Daddylonglegs – Harvestment – Phalandida

Harvestmen   Order: Opiliones Common Name: Daddy longlegs, shepherd spiders, harvestmen, Grandfather graybeards Appearance: Opiliones have long legs; the connection between the cephalothorax and abdomen is broad, so the body appears to be a single oval structure. The length can range from 0.6 to 23 mm. It has two eyes located on the front of the body. The 2nd pair of legs is longer and is adopted for sensory functions. It looks like it has only one segment because of the broad fusion. Host Plants or Food: Harvestmen feed primarily on small, soft-bodied arthropods but also feed on dead animals, insects, worms, and snails. Territory: South America, Southeast Asia. Mode of Damage: Opiliones don’t feed on plants, so these are considered beneficial garden insects. Habits and Life History: Harvestmen need humid places to live and are most commonly found in caves, forests, and vegetation. They are very active at night, day time they hide under leaf debris, holes, cracks and prefer a moist and shady environment. They come out at night time and hunt small arthropods and minor bugs. They are not true spiders, so they don’t make the web. They don’t poison anyone and reproduce sexually; mating involves direct copulation rather than spermatophore deposition. After mating, females lay eggs in crevices in the soil; when the harvestmen hatch, they resemble adults; females guard the eggs until they hatch. Eggs molt through many stages before reaching adulthood; the length of the adult stage varies from 1 to 2 months.