Launch of Spiders of Ireland eCourse

The National Biodiversity Data Centre have launched the ‘Spiders of Ireland; a free course hosted on Ireland’s Biodiversity Learning Platform. This course gives an introduction to some of Ireland’s native spider species, looking at 13 of our 390 native species.

Photo by Oisín Duffy

Should I learn about spiders?

Spiders are one of the few groups of invertebrates that can cause such a divide among people – some people are terrified, some people are captivated.

This course is both for those who are terrified and those who are already captivated by spiders. Spiders unless provoked, won’t bite humans. Generally this happens when they are stuck in clothing that you are putting on or if they are handled clumsily.

The wonderful thing about spiders is, you don’t have to travel to find them, we can find them in gardens, offices, parks, ponds and yes our homes too. Autumn is a good time of year to learn about spiders as they come into our homes for shelter and mating opportunities.

What will I learn from this course?

From the comfort of your own home, you can learn about:

  • The diversity of spiders in Ireland
  • The life cycle of spiders
  • Interesting facts about spiders, for example: Did you know female spiders and generally bigger than males? Or that some species of spider live almost completely in water? Or that Crab Spiders can change their colour depending on what flower they are hunting on.

Learn much more by taking this free course. On successful completion of this course, you will receive a  digital certificate.