Te Papa Te Taiao Nature Series: Native Spiders of Aotearoa

By Phil Sirvid

Publication: October 2025
Pages: 136
Format: Hardback
ISBN:  978-1-99-107211-5

RRP: $27

Available 9 October 2025.

Part of the wildly popular Te Papa Te Taiao Nature Series, Native Spiders of Aotearoa is an accessible, handsomely illustrated guide to fifty of New Zealand’s most interesting native arachnid species, most of which are endemic to New Zealand.

Written by Te Papa entomology curator Phil Sirvid, Native Spiders includes curator notes on each species, insights into the museum’s fieldwork and collections and detailed drawings by specialist illustrators. A beautiful little hardback designed by award-winning designer Tim Denee, it’s an ideal keepsake or gift that can be used in the backyard or out in the natural world.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Phil Sirvid is Curator Invertebrates in the Natural History Team at Te Papa. Phil has looked after the insect and arachnid collections and been involved in science outreach at Te Papa for over 30 years. He has contributed to the Te Papa Press titles Why is That Spider Dancing?, 100 Natural History Treasures of Te Papa, and Nature—Stilled, and more recently co-authored Native Insects of Aotearoa – part of the Te Taiao Nature series – and The Incredible Insects of Aotearoa.