Spider IdentificationThe identification and classification of spiders, like the taxonomy of most arthropod groups, is very much a matter for specialists in the first instance. In many cases spiders can be identified to family by examination of the arrangement of the eyes and selected aspects of gross morphology, sometimes coupled with behavioral phenomena such as web or burrow construction. At the species level, however, spider taxonomy typically relies on features requiring microscopic examination, particularly the anatomy of the male and female reproductive structures. For this reason mature specimens are required; in their absence, spider taxonomists sometimes resort to the technique of trying to raise juvenile specimens to adulthood. It is only once these fundamental relationships have been sorted out that it may become possible, within known spider faunas, to rely on associated macroscopic features to make confident determinations. Otherwise, macroscopic features visible in the field or in hand are in many cases not a reliable basis for positive identification. Most spiders are sexually dimorphic, sometimes dramatically so. Males are typically smaller than females but frequently have relatively longer legs. In males, the terminal segments of the palps are modified into copulatory organs having a more or less bulbous shape. These makes it relatively easy to recognize male spiders. |
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