It is the scientific branch that is responsible for the study of arachnids, that is, spiders, as well as bodies similar to them. The origin of the term goes back to the Greek “arachne” (αραχνη), which means “spider” , as well as “logos” (λόγος), determining the word “knowledge” . It should be noted that there is another subdivision of zoology very similar to this, such as acarology, dedicated to the analysis of mites and ticks, being separated from arachnology due to the complexity and extensive range of bugs that can be found in this science.
More specifically, the objectives of arachnology focus on: the taxonomy of the found body, identifying the type of species to which it belongs within the systematic framework of arachnids, being the most basic step in the study; detail the anatomy of the living organism, including its physical and physiological characteristics; an important part of the whole process is the study of its venom, to identify how lethal it can be and if it can contribute to the development of a treatment for a certain disease; observing their behavior with respect to specimens of the same species or another, to measure if they have an aggressive temperament, what their defense weapons would be and their natureof the warnings it may launch; Finally, the environment from which the body comes and how it favors it would be analyzed.
The first writings on arachnology date back 250 years, being written by Carl Alexander Clerck, to be the first arachnologist in history. Today you can find different societies, focused on the branch, as well as different magazines; Some of the most prominent are: American Arachnological Society, British Arachnological Society, Czech Arachnological Society, European Society of Arachnology.
