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An exhibition developed & toured by the Australian Museum & Questacon – The National Science and Technology Centre

The Spiders exhibition is a joint project

between the Australian Museum and

Questacon – The National Science &

Technology Centre, Canberra.

This is a face-to-face interactive encounter

with over 200 real spider specimens

including live Australian Tarantulas, Giant

Water Spiders and deadly Funnel-webs

and Redbacks. Questacon-engineered

interactives will allow the visitor to engage

in full body experiences that involve

competing in a mating ritual with a

dancing Peacock Spider using Kinect

gaming technology; hold a virtual spider

in your hand; test the strength of silk;

feel web vibrations and experience the jaws

of a spider.

This combination of immersion and

information showcases the latest science

that allows the visitor an up close glimpse

into the fascinating world of spiders.

OVERVIEW• Over 200 real spider specimens

including live spiders

• Labels and text panels

• 11 interactive exhibits including a Spider Jaw game, Kinect Spider Dance-off, touchscreens and Augmented Reality Spiders

• AV of spider behaviour and interviews with Spider scientists

• Spider models

• Fossils and spiders in amber

• As exhibition partners, host venues are encouraged to profile their collections within the exhibition.

FEATURES

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200 SPECIMENS AND 11 LIVE SPIDER EXHIBITS Come face-to-face with some of the world’s most deadly,colourful and fascinating real live spiders and their webs. Get closer than ever to hundreds of immaculately presented dried spider specimens.

1. AUSTRALIAN FUNNEL-WEBAtrax robustus

2. GIANT WATER SPIDERMegadolomedes australianus

3. REDBACK SPIDERLatrodectus hasseltii

4. GOLDEN ORB SPIDER Nephila plumipes

EXHIBITIONFEATURES

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200 SPECIMENS AND 11 LIVE SPIDER EXHIBITS Come face to face with some of the world’s most deadly,

colourful and fascinating real live spiders and their webs. Get

closer than ever to hundreds of immaculately presented dried

spider specimens.

1. AUSTRALIAN FUNNEL-WEBAtrax robustus

2. PEACOCK SPIDERMaratus elephans

3. WHISTLING TARANTULASelenotholus foelschei

4. GIANT WATER SPIDERMegadolomedes australianus

5. REDBACK SPIDERLatrodectus hasseltii

6. GOLDEN ORB SPIDERNephila plumipes

EXHIBITIONFEATURES

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200 SPECIMENS AND 11 LIVE SPIDER EXHIBITS Come face to face with some of the world’s most deadly,

colourful and fascinating real live spiders and their webs. Get

closer than ever to hundreds of immaculately presented dried

spider specimens.

1. AUSTRALIAN FUNNEL-WEBAtrax robustus

2. PEACOCK SPIDERMaratus elephans

3. WHISTLING TARANTULASelenotholus foelschei

4. GIANT WATER SPIDERMegadolomedes australianus

5. REDBACK SPIDERLatrodectus hasseltii

6. GOLDEN ORB SPIDERNephila plumipes

EXHIBITIONFEATURES

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DR MIKE GRAY, AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM

Debunking the White Tail Spider bite myth

and skin necrosis.

DR ROBERT RAVEN, QUEENSLAND MUSEUM

Discovering new Australian Tarantula

species including the most dense Tarantula

population in the world.

DR MY HEDHAMMAR, SPIBER TECHNOLOGIES, SWEDEN

Replicating spider silk for use in

heart surgery.

DR AMBER BEAVIS, WESTERN AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM

Researching the maternal and social

behavior of the world’s only communal

Huntsman Spider.

PETER GORHAM, UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII

Researching how spiders use static

electricity in the atmosphere to “fly”.

CONTEMPORARY SCIENCE

- TEXT PANELS- AUDIO VISUAL DISPLAYS

- INTERACTIVES- MODELS AND DIORAMAS

The latest discoveries relating to spiders, spider behaviour, silk and venom are

explained with:

Research highlights include:

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WHAT IS A SPIDER

Visitors to Spiders are dared to enterinto the world of hunting, burrowing andweaving spiders and learn the origin ofarachnids from a time before dinosaurs.This is illustrated with fossils and amberfrom the Australian Museum collection.

