Michael Draney

Michael Draney is a Professor in the Natural & Applied Sciences department at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, within its College of Science, Engineering and Technology. His research focuses on terrestrial arthropod assemblages, particularly spiders, with specialized expertise in the ecology and taxonomy of sheet web spiders (family Linyphiidae).

• Education: Ph.D. in Entomology (1997), M.S. in Entomology (1992), and Certificate in Environmental Ethics (1995), all from the University of Georgia.

Draney's work spans global spider conservation, tropical forest biodiversity, Arctic tundra ecology, and invasive species impact assessment. He has conducted extensive field surveys in the Everglades, Great Lakes region, Trinidad, and Alaska, with methodological contributions to sampling protocols for spiders and millipedes. His research combines taxonomic revisions, biogeographic analysis, and ecological studies of habitat specialization.

Recent publications highlight cross-regional comparisons (Congo vs. Panama), microhabitat studies of tree trunk spiders, and conservation profiling for 200+ spider species. He has also examined human phobias (spider vs. scorpion fear) and invasive slug/sl earthworm impacts on woodland ecosystems. Collaborative efforts include data transparency in global spider conservation (Supplementary Material 48) and long-term monitoring at the Arctic LTER site in Toolik Lake, Alaska.