Bug identification
I was on a trip in Baja, and there were hundreds of these on the ground. I am a leader in an outdoor program and I would like to know what exactly these are for future reference. The attached picture shows a medium sized one (about an inch and a half long, excluding the longest leg). This particular one is missing a leg; there is normally one long leg on both sides. They did appear to have fangs, so at first glance they looked like spiders. However, they had no web, and were in large groups, so I’m not sure what exactly they are. Thanks!
Jason Payne
Hi Jason,
Your creature is known as a Harvestman in the order Opiliones. Harvestmen are sometimes called Daddy Long Legs and they are relatives of spiders that are scavengers.
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Posted 12 March 2008
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strange spider from Chile
Hi,
I found this strange animal in the temperate rainforest of southern Chile near the city of Valdivia. Thank you very much for helping to identify this interesting creature.
Gerhard Huedepohl
Hi Gerhard,
This is not a spider, but a relative known as a Harvestman in the order Opiliones. Two years ago this month, we received a another quite similar image, also from Chile, and Eric Eaton provided this information: ” The Chilean “spider” is actually a tropical harvestman (order Opilones), possibly in the suborder Laniatores, and, even more remotely plausible, in the family Gonyleptidae. I got all this from my old Golden Guide to “Spiders and Their Kin” by Levi and Zim:-) Eric” Many Opiliones are known as Daddy Long Legs and they do not posess venom, hence they are harmless.
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Posted 02 February 2008
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Unknown Pet
Dear Sirs,
I have just acquired my new pet in the attached pictures, please advise what are they and what they eat. Thanks a lot. With regards,
Alexander
Hi Alexander,
Please provide more details. did you buy it? Did you catch it? Where was it found?
(12/19/2007) Unknown Pet
Hi Daniel,
I’m from Hong Kong and I bought these guys from a local pet shop and the actual thing is he’s on the way on studying these guys and before he came into some answer, I took a pair from him and study them also. If you have any nice advise, then that’s great. Thanks a lot. With regards,
Alexander
Hi again Alexander,
Thanks for the additional informatin. We are totally mystified. Our best guess, and this is just a guess, is one of th Opiliones or Harvestmen. We will post your images in the hopes that someone can give us an answer and provide us with links to information online.
Confirmation: Eric Eaton confirms suspicion
Daniel:
It is some kind of tropical harvestman (daddy-longlegs), probably in an entire ‘order’ that isn’t found in North America.
Eric
Harvestmen are scavengers that feed on a wide variety of organic matter.
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Posted 15 December 2007
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Legged Big Fanged Black Bottom
Bugman,
I live just north of Sacramento, California (USA) and I found this spider under a raised, wooden flower bed on my front porch. I was hoping you could tell me what kind of spider it is and whether those massive fangs could do me any harm. Thank You,
Jessica
Hi Jessica,
We are nearly positive this is a Harvestman in the Suborder Laniatores. Harvestmen are also commonly called Daddy Long Legs and they do not have venom. Your photos are totally awesome. We suspect if we are correct, Eric Eaton might ask permission to post this beauty on BugGuide as well.
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Posted 22 March 2007
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Harvestmen / Daddy Long Legs
Donation to your site if you’d like. Was on the outside of our shed in mid-western Illinois.
That is quite an impressive crowd of Harvestmen you have there.
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Posted 20 August 2006
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chilean spider (?)
Hi Bug Folk,
My girlfriend and I were recently in Chile and saw a number of these spider-like creatures near where we were staying. They only came out at night and moved rather slowly…quite and interesting creature. Anyhow, if you know what it may be, let me know. Thanks for all your buggy wisdom!
Aaron Hilst
Hi Aaron,
Well, it has 8 legs and no antennae, so that implies spider, but we have never seen anything like it before. We will post the image and perhaps eventually get an answer. Eric Eaton wrote in with this identification: ” The Chilean “spider” is actually a tropical harvestman (order Opilones), possibly in the suborder Laniatores, and, even more remotely plausible, in the family Gonyleptidae. I got all this from my old Golden Guide to “Spiders and Their Kin” by Levi and Zim:-) Eric”
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Posted 22 February 2006
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>Found this outside my house yesterday near my trash cans. It is fairly large
(inch+) and did not appear to have a web. I looked around the internet and was unable to find anything that had the same kind of odd front legs and body shape. I’m sure its nothing special, but my curiosity got the better of me. I live in Fairfield, California by the way. Any idea?
Chad Harden
Hi Chad,
Daddy Long Legs or Harvestmen are harmless relatives of spiders in the Order Opiliones.
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Posted 02 September 2005
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Daddy long legs
I have seen several references to the bug known as "daddy longlegs" and most of them say that this is not a spider, but a true bug.
The bugguide has them under arachnids and I just wanted to clear this up. My daughter is trying to identify bugs in her collection.
Thanks,
jeff
Hi Jeff,
What an awesome photo or Daddy Long-Legs or Harvestmen from the Order Opiliones. They are arachnids, and related to spiders, but are not true spiders. They have no fangs and do not bite. They use crushing mouthparts to feed primarily on the carcasses of invertebrates that have recently died.
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Posted 07 February 2005
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