The pioneer of tarantulas

Volker von Wirth dissects a tarantula.

The arachnologist is one of the most important tarantula taxonomists.

Mail He regularly receives mails from people asking for determining a spider.

Dissection The determination can be done with an exuvie - a spider's skin.

Microscope Typa characters can be identified under the microscope.

Eyes can be a typal character.

Chelicera So are the teeth.

Work room Hundreds of dead spiders are stored in von Wirth's work room.

Conserved In alcohol conserved spiders serve as reference objects.

Kiss Von Wirth is a hard rock fan.

Tarantula an Avicularia avicularia.

At life Von Wirth handles only some of the tarantulas by hand.

This story was published in German only.

30.10.2009