As in all fields of the natural sciences, arachnology uses a number of specific tools for data collection and analysis. I regularly use standard collecting methods to obtain spiders in the field (e.g. hand collecting with a home-made exhaustor, utilizing umbrellas as collecting and sieving funnels, headlamps during the night, beating sticks, pitfall traps).

storing spiders and labels in ethanol solution

I kill and store the collected spiders in ethanol solutions (ω = 70-80 %) before determining them to species back in my laboratory. Spider determinagion includes a couple of preparation methods (see details), microscopy and the use of mounting media (see details).

I also use a number of more or less specialized software tools for data analysis.