Opiliones macro photos

syndicate · 06-06-2008, 07:31 PM

hello,
heres some shots I took this week.I haven't tried to Id the species yet but if anyone knows what they are feel free to let me know ;]
this was my first time shooting these with my new camera.pretty cool subject and there everywhere around here.

cjm1991 · 06-07-2008, 01:50 AM

Theres a ton of them around here also. cool pix

OTwolfe · 06-07-2008, 05:44 AM

we always have just called them "Daddy Longlegs."

Not very helpful I know. I'd be interested in know exactly what they're called and what they eat.

Eclipse · 06-07-2008, 05:16 PM

They are omnivores

Quote:

"eating primarily small insects and all kinds of plant material and fungi; some are scavengers, feeding upon dead organisms, bird dung and other fecal material. This broad range is quite unusual in arachnids, which are usually pure predators. Most hunting harvestmen ambush their prey, although active hunting is also found. Because their eyes cannot form images, they use their second pair of legs as antennae to explore their environment. Also unlike most other arachnids, harvestmen do not have a sucking stomach and a filtering mechanism, but ingest small particles of their food, thus making them vulnerable to internal parasites, such as gregarines."

I always wanted one of these, but they don't live in the city areas here.

Malhavoc's · 06-08-2008, 10:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eclipse

They are omnivores

I always wanted one of these, but they don't live in the city areas here.

When I lived in cali I found them easily (riverside) jut flip rockers or moist areas, like under sidings on the sides of house, or bush areas. they usualy group together

syndicate · 06-08-2008, 12:17 PM

yeah there everywhere here.some get pretty large to.er well there legs are pretty large hehe.i got some more pics this afternoon.will up them tonight if i get a chance

Eclipse · 06-08-2008, 06:43 PM

I've been from LA to Bakersfield and I never found one in my life. I guess they don't dwell in industrial city areas.

Sabatta · 06-09-2008, 02:06 AM

Those are really good photos. They are so alien looking up close.

Moltar · 06-09-2008, 10:30 AM

Those are the best pics i've ever seen of one of those. They're everywhere here in MD too. The rumor about their highly toxic venom is of course false. They don't even have venom...

Demon187 · 06-09-2008, 03:22 PM

this is not a spider but a harvestman, from the order Opiliones (formerly Phalangida) in the class Arachnida, there have been over 6000 species of harvestman recorded worldwide. Their closest relatives may be the mites (Acari) or the Novogenuata (the Scorpiones, Pseudoscorpiones and Solifugae). they are arachnids but not spiders, although they are often mistaken for them. if you look closely at the pic you can see the remnents of the segments like on a scorpion. they have no venom glands or silk glands which is one of the main differences between the spiders and harvestman. other differences include the two main body sections (the abdomen with ten segments and cephalothorax, or prosoma and opisthosoma) are nearly joined, so that they appear to be one oval structure.

They do not have book lungs, and breathe through tracheae only. most interesting of all is....They have a gonopore on the ventral cephalothorax, and the copulation is direct as the male has a PENIS (while the female has an ovipositor). All species lay eggs.

most species are omnivores eating insects and different plant material and fungi, whilst some are scavengers feeding on dead organisms, bird feaces and other fecal matter.
there main defense is to discard a leg which continues to move or twitch to distract the attention of the predator so he can make a hasty retreat.

syndicate · 06-09-2008, 05:08 PM

thanks for the comments guys!and also thanks for that little bit of info demon.there pretty interesting bugs.def remind me alot of the scorpions with the way there eyes are set.more pics to come soon!just need to stop being lazy and edit them up hehe

8+) · 06-12-2008, 12:04 AM

Don't the eyes in the last close up make it look like some Jules Verne created ground transport?

Nice Pics!

syndicate · 06-12-2008, 05:15 PM

haha there def interesting lookin guys up close.thanks!

tarcan · 06-12-2008, 11:15 PM

Great pics!

We need to see more opilionids for sure!

Take care

Martin

Greyhalo · 07-07-2008, 09:39 PM

Here are some Opiliones photos I took today.

06-06-2008, 07:31 PM	#1
syndicate Arachnoemperor Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: USA Posts: 3,628 Images: 3	Opiliones macro photos hello, heres some shots I took this week.I haven't tried to Id the species yet but if anyone knows what they are feel free to let me know ;] this was my first time shooting these with my new camera.pretty cool subject and there everywhere around here.

