If you thought Hong Kong was crawling with spiders, turns out you’re right: first-of-its-kind study catalogues 100 species
- Outdoor Wildlife Learning Hong Kong says 18-month study has resulted in extensive list of arthropods hidden in city’s nooks and crannies
- Survey finds two spider families, ghost and trachelid, neither of which had been scientifically logged as living in Hong Kong
Hong Kong is home to more than 100 species of spiders, according to a naturalist group that has compiled an online database dedicated to the creatures and which lays claim to several firsts about the local presence of a few types of arthropods.
Outdoor Wildlife Learning Hong Kong said on Saturday an 18-month research project carried out by more than 800 volunteers had allowed the group to catalogue 100 spider species but many more could be added after a scientific study of the data by taxonomists worldwide.
“Our biggest hope is to address people’s misconception and fear of spiders because they are sometimes portrayed in documentaries or films as antagonists,” said Ken So Ying-kin, an education and research manager with the conservation group.
“Through this scheme, we would also like to help enrich people’s understanding of Hong Kong’s biodiversity, not only about some popular creatures, such as birds and dragonflies, but also about animals as marginal as spiders.”
Outdoor Wildlife Learning conducted the habitat survey between December 2020 and May this year, covering mountain trails throughout Hong Kong.
According to the group, the trained residents, including students from primary and secondary schools, collected 4,783 valid spider records, comprising 33 families and 135 genera, a main taxonomic category that ranks above species and below family.