Other Arthropoda Collection

The KwaZulu-Natal Museum has a long history of arachnology research, and significant collections were built up by previous researchers. Currently we have no active researchers using these collections within the museum, but they still form an important resource for the international research community. In addition to the arachnology collection, smaller collections of myriapods, crustacea and onychophora

Spiders (6000 specimens) and scorpions form the largest part of the arachnology collections (2500); but opilionids (1300), pseudoscorpions (500), ticks and mites (1400), and solifugids (600) are also well represented. Terrestrial isopods (200) and amphipods (1500) are curated along with the arachnids. Much of this material is from KwaZulu-Natal, and was collected by Dr R. F. Lawrence who was based at the Natal Museum for more than 20 years. The collection includes more than 1000 type specimens.

The myriapod collection includes largest collection of identified millipedes (2000 lots) in Southern Africa, and includes over 200 type specimens. A substantial collection of centipedes (800) is also included and the onychophora collection (100) is the most important reference collection for eastern South Africa.