Spider Identification Project — South Africa

The Soutpansberg Mountains are home to a rich and understudied diversity of arachnid species. The Lajuma Research Centre contributes to long-term biodiversity monitoring, with spiders providing valuable insight into habitat health, microclimate variation, and ecological change.

Internship Overview

Interns participate in surveys aimed at documenting spider species, web structure, microhabitats, and behaviour. The internship provides experience in invertebrate sampling methods and supports ongoing species inventories.

Key Activities:

• Conducting active searches and vegetation sweeps

• Documenting web structure, microhabitat, and behaviour

• Photographing specimens for identification

• Assisting with data entry and specimen organisation

Fieldwork Requirements

All fieldwork is carried out on foot, often over uneven terrain and in variable weather. Students should be comfortable living remotely, hiking, and have a basic level of fitness.

Eligibility

• Open to students, recent graduates, or individuals with interested in arachnids and species identification

Duration

A minimum stay of 8 weeks is recommended.

Conservation Fee

A conservation fee is required, which directly supports conservation and research efforts and includes:

• Shared accommodation

• Pick-up and drop-off from/to Louis Trichardt

• Fortnightly town trips for supplies