What is the scientific study of spiders and other arachnids called?

The scientific study of spiders and other arachnids is called arachnology.

Arachnology covers the biology, classification, evolution, behavior, ecology, and conservation of arachnids. Its subjects include spiders, scorpions, harvestmen, pseudoscorpions, ticks, and mites. Scientists who specialize in this field are called arachnologists.

The word comes from the Greek aráchnē, meaning “spider,” and lógos, meaning “study” or “discourse.” Arachnology is therefore broader than the study of spiders alone. Entomology focuses on insects, herpetology covers reptiles and amphibians, and malacology studies mollusks such as snails, clams, and octopuses.

A common mix-up is treating every small, many-legged arthropod as an insect. Arachnids typically have eight legs as adults and lack the wings and antennae characteristic of insects, although mites and ticks can look very different from familiar spiders.