Strange, spider/crab-like insect. Poisonous?
January 30, 2010
Many of them appear late at night on hills near our beaches. A long time ago a doctor told me it was an assasin bug that transmits the Chaga’s Disease, but after looking up some pictures of the actual bug, I’ve had my doubts. What is it? Is it poisonous or harmless?
Adelie Penguin
South America
Harvestman
Dear Adelie,
South America is a large continent. This is a harmless Harvestman in the order Opiliones. They are Arachnids and despite the resemblance to spiders which have venom, Harvestmen are perfectly harmless as they have no venom. Harvestmen are also known as Daddy Long Legs.
Harvestman
Phew, thank goodness. I have no reason to fear it anymore. If you need more details regarding its geographical location, it was found specifically in Chile, Valparaiso region. This one sure is different from other Daddy Long Legs, though. I mean, I’ve seen pictures of them before but none showed one with a body as big as this one’s. Well, we learn new things everyday, I guess!
Again, thank you very much.
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Posted 30 January 2010
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Small black spider, huge pedipalps
January 19, 2010
Hello. I’ve been going crazy trying to figure out what type of spider this is. I’ve seen two inside my house and one outside. Most notable are the pedipalps (at least I think they’re pedipalps — I’m no expert) that are actually longer than the rest of the spider’s body. Also, it walked very robotically and slow instead of the typical spider “scurry.” It had four pairs of legs.
I wish my photos were better. Both spiders I was able to photograph were already dead. The first photo is a profile view of the spider. The last one is a top view. Thanks for your time.
Lisa
Cascade foothills of Washington State
Harvestman
Hi Lisa,
We have had a few misidentifications in the past few days, so the possibility exists that we may not be correct. We don’t believe this is a spider, but rather a Harvestman in the suborder Laniatores. There are some photos on BugGuide that look similar, but alas, your photos don’t show some of the details we would like to see.
Harvestman
Hi, Daniel,
Thanks so much for responding — and so quickly at that! After some internet research, I suspected it was some kind of huntsman. I just got a sweet new camera, so if I see another and can get quality photos, I’ll be sure to submit them.
What’s also interesting is that I’ve seen two tiny pseudoscorpions in my bathroom.
Thanks again!
Lisa
Comment
January 21, 2010
Hello,
I was looking at the pictures of the arachnid in the “Huntsman, we think” posting and to me it looks a bit more like a whip scorpion or tailless whip scorpion than a huntsman. This could explain the huge pedipalps.
John v.
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Posted 20 January 2010
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Trinidadian night critters …
December 3, 2009
I would like some help identifying ,more specifically ,some of the fascinating creatures that the excellent guides at Asa Wright, Trinidad, showed me last week during a couple of night hikes. The guides went as far as to tell me that these were 1) a scorpion, 2) a whip scorpion, and 3) a harvestman. I’d love to learn a little more about these formidable looking beasts.
Paul Prior
Asa Wright, Trinidad
Bark Scorpion
Dear Paul,
Thanks for sending us your wonderful images of nocturnal Arachnids from Trinidad. All three of your creatures are in the same Arthropod class, Arachnida, which includes spiders. The Scorpion might be Centruroides limbatus based on images we found on the Scorpions of Central America and the Caribbean website. Generally, Scorpions with smaller claws and proportionally larger tails have more lethal venom, and this is the case with the genus Centruroides. Wikipedia also has a page on this species which is identified as one of the Bark Scorpions. According to Wikipedia, the venom is not considered dangerous to humans, though the sting is painful. The overall light coloration and dark markings on the tail and claws or pedipalps help to identify the species.
Tailless Whipscorpion
Tailless Whipscorpions are also nocturnal predators, but they lack venom and are perfectly harmless despite a fierce appearance. They feed on insects and other arthropods and they move rapidly by scuttling sideways. You can read more about Tailless Whipscorpions in the order Amblypygi on BugGuide.
