Spider Survey - How to Participate | Natural History Museum of Los Angeles
From Malaysia, Nephila maculata, this creature is also known as the “giant wood spider” or “golden silk spider.”
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How to Participate
Set up a pitfall trap to catch spiders in your garden and send them to the Museum. We will identify them, catalog them, and create a map of the species distributions of our resident spiders. Below are the instructions, or you can download a flyer (600K, PDF).
Step 1: Set Up Your Pitfall Trap
Find a Good Location
Places to consider are flower beds and under bushes where leaves collect.
Set Up
Find a small plastic container (about the size of a yogurt pot). Dig a hole deep enough for the container to fit flush to the ground. This is important since spiders will go around even a small barrier. Smooth the dirt up to the lip of the container. Add about an inch of water to the trap, so spiders can't just climb out. You can place a cover over the trap supported by small stones at each corner, leaving at least an inch above ground level, or just leave the trap uncovered.
Step 2: Check Your Pitfall Trap
Go out every day to see what is in your trap. Collect the spiders and replace the water with a fresh supply.
Step 3: Collect Spiders
When you find a spider in your trap, collect it. This can be easily managed by removing the container from the ground and tipping the spider into another container (semi-transparent film canisters work well) or leaving the trap in place and picking up the spiders with tweezers. Include a cotton ball soaked in rubbing alcohol in the container to preserve the spider.
Step 4: Send Us Your Spiders
Once you have your spider in a container, you should fill out a data sheet. Data sheets include relevant collection information (date, collector, location, etc) so the specimen is useful to our scientists. Download a data sheet here (36K, PDF). Once you have filled out the information send us your spiders. You can either mail them to the address below, or bring them in person to the Museum's front desk.
Mail To:
Spider Survey
Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
900 Exposition Boulevard
Los Angeles CA 90007
Drop Off Instructions:
Bring the spiders to the Museum. We have a box at the main entrance where you can drop them off, along with your data sheet.