"Spiders of the Eastern U.S., A Photographic Guide"

The Department of Biology at Samford University is proud to announce the publication of a full-color reference book on spiders of the Eastern United States by W. Mike Howell and Ronald L. Jenkins, 2004, Pearson Education.

The book contains identifying characteristics for each species along with life history information including ecology, behavior, and geographic distribution, and up-to-date taxonomic and systematic treatment of each spider family and species.

Other chapters provide information about:

the human need to identify spiders, difficulties in spider identification, and photographic techniques used to capture close-up spider images;
comparison of spiders and insects, with an explanation of the differences of spider venoms from insect venoms;
spider silk and webs, which includes discussions on uses of spider silk, spider spinnerets, the chemical and physical nature of spider silk, how spiders use old silk to make new silk, and the distinctive kinds of spider webs woven by different spider species;
spider ecology;
principles of spider classification;
comparison of cribellate and ecribellate spiders.

To order the book: Telephone Pearson Education "Individual Order Department" at 1-800-374-1200; ask for Spiders of the Eastern United States: A Photographic Guide, 2004, by W. Mike Howell and Ronald L. Jenkins, ISBN 0-536-75853-0. Price $28.00 U.S. currency. If you want an autographed copy, contact the authors or the Samford University Bookstore.

Samford University's "Seasons" magazine cover picturing "Spidermen," Ron Jenkins and Mike Howell, photographing a spider in the Sciencenter medicinal plant conservatory