Wikipedia:WikiProject Spiders/Article structure


 * This page represents the opinion of one editor and does not have consensus, either from WP:SPIDERS or wider.

Based partly on the featured article Redback spider, an outline structure for spider articles can be suggested.

One area in which there is considerable variation in existing articles is the order of the Taxonomy and Description sections, which also varies in other articles about organisms. It seems to be agreed that these should be the first two sections, but not what their order should be. The section headings below can be expanded as appropriate.

Taxonomy
Covers the first describer, etymology of the scientific name, classification and phylogeny.

Divisions
For genera and higher ranks, this section includes a subsection listing the divisions, e.g. species for genus articles, genera for family articles. The actual section heading would be "Species", "Genera", etc.

Description
Physical description (i.e. morphology).

Behavior
(Or "Behaviour" depending on the WP:ENGVAR in use.) Life cycle, reproduction, web, and prey capture can be included here.

Distribution and habitat
Distinguish between native and introduced distributions.

Ecology
Interactions with other species, either as predator or prey.

Threats and conservation
Rarely needed for spiders other than tarantulas.

Interaction with humans
Species with medically significant bites would have properly sourced material here; sources must respect WP:MEDRS when medical issues are involved.

Cultural significance
Rarely appropriate for spiders!