Research
Research programs in arachnology at the Australian Museum include the systematics, phylogeny and zoogeography of spiders, harvestmen and mites, particularly in relation to the Australian fauna.
Dr Mike Gray is the Senior Research Scientist in arachnology. His current research interests include:
Taxonomy
- Systematics of the Australian stiphidioid spiders
Ongoing generic studies aim to clarify the limits and relationships of Australian "stiphidioid" spiders, including their probable affinities with the New Zealand/New Caledonian agelenid fauna. Current work is concentrated on the "scape" and "striped" generic groups (with Helen Smith), and the Taurongia generic group. - Systematics of Australian desid spiders
Studies of species and genera within the badumnine, namandiine and amphinectine groups (and the position of the distinctive marine spiders in Desis); define subfamily/family limits. - Funnel-web spiders: morphology and molecules
This project compares funnel-web species of the Hadronyche infensa species group from northern New South Wales as a comparative test of their species status based upon morphological and molecular criteria (with Australian Museum's Evolutionary Biology Unit)
http://www.amonline.net.au/evolutionary_biology/research/projects/ame.htm
Biodiversity and conservation
- Invertebrate diversity in impacted coastal heathlands
This collaborative study (with L. Wilkie & G. Cassis) investigated the diversity of invertebrates in natural and bitou bush weed invaded coastal heathlands to assess impacts, surrogacy and rapid biodiversity techniques. - Spider webs as pollution indicators
A collaborative study (with Drs G. Hose , Environment Protection Authority; J. James, University of Sydney) of spider webs as indicators of chemical and dust pollution from vehicular traffic and natural sources in the Grand Arch, Jenolan Caves and two other cave arches in New South Wales. - Jenolan caves fauna - litter trapping project
Litter traps are being used to comparatively sample terrestrial invertebrates in both tourist and wild cave systems at Jenolan, New South Wales. (with assistance from Sydney University Speleogical Society and Jenolan Guides)
Arachnidism
- Spider envenomation in Australia
An ongoing cooperative study with Dr G. Isbister (Mater Hospital, Newcastle) and others. Symptomology and locality data is being systematically collected from clinical reports on spider envenomation for identified spiders.
