Siler semiglaucus, jumping spider
A close-up head-on view of the four eyes and fangs of the jumping spider (Siler semiglaucus) from Sri Lanka

Nephilengys malabarensis, orb-web spider
A tropical orb-weaving spider (Nephilengys malabarensis) on its web, photographed in Sri Lanka

Hyas araneus, great spider crab
Plate 112 from a collection of watercolour sketches by William W. Ellis (?-1785) made on Captain James Cooks third voyage to explore the south (1776-1780)

Brachyteles sp. woolly spider monkey
Brachyteles frontatus. Hand coloured lithograph from a drawing by Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins (1807-1889)

Epocilla aurantiaca, jumping spider
This species of jumping spider (Epocilla aurantiaca) was photographed in Sri Lanka

Lasia sp. small-headed fly
Acrocerid fly (small-headed fly) from Mexico, flies of this genus are parasitoids of tarantulas. Specimen held at the Natural History Museum, London

Dolomedes fimbriatus, great raft spider model
A large scale model of a great raft spider (Dolomedes fimbriatus), a semi aquatic spider native to Britain held within the Natural History Museum, London

Lambis lambis, common spider conch
A pair of common spider conch (Lambis lambis). This heavilly ornamented gastropod, has large shell projections, it originates from the Western Indo-Pacific

Bartholina burmanniana, spider orchid
Lithograph by Gebhart from an original pencil drawing by Franz Bauer, published in Iconographia generum plantarum (1838) by Stephan Endlicher

Salticus senecus, zebra jumping spider
Scanning electron microscope image of a zebra jumping spider from the UK (x 35). Note the two large eyes that give them excellent binoular vision. Coloured artificially on computer

Odontodactylus scyallarus, mantis shrimp

Lambris chiragra, spider conch
Watercolour of a spider conch by Sarah Stone (c. 1760-1844) from the collection of Sir Ashton Lever

Misumena vatia, flower spider
Female flower spiders can adapt their colour to match the flowers they hide on in order to ambush their prey

Heteropoda venatoria & Avicularia avicularia
Huntsman spider (Heteropoda venatoria) and pinktoe tarantula (Avicularia avicularia). Engraving made for Metamorphosis Insectorum (1705) by Maria Sybilla Merian

English spiders with butterflies
Watercolour drawing of spiders and butterflies prepared for A Natural History of Spiders and other Curious Insects (1736) by Eleazar Albin

English spiders
Watercolour drawing of spiders prepared for A Natural History of Spiders and other Curious Insects (1736) by Eleazar Albin

Aranea maxima ceilonica, tarantula
Fig 1, Tab 69, an illustration of a large tarantula spider feeding on its prey from Thesaurus Volume 1, by Albertus Seba

English spiders by Eleazar Albin
Watercolour drawing of spiders prepared for A Natural History of Spiders and other Curious Insects by Eleazar Albin, 1736

Tegenaria gigantia, house spider
Its usually the males which are seen struggling in baths, as they tend to wander in searching for females and get stuck. The males have longer legs and slimmer abdomens that the females

Spider trichobothrium hair
Scanning electron microscope (SEM) image of the base of a trichobothrium hair (x 1, 000). The hair is an air-movement sensor extending from the pit in the cuticle of a spiders leg

Abliguritor niger, fossil spider in amber
This Oligocene spider, about 1 cm long, is encased in amber from the Baltic

Inachus dorsettensis, scorpion spider crab
Photograph of a scorpion spider crab (Inachus dorsettensis)

Willemite
A specimen of willemite (zinc silicate) photographed under UV light

Scientist working in Entomology Department
Entomologist working with arachnid collection at the Natural History Museum, London

Scientist identifying specimens
Entomologist identifying arachnid specimens held at the Natural History Museum, London

Argiope bruennichi, wasp spider
The wasp spider is a non-poisonous species from the Mediterranean that is now also found in southern England. Specimen held at the Natural History Museum, London

Spider illustration
Drawing 403 from the Watling Collection titled Murraragan by a Port Jackson Painter, 1788-1797

Fake amber
A fake spider that has been inserted into melted Kauri gum to look like amber. Fig. 16 page no.7 from Amber The Natural Time Capsule

Insects
Drawing 402 from the Watling Collection simply titled a crab, a spider, a snail, two butterflies and a caterpillar by Thomas Watling

Isle of Wight amber
Spider in Isle of Wight amber. Lower Cretaceous about 130 million years old. Borrowed from Museum of Isle of Wight Geology

Ptinus tectus, spider beetle
Scanning electron microscope image of a spider beetle (x 9). The long antennae, hairy body and waist-like constriction give this beetle the appearance of a spider

Arachnids in an amber pendant
Two arachnids (Phalaphium sp.) harvestman and (Oxyopes sp.) lynx spider trapped and preserved in amber. The amber has been made into a pendant for a necklace

Araneus saevus, great round web spider
An illustration of a great round web female spider from Insects of Georgia by John Abbot (1751-1840)

Spider and beetles illustration
From the John Reeves Collection of Entomological Drawings (Bound)

All Professionally Made to Order for Quick Shipping