Incy-wincy darlings

KOCHI: Encountering a spider at home or their surroundings may not be a pleasing experience for many. But, the researchers working with the arachnology division of the zoology department at Sacred Heart College, Thevara, adore the eight-legged wonders.  

And the fandom is growing. The department recently conducted an online arachnology workshop, which saw a large number of students and researchers across Kerala. “A lot of youngsters are now interested in studying about spiders,” says Mathew M Joseph, head of the zoology department and its arachnology division.

It was Mathew’s late guru P A Sebastian who initiated studies on spiders at Sacred Hearts in the nineties. Researchers and volunteers from the college were acclaimed nationally as they spotted over 450 species of spiders in Kerala between 2010 and 2012. 

“Over 500 species of spiders of south India have been recorded so far by the research team,” says Mathew. “Notably, 50 new species have been documented. Though there are spiders in India, they are not deadly like the black widow found in the West.” Research areas include taxonomy and phylogeny of spiders, and their diversity.