Arachnida

Opiliones

Harvestmen

Manu, Peru - December 2008

Harvestmen are distinguished from spiders in having a one-piece body with the cephalothorax and abdomen fused. The abdomen in harvestmen is also noticably segmented. Almost all species have extremely long, spindly legs, which have earned them the other common name of "Daddy-longlegs" in some areas, such as North America.

Dicranopalpus ramosus - Clwyd, Wales - August 2009

Dicranopalpus ramosus is easily identifiable due to it being the only British species with long, forked palps that look like an extra pair of legs. Also, unlike most other British species it has a very flattened resting posture.

Dicranopalpus ramosus - Clwyd, Wales - August 2009

Breeding experiments have shown that the striped and non-striped forms can be easily segregated.

Dicranopalpus ramosus - Clwyd, Wales - August 2009

Rilaena triangularis - Cheshire, England - May 2009

Leiobunum sp. nymph - County Kerry, Republic of Ireland - July 2008

Leiobunum sp. nymph - County Kerry, Republic of Ireland - July 2008

probably Mitopus morio - County Kerry, Republic of Ireland - July 2008

Rilaena triangularis - Anglesey, Wales - May 2009

female Common Harvestman (Phalangium opilio) being attacked by a spider (Xysticus sp.)

female Common Harvestman (Phalangium opilio) being attacked by a spider (Xysticus sp.)