A Tangled Web: Spiders, Trade, and Conservation

Unsustainable and unregulated wildlife trade can represent a significant yet often overlooked threat to biodiversity, particularly for taxa that remain poorly studied and underrepresented in international trade regulations and conservation assessments, as is the case for many invertebrates. Spiders are increasingly popular in the exotic pet trade, yet the diversity of species involved, the factors driving their commercialisation, and the potential conservation implications remain poorly understood. Drawing on research into the global trade in tarantulas, we investigate how species traits and market-related factors shape trade patterns and prices. Our findings highlight the complex interplay between biological characteristics and market dynamics in shaping species' abundance in trade and their commercial value. Alongside these investigations, we are also coordinating an international collaborative initiative to document the global trade in tarantulas and to generate, compile, and analyse ecological and distributional data to support IUCN Red List assessments and inform international trade policies. By connecting trade patterns, species characteristics, and conservation knowledge gaps, our efforts aim to identify potentially vulnerable species and inform conservation priorities for an often-overlooked group.

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