A major part of the research in the Israeli Arachnid Laboratory is dedicated to  cave fauna. Cave systems in Israel are very diverse, occurring in limestone, chalk and basalt, in various climate zones, and in addition to natural caves, including artificial structures, such as ancient water cisterns and tunnels. 

Some of the caves in Israel, like the Ayyalon cave, are part of the Ophel system, but others are their own contained systems. The study of the  biodiversity of these caves has only