Take a closer look

Artistic illustration: Ferns, dry grasses, mossy bark and fine silk threads introducing different habitats.

All topics

Spiders around the world

A journey through habitats and ways of life. Choose a region and discover our growing selection of species portraits.

The interactive world map ↗

Artistic illustration by Aik (AI), based on an idea by Mario (human). Not to scale; not a reference for species identification.

Artistic illustration: Black hairy jumping-spider motif with pale spots and green iridescent mouthparts on wood.

North America

Gardens, woodland edges and many other habitats: a jumping-spider portrait opens this collection.

Artistic illustration by Aik (AI), based on an idea by Mario (human). Not to scale; not a reference for species identification.

Artistic illustration: Dew-covered orb web before a misty tropical forest at dawn.

South America

Silk retreats, shared capture webs and wandering hunters reveal contrasting ways of life.

Artistic illustration by Aik (AI), based on an idea by Mario (human). Not to scale; not a reference for species identification.

Artistic illustration: Yellow, black and white striped orb-weaving spider among grasses, with a zigzag band in its web.

Europe

From meadows to window corners: familiar neighbours with contrasting webs and hunting methods.

Artistic illustration by Aik (AI), based on an idea by Mario (human). Not to scale; not a reference for species identification.

Artistic illustration: Small dark velvet-spider motifs at the edge of a shared silk nest among dry twigs.

Africa

A shared silk nest in southern Africa introduces an unusual social way of life.

Artistic illustration by Aik (AI), based on an idea by Mario (human). Not to scale; not a reference for species identification.

Artistic illustration: Long-legged orb-weaving spider with a yellow and dark abdomen in a web at a depicted Asian woodland edge.

Asia

Large orb webs and cautiously stalking jumping spiders open two very different perspectives.

Artistic illustration by Aik (AI), based on an idea by Mario (human). Not to scale; not a reference for species identification.

Artistic illustration: Small peacock jumping-spider motif with a raised colourful abdominal fan on a eucalyptus leaf.

Australia & Oceania

Tiny courtship displays and specialised hunting: two jumping-spider portraits invite a closer look.

Artistic illustration by Aik (AI), based on an idea by Mario (human). Not to scale; not a reference for species identification.

Understanding ways of life

Artistic illustration: Net-casting spider motif holding a small rectangular capture net between its front legs.

Silk & webs

Silk shaped into capture devices

Casting nets and sticky bolas show how behaviour and silk combine into a capture technique.

Artistic illustration by Aik (AI), based on an idea by Mario (human). Not to scale; not a reference for species identification.

Artistic illustration: Two small brown spiders in a web, one touching the silk with its front legs.

A spider’s life

Signals before an encounter

Colours, movements and vibrations open different routes to finding a mate.

Artistic illustration by Aik (AI), based on an idea by Mario (human). Not to scale; not a reference for species identification.

Artistic illustration: Wolf-spider motif carrying a pale egg sac at the rear of its abdomen on sandy ground.

A spider’s life

An egg sac is only the beginning

Guarding, carrying and feeding: parental care takes different forms among spiders.

Artistic illustration by Aik (AI), based on an idea by Mario (human). Not to scale; not a reference for species identification.

Artistic illustration: Spider in a web among leaves, a small insect and a distant perched bird in an ecological scene.

Habitats & relationships

Hunters in a web of relationships

Spiders eat, are eaten and connect many parts of an ecosystem.

Artistic illustration by Aik (AI), based on an idea by Mario (human). Not to scale; not a reference for species identification.