Special Projects at the Museum of Entomology (FSCA): Arachnida
ALAS (Arthropods of La Selva) - This is
a longterm NSF funded project to inventory the species diversity
of the Organization for Tropical Studies (OTS) field station at La
Selva, Costa Rica. The spiders are represented by a survey
of the Salticidae, the largest family of spiders based on numbers
of described species, the specialty of the present arachnid
curator at the FSCA who is lead scientist on this aspect of the
survey.
Survey of the Spiders of Florida - An
estimated 900 species occur in Florida. Presently, 615
Florida species are represented in the FSCA. A literature
search is underway to fill in a checklist of the species known
from the state. Field work is continuing in an effort to map
the distribution of the species in the state, especially the more
poorly known species.