Harvestman
The Harvestmen in the order Opiliones are also without venom, and they are scavengers rather than predators, feeding upon dead insects and arthropods. Harvestmen are also called Daddy Long Legs. You may also read more about Harvestmen on BugGuide. Sadly, we do not have the necessary skills to identify the Tailless Whipscorpion or the Harvestman beyond the level of order.
Harvestman caught in mid-molt?
July 15, 2009
Came across this sight on the side of a tree today, I wish these photos were clearer! The white/clear legs on the bottom caught my eye and I believe this daddy long legs is in the middle of molting. I found other similar photos on the site, thought you’d like a few more.
Kyle C.
Hatfield, MA
Harvestman: Molting? or Fungus?
Hi Kyle,
About a week ago, we posted a very similar image, and Eric Eaton thought the Harvestman was attacked by fungus. Your photo inclines us to believe that this might actually be a photo of molting, and that the other photo is molting as well. It seems there are too many legs visible for this to be a fungus attack.
Harvestman: Molting? or Fungus?
Update: from Eric Eaton
I agree that THIS one looks like it is molting. I’ll stand by my answer to the last one, too:-)
Eric
Wings or no?
June 2, 2009
I came across this guy in my kitchen and immediately snapped a picture of it. I then got it in a jar and released it outdoors. The wing-like tentacles on its back moved around almost like an octopus. I’ve never seen an insect like this.
Curious Dude
Western NC USA
Molting Harvestman we believe
Dear Curious Dude,
Those are not wings, and this is a Harvestman in the order Opiliones, but we need to seek advice on what is actually happening in this photo. We believe you have photographed the molting process, but we need confirmation on that. Harvestmen are sometimes called Daddy Long Legs.
Update from Eric Eaton
Hi, Daniel:
The harvestman looks like it has succumbed to a fungal attack.
Eric
Long legged spider / insect ???
Fri, Nov 21, 2008 at 5:27 AM
Dear Bugman
This creature is currently basking in the sun on the front of my new house wall. Location is central Scotland. Its legs are very long and almost create a fan shape. Its body is oval with a bit of hight to it and its legs resemble spider esk shape. We have fir trees at the back of the garden and I thought it might have come from there. I would really love to know what it is and if im likely to see more of them in the future.
Mrs Brind
Falkirk
Harvestman
Dear Mrs Brind,
We searched through 19 pages of images of Harvestmen in the order Opiliones in the hope of finding an example of an individual positioned like yours, but we were not successful. Harvestmen are related to spiders, but do not possess venom. They are harmless scavengers that are sometimes called Daddy Long Legs.
Hi Bugman and Mrs. Brind:
This looks like Dicranopalpus ramosus. Although harvestmen are quite harmless in a direct sense (to humans), this is apparently an exotic or ‘invasive’ species in Europe, so there may be some ecological implications. Apparently it originated in North Africa and has been spreading northward for some time, finally reaching Scotland in 2000. Because in is an invasive species there are quite a number of articles and photos on the internet. Wikipedia offers a brief summary at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dicranopalpus_ramosus Regards.
Karl
Hi Karl,
We were unable to open the Wikipedia page you cited, but we did find another website with good images of Dicranopalpus ramosus and we found a posting entitled UK Alien Invasion on the UK Independant website. Gradual species expansion like this is an often overlooked symptom of Global Warming.
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Posted 22 November 2008
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Harvestman
Sun, Nov 16, 2008 at 3:58 AM
Hi, I was just reading about the Harvesman which Pauline found in the Falkland Islands. I found some in my garden in Stanley yesterday, they are quite abundant, and I know I have found them before, also on outer Islands I Have found them, they seem to be widespread. Also there seems to be a couple of varieties, the back can be different, plain or fancy, the picture i have here you can see the pattern on the back of it. They look very similar to the ones found in Chile. This is just a follow up, I thought you might like to see it a little closer for identifying purposes.
Best Regards,
Zachary Stephenson.
Falkland Islands, Stanley
Harvestman from Falkland Islands
Dear Zachary,
Thanks for sending us your photos of this unusual looking Harvestman. It is much more frightening looking than the typical North American Daddy Long Legs. Whether they are scary looking or not, Harvestman or Opiliones are harmless scavengers without venom.
