Burke Museum Home
Photo by Gregory C. JensenHalibut fish hookIvory seal carvingWater lizard fossilTlingit chief's pipeGateway, MaoriNorthwest Coast drumGinkgo leaf fossilOcean spray, Holodiscus discolorTrilobitesPeruvian textilepink fairiesCedar-root basketSwainson's thrush eggsKorean alphabetSauropod egg nestFilipino skirtanglerfishStriped whipsnake, Masticophis taeniatusBlue-eyed Mary, Collinsia parvifloraSkull of Probactrosaurus gobiensisEskimo dollMaori flax basketHolding a specimen at Bug BlastPelt lichen, Peltigera sp.Columbia River petroglyphHaida bird maskPorcupine, Erethizon dorsatumAustralian jumping spider
Arachnology

Arachnology at the Burke


Arachnology is the study of spiders and other Arachnida. Within these pages, you can learn more about the Burke's terrestrial invertebrates division, its collections, and the ever-popular "Spider Myths".

The collection at the Burke Museum includes 150,000 spiders, as well as other terrestrial invertebrates such as 37,000 butterflies and moths, and some 250,000 additional specimens including worms, cave fauna, scorpions, and a very small flea collection.


People

Rod Crawford
Curatorial Associate of Arachnids
Phone: 206-543-9853
E-mail: 

Research

Jumping spider
Jumping spider, Cosmophasis rubra, photographed in Edmonton, Queensland, Australia in 1974.
Photo by Bob Thomson

Featured in Arachnology


icon
Spider Myths

Myths, misconceptions, and superstitions. Test your own "Spider IQ."

icon
Spiders of Washington

An annotated checklist of the spiders of Washington.

icon
Spider Curation Procedures (PDF)

If you can't find the answer to your question in Spider Myths, you can ask Seattle's expert on Pacific Northwest spiders using the online question form.

"Spider Myths" Awards

  • Surfing the Net with Kids "Spiders Pick"— May 2011
  • Science Magazine NetWatch Dec. 2005
  • USAToday.com Top three "hot sites" nationally
  • ScientificAmerican.com "Science & Technology Web Awards 2005"
  • The Exploratorium Top ten sites
  • National Resource Defense Council "Pick of the Week"—January 2005
  • WorldStart "Cool Site Award"


Header image: Tetragnatha laboriosa by Lynette Schimming.