06-07-2008, 01:50 AM	#2
cjm1991 Arachnoprince Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: StLouis Posts: 1,206 Images: 45	Theres a ton of them around here also. cool pix __________________ My pics http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/gall...mageuser=16216 http://tarantulaslair.com/main/index.php

06-08-2008, 06:43 PM	#7
Eclipse Arachnobaron Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: California FEEL FREE TO AIM ME! Posts: 318 Images: 3 My Mood:	I've been from LA to Bakersfield and I never found one in my life. I guess they don't dwell in industrial city areas. __________________ "Holding on anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned." -Buddha

06-09-2008, 02:06 AM	#8
Sabatta Arachnoknight Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Montreal, Canada Posts: 210 Images: 4	Those are really good photos. They are so alien looking up close. __________________ Juvenile male Brachypelma Smithi (R.I.P.)

06-09-2008, 10:30 AM	#9
Moltar Arachnocentric Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Maryland Posts: 4,587 Images: 7 My Mood:	Those are the best pics i've ever seen of one of those. They're everywhere here in MD too. The rumor about their highly toxic venom is of course false. They don't even have venom... __________________ -Ethan Judge me not by my post count, it is meaningless.

06-07-2008, 05:44 AM	#3
OTwolfe Arachnosquire Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: MIchigan Posts: 60 Images: 4	we always have just called them "Daddy Longlegs." Not very helpful I know. I'd be interested in know exactly what they're called and what they eat.

06-08-2008, 12:17 PM	#6
syndicate Arachnoemperor Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: USA Posts: 3,628 Images: 3	yeah there everywhere here.some get pretty large to.er well there legs are pretty large hehe.i got some more pics this afternoon.will up them tonight if i get a chance

06-09-2008, 03:22 PM	#10
Demon187 Arachnosquire Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: portsmouth uk Posts: 143	this is not a spider but a harvestman, from the order Opiliones (formerly Phalangida) in the class Arachnida, there have been over 6000 species of harvestman recorded worldwide. Their closest relatives may be the mites (Acari) or the Novogenuata (the Scorpiones, Pseudoscorpiones and Solifugae). they are arachnids but not spiders, although they are often mistaken for them. if you look closely at the pic you can see the remnents of the segments like on a scorpion. they have no venom glands or silk glands which is one of the main differences between the spiders and harvestman. other differences include the two main body sections (the abdomen with ten segments and cephalothorax, or prosoma and opisthosoma) are nearly joined, so that they appear to be one oval structure. They do not have book lungs, and breathe through tracheae only. most interesting of all is....They have a gonopore on the ventral cephalothorax, and the copulation is direct as the male has a PENIS (while the female has an ovipositor). All species lay eggs. most species are omnivores eating insects and different plant material and fungi, whilst some are scavengers feeding on dead organisms, bird feaces and other fecal matter. there main defense is to discard a leg which continues to move or twitch to distract the attention of the predator so he can make a hasty retreat. __________________ ''A coward dies a thousand deaths, a soldier dies just once'' 2.Brachypelma smithi 1.Poecilotheria metallica 1.Aphonopelma seemani 2.Euathlus truculentus 1. Euathlus pulcherrimaklaasi 1.Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens 1. Lasiodora parahybana

06-09-2008, 05:08 PM	#11
syndicate Arachnoemperor Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: USA Posts: 3,628 Images: 3	thanks for the comments guys!and also thanks for that little bit of info demon.there pretty interesting bugs.def remind me alot of the scorpions with the way there eyes are set.more pics to come soon!just need to stop being lazy and edit them up hehe

06-12-2008, 12:04 AM	#12
8+) Arachnolord Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 642 Images: 14	Don't the eyes in the last close up make it look like some Jules Verne created ground transport? Nice Pics! __________________ Striving to discover the arthropod carrying capacity of my basement...

06-12-2008, 05:15 PM	#13
syndicate Arachnoemperor Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: USA Posts: 3,628 Images: 3	haha there def interesting lookin guys up close.thanks!

06-12-2008, 11:15 PM	#14
tarcan Arachnoprince Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada Posts: 1,718 Images: 6	Great pics! We need to see more opilionids for sure! Take care Martin __________________ I am a big chicken eater... Our tarantula breeding blog, click HERE

07-07-2008, 09:39 PM	#15
Greyhalo Arachnoknight Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 254	Here are some Opiliones photos I took today.

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