SPIDER DIVERSITY & DISTRIBUTION

The diversity of spiders is a major theme ofthe exhibition and a family tree illustratedwith real spider specimens begins thejourney into understanding some of the48,000 + species from around the world.Using 3D scanning technology aninteractive touchscreen demonstratesspider anatomy as visitors virtually dissectand view spiders from the inside out.

Spiders inhabit just about every cornerof the globe and the range of habitats canbe explored though touchscreens withaudio visual content and interactivespider environments.

SPIDER REPRODUCTION

Stunning world-first footage of thephenomenal 3mm long Peacock Spider andhis mating ritual introduce the visitor to thedangerous world of spider reproduction.

SPIDER SURVIVAL

Just how these creatures have survivedmillions of years all over the world isunveiled through an explanation of venom,silk, movement, vision and vibrations. Thiscontent involves hands-on interactives,models and live deadly Funnel-web andRedback Spider specimens.

SPIDER SCIENCE DISCOVERIES

There is a constant stream of new sciencediscoveries in the field of arachnologyand venom and silk technologies thatare highlighted in the exhibition throughinterviews with scientists. TraditionalAboriginal knowledge systems are alsoincluded to add to our understanding ofspiders, silk and venom.

EXHIBITION THEMES

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DISPLAY EXAMPLEScientifically rigorous information is disseminated

through text panels; info-graphics; diagrams; large scale models;

video content; photographic images and scanning electron

microscope (SEM) scans.

Types of silk digram

SILKProducing silk (and venom) throughout their lives is the secret to spiders’ impact as the world’s most successful non-human predators.

Silk-making insects (like caterpillars, webspinners and weaver ants) produce only one simple type of silk from glands in their mouthparts or feet. However, spiders produce a number of types of silk proteins and have highly complex spinning organs called spinnerets on the abdomen. Spiders typically have two or three spinneret pairs, made up of many microscopic spigots. Some have a spinning plate, called a cribellum.

Silk protein, in a liquid form, leaves the glands through long ducts and out the body through the spigots. Each spigot has a valve that controls the thickness of the silk filament. The protein molecules are stretched and link together to form long strands. The spinnerets combine the strands together to form the sturdy silk fibre.

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This is a view of the spigots on the spinnerets of an ant-eating spider Euryopis sp.

The spider throws copious silk (from the large slot-like spigots) over an ant’s head, then runs around to tangle its legs in more silk before biting. These special spigots are typical of spiders in the Family Theridiidae, which includes the Redback Spider.

ORB WEB-WEAVER’S

SILK & SILK GLANDS

Cylindrical gland Creates silk that makes the tough, insulating cover around egg sacs.

Capture spiral silk

Egg sac silk

Auxillary spiral silk Structural silk

Attachment silk

Aggregate gland Creates silk that forms gluey, highly adhesive droplets on the capture spiral.

Aciniform glandCreates silk that forms a soft inner lining within the egg sac and silk that wraps up prey.

Minor ampullate glandCreates silk that forms the auxillary spiral, which is a guide for making the capture spiral.

Major ampullate glandCreates silk that forms the dragline and structure of the web.

Pyriform glandCreates silk that cements joints and attachments.

Flagelliform gland Creates silk that forms the structural fibres of the capture spiral.

TOP ROW LEFT TO RIGHT

Trapdoor Spider Cataxia pulleinei has two pairs of spinnerets. Most of the long, slender spigots look similar.

Flower Spider Sidymella rubrosignata (shown sideways) has three pairs of spinnerets. Spigots for different silks look different.

BOTTOM ROW LEFT TO RIGHT

Garden Orb-weaving Spider Eriophora sp. has three pairs of spinnerets and a small protrusion called a colulus. Several kinds of silk are produced from spigots of different shapes and sizes.

Sheet Web-weaving Spider Taurongia punctata has three pairs of spinnerets and a cribellum. The cribellum is a spinning plate covered in tiny spigots.

HUNTER HUNTER

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This is a view of the spigots on the spinnerets of an ant-eating spider Euryopis sp.