Harvestman from Falkland Islands
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Posted 17 November 2008
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Grandaddy Longlegs
Thu, Oct 30, 2008 at 6:23 AM
Dear Bug Guy, I know that this bug is probably very familiar to everyone, we called it the grandaddy long legs. There was a rumor growing up that if they could bite they would kill you, I never knew if that was true or not, but I never let one get close enough to bite. I saw this particular grandaddy on some wood we were putting away and noticed the little red things on it. Are they eggs, baby grandaddy’s or some other bug hitching a ride. I think their legs look like spark plug wires, I have never seen them this close. So, since we all know what we call these, what is their real name, and what are the little red things attached to it.
Thnaks so much,
Lisa Benningfield
Eastern Kentucky USA
Harvestman with Parasitic Mites
Hi Lisa,
This is a Harvestman in the order Opiliones. They are often called Daddy Long Legs and they are harmless scavengers without venom. The red creatures are Parasitic Mites in the genus Leptus.
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Posted 03 November 2008
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Mites
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Spider carrying orange orbs
Sun, Oct 12, 2008 at 6:53 AM
I found this spider while digging a trench in my lawn in April, 2008. There was no web in sight. The spider seemed to be just walking along. My first thought was that it was carrying it’s eggs somewhere. I took a few pictures, then continued with my trench. After a few days, I began to wonder exactly what kind of spider it was and what it was doing, but haven’t been able to find out any more information. Thanks for your help.
TJ1028
Coastal southern California
Harvestman with Parasitic Mites
Hi TJ1028,
Your spider is actually another type of Arachnid in the order Opiliones, commonly called a Harvestman or Daddy-Long-Legs. The orange orbs appear to be Parasitic Mites in the genus Leptus. We originally thought the Mites were merely hitching a ride, a phenomenon known as Phoresy, but a search of BugGuide revealed the parasitic nature of the Mites. There is some good dialog contributed by the BugGuide readership on the genus Leptus.
orange and violet ground spider
found these spiders under a rock in our backyard never seen one before and cant find anything online to identify them
Drew Audas
Wimberley, Tx (hill country)
Harvestman
Hi Drew,
This is some species of Harvestman in the order Opiliones. Harvestmen are sometimes called Daddy Long Legs, and they are related distantly to spiders.
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Posted 26 September 2008
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What the heck is this?
I love your website. I have learned SO much while searching for this beetle/spider/tick looking thing. I took pictures the best I could. I’m sorry if they aren’t as clear as they could be. This little guy was determined to get back under the rock. We live in Arkansas, up on top of a mountain, and it is very rocky up here. My husband was clearing some of the bigger rocks out of the back yard when he found one of these yesterday. He didn’t get back to it in time to take a picture so he went back out there today and was able to find another. He was approximately 1 1/2" total, legs and all. His body looks like a tick with no visible head that we could find. It appears to have eyes up on top of the front of his body. I could even make out a smiley face when I looked at him upside down 
Yes, I have spent WAY too much time looking at the pictures of this thing. I have scoured your website trying to find what he/she is but haven’t found him yet. Can someone please help me identify it? I know you are extremely busy so thank you so much for any help that you might be able to give us. Thank you for the awesome resource you are providing!
Damon & Kristi Whitener
P.S. We didn’t kill him
Hi Damon and Kristi,
This is a harmless Harvestman. We believe we have found a match on BugGuide. It looks to us like Vonones ornata. You should submit your photos to BugGuide as they have not received any reports from Arkansas, though images of this genus have been submitted from surrounding states.
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Posted 09 May 2008
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what in the???
Yikes! My boyfriend’s friend lives in Brazil and found this walking around his apartment. I love the tropics, but I am glad I don’t have spiders like this just "drop by" unannounced.
Lisa Hemesath
Portland, OR
Hi Lisa,
This is a harmless Harvestman in the order Opiliones. In the U.S. Harvestmen are known as Daddy-Long-Legs.
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Posted 30 April 2008
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