About...

...this website

This website was subsequently developed to assist people in identifying spiders found in South-east Queensland although many of the species featured may also be found in other parts of Australia. In addition, the site may be of some value for determining the family links of species that are very similar to, but not exactly the same as, spiders that are included here. Many species that do occur in South-east Queensland are not included on this site either because they have yet to be described and assigned a scientific name or because no good photos of them were available at the time the site was being constructed.

...the author

Dr Ron Atkinson provided instruction in physiology, pharmacology, toxicology and pathophysiology to Biology and Nursing students at the University of Southern Queensland in Toowoomba from 1968 until his retirement in 2006. His research interests during this period centred on the spiders of the Darling Downs and the toxicology of their venoms, and he published papers on funnel-web antivenoms, necrotising arachnidism, and the use of spider toxins as insecticides.

...the photographers

The majority of the images included in this website are photographs taken by Dr Ron Atkinson using either a Ricoh RDC 5300 or a Panasonic Lumix FZ50 digital camera. Any images not created by him have the name of the photographer shown on them. More recent additions to the site include many images taken by Robert Whyte, Nick Monaghan, Trevor Jinks, and many other keen photographers.

Email Ron Atkinson for more information. Last updated 18 September 2009.