The spider throws copious silk (from the large slot-like spigots) over an ant’s head, then runs around to tangle its legs in more silk before biting. These special spigots are typical of spiders in the Family Theridiidae, which includes the Redback Spider.

SILKProducing silk (and venom) throughout their lives is the secret to spiders’ impact as the world’s most successful non-human predators.

Silk-making insects (like caterpillars, webspinners and weaver ants) produce only one simple type of silk from glands in their mouthparts or feet. However, spiders produce a number of types of silk proteins and have highly complex spinning organs called spinnerets on the abdomen. Spiders typically have two or three spinneret pairs, made up of many microscopic spigots. Some have a spinning plate, called a cribellum.

Silk protein, in a liquid form, leaves the glands through long ducts and out the body through the spigots. Each spigot has a valve that controls the thickness of the silk filament. The protein molecules are stretched and link together to form long strands. The spinnerets combine the strands together to form the sturdy silk fibre.

Extended label for model

Spigots model Lightbox display of Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of spinnerets

Subtheme text Original Silk subtheme display as seen in the exhibition

6

7 LB Webs & silk

SPIDERS IN YOUR BACKYARD

5 LB Sensing their world

4

touch screen

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4 LB Reproduction & Growth

56 LB Diet Jaws & Venom

HOLD A

SPIDER VR

INTRODUCTION LB:'Spiders are older'

SPIDERS AND YOU

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8. Spiders & Us22

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B SIGHTLIVE JUMPING SPIDER & NET CASTING SPIDER

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B CAMOUFLAGELIVE WATER SPIDERS

SPIDER SUPERGAPHICS

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B SLIDING MAGNIFIER 3D SCANS

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LB FAMILY

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B EVOLUTION

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B ANATOMY

B VENOMB MYTH BUSTING

DANCE OFF

PEACOCK SPIDER DANCING FOOTAGE LOOP PROJECTION X 2

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AUSTRALIAN DIVERSITY

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JAWSINTERACTIVE

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SPIDER SOUND

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LIGHTBOXES

SUPERGRAPHIC

SUGGESTED NEW SUPERGRAPHIC

MULTIMEDIA

LIVE DISPLAY

INTERACTIVES

INFILL REQUIRED

KEEPER AREA

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GALLERY WALL FINISH - BLACK LOW SHEEN ACRYLIC: DULUX BLACK OR RESENE NERO

TOTAL EXHIBITION AREA: 457M2

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1:100DESIGN

ISSUED FOR

SCALE @ A3

JOB NO.

PROJECT SITE

DRAWN DATE

DRAWING NO.

PROJECT

DRAWING TITLE

THEME

CLIENT

Australian Museum

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SPIDERS17_SPI_AMWO

Issue 2 - LAYOUTREV. DATE DESCRIPTION BY

All dimensions are in millimetres unless otherwise shown.Do not scale off this drawing. Use figured dimensions only.All dimensions and existing conditions to be checked on site by the contractor prior to construction. Any discrepancies shall be brought to the attention of the designer prior to fabrication.Drawings © Wendy Osmond Design

REVISION

CHECKED

NOTES

JUNE 2017

1-100QUEEN VICTORIA MUSEUM & ART GALLERY, TAS

1.30

4/8/17SCH_SPIDERS_TOUR.vwx

PLAN SETOUT1:100

01-

INDICATIVE FLOORPLAN

VENUE GALLERY SIZE

CONSERVATION AND SECURITY

STANDARD RENTAL LENGTH

INSTALL AND DE-INSTALL TIME

up to 500m2 – flexible layout

Specialist staff required to maintainthe care & display of the live exhibits

3 month minimum

10 working days for each

to be negotiatedRENTAL FEE & FREIGHT COSTSP

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SPECIFICATIONS

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Louise Teteris Project Coordinator – Touring Exhibitions Australian Museum T +61 2 9320 6034 E louise.teteris@austmus.gov.au

CONTACT

SEM of a Flower Spider © Australian Museum

An exhibition developed & toured by the Australian Museum & Questacon – The National Science and Technology Centre