A male Maratus volans peacock spider. Image made available through generous donation of its original author.
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What good are spiders?

Apart from their intrinsic right to be here, spiders do humans a power of good as well.

A spider sits atop a pencil.
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Why the 2010s were the decade of the peacock spider

How disruptors and digital technology led to a frenzy of scientific discovery.

Black wasp
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Predator vs predator

Wasps give huntsman spiders a taste of their own medicine.

Cockroach
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Bountiful Mallee

Close encounters with Mallee insects.

A black and white image of a toadlet.
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Under fire: The animals threatened by Australia’s bushfire crisis

If there’s one place in the world that knows about extinction, it’s a natural history museum.

Female Badge Huntsman Spider underside
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Is my spider a boy or a girl?

At some times in a spider’s life it is easy to tell, but at other times it can be impossible.

Black Rock Scorpion
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Scorpion facts and fallacies

Are all scorpions dangerous? Answers to this and other common scorpion questions. 

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Your eight-legged housemates

At Museums Victoria we are often asked: “What kind of spider is this? It was in my house! Is it dangerous?”

a closeup of a small orange coloured spider with big eyes pointing of its legs
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Nemo found: new species of dancing peacock spider named

Meet the newest dancing peacock spider, Maratus nemo.

a small scorpion glowing green under uv light
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Glowing animals: understanding bioluminescence and biofluorescence

What do a Platypus, a Dragonfish and a Scorpion all have in common?

a spider looking straight at the viewer
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Top spider myths

A myth for each leg: from the deadly Daddy Long-legs to swallowing spiders in your sleep.

an upside down praying mantis posing
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Live bugs, in a museum?

What does the thought of picking up a bug do to you? It’s just a day in the life for our Live Exhibits keepers. 

Venoms & antivenoms at Museum Victoria
Museums Victoria Collections

Venoms & antivenoms at Museum Victoria

Through necessity, Australia is a world leader in venom and antivenom research.

Five girls looking for marine life on a boat.
Museums Victoria Collections

Help us document biodiversity – record your own sightings

Front view of brown spider showing two rows of eyes.
Museums Victoria Collections

Wolf spiders

Some Wolf Spiders shelter in permanent burrows, others wander during the day.

Black, white and yellow spiny spider on web.
Museums Victoria Collections

Spiny Spider

Also known as the Christmas spider or jewel spider.

Black spider with red markings with eggs.
Museums Victoria Collections

Redback Spider

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