Discover which new species of creepy crawlies have been found lurking around the State’s South Coast in the next In the Wild West lecture at the Western Australian Museum – Albany on 16 and 17 August.

‘New discoveries in the world around us’, presented by WA Museum Head of Terrestrial Zoology Dr Mark Harvey will reveal some of the new species of spiders, reptiles, frogs, scorpions and insects recently found in WA.

Dr Harvey said the cool climate of the Great Southern region provides a perfect ecosystem for the persistence of many ancient lineages of species.

“Earlier this year we discovered and described four new varieties of Assassin spiders from the Stirling Ranges, Pemberton and Cape Le Grand, and in 2010 more than twenty new species of millipedes were discovered in the Great Southern,” Dr Harvey said.

Dr Harvey said the lecture is a celebration of how fortunate Western Australians are to live in one of the last regions of the world where new animal species are regularly found.

“Hundreds of new animals are still being discovered here in WA - from tiny spiders to large reptiles, not a week goes past where we don’t come across something we’ve never seen before,” Dr Harvey said.

In addition to his work as one of the WA Museum’s Senior Curators, Mark Harvey is the Adjunct Professor at the School of Animal Biology, University of Western Australia, and a Research Associate of the American Museum of Natural History, New York and the California Academy of Science, San Francisco.

He is the also the author of nearly 200 scientific research papers, books and identification guides to small animals.

Entry is by donation, with bookings essential online at museum.wa.gov.au/inthewildwest or by phoning the Museum on 9841 4844.

The Harry Butler lecture series: In the Wild West is proudly presented by the WA Museum in partnership with Chevron Australia. The series showcases the work of Museum scientists, curators and associates in the areas of natural and social sciences.

Niki Comparti, Western Australian Museum, 6552 7805, Niki.Comparti@museum.wa.gov.au