The anatomy, physiology, behavior and ecology of a major proportion of New Zealand's spiders are the subject of this book.

The anatomy, physiology, behavior and ecology of a major proportion of New Zealand's spiders are the subject of this book.

Australians have a love–hate relationship with spiders. Some spiders, such as the Redback and the Sydney Funnelweb, inspire fear. Yet Peacock Spiders, with their colourful fan-spreading courtship dances, have won rapturous appreciation worldwide. A Field Guide to Spiders of Australia uses photographs of living animals to help people identify many of the spiders they encounter. Featuring over 1300 colour photographs, it is the most comprehensive account of Australian spiders ever published. With more than two-thirds of Australian spiders yet to be scientifically described, this book sets the scene for future explorations of our extraordinary Australian fauna. This field guide will be enjoyed by naturalists and anyone with an interest in learning more about Australia's incredible arachnids.

This authoritative catalogue will greatly assist readers in finding the correct taxonomic name for any given family, genus or species within each of the six arachnid orders treated. It contains a valuable summary of bibliographic information, enabling readers to access the worldwide literature for these smaller orders. The catalogue presents full bibliographic data on each of the taxa named thus far, treating over 1600 species. It contains the most current classification system for each group, some of which have not been catalogued on a world scale for over 70 years. A summary of taxonomic changes is included. This quality reference will be of immense value to arachnologists, systematists, taxonomists, ecologists and biodiversity professionals, especially those interested in tropical rainforest communities.

Human colonization of New Zealand has dramatically altered the resident biota, introduced numerous alien organisms to these once remote islands, and exported local species to the world. This book reviews invasions, investigates what controls the success of invaders and studies the consequences for ecosystems both on land and offshore. The book tests current theories about the success of invaders and evaluates principles for effective management of biological invasions worldwide.

In this book, the natural history of New Zealand's North Island, from Lake Taupo up, is described, including geology, soils, climate, flora and fauna. Chapters on different habitats are included, including forests, shrublands, wetlands and the coast.