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Harvestmen

Orange Harvestman

Harvestman Back View

Leiobunum politum

Also known as Daddy Long Legs, this dude is not a spider at all! This one was hanging around my tent in New River, WV. 

The Harvestmen Fam

Daddy Long Legs (Harvestmen) occupy their own order: Opiliones (spiders = order Araneae). There are true spiders, known as Cellar Spiders, that Harvestmen are confused with though. Harvestmen have been around for-ev-er. 400 million year old fossils have been found in Scotland that are remarkably similar to their structure currently indicating that the group hasn’t changed too much over the years (including their worth-mentioning modern-for-millenia penis and ovipositors!). Their closest relatives are thought to be the much bigger, uber creepy camel “spider” (made famous by a hoax email from soldiers in Iraq claiming them to be giant predators that would inject you to make you numb while they ate off your limbs while you sleep – mwhahahaa!), scorpions and pseudo scorpions. There are well over 6.4K species worldwide and over 60 known species that inhabit the US. Generally they like cool, damp places. 

Neat Harvestmen Features
I guess now that I know that they aren’t technically spiders it makes perfect sense that Harvestmen cannot make webs and do not make silk at all. Their eyes are fairly rudimentary. In the top photo, the black turret (knob) on the back of the “head” actually contains two tiny eyes (one on each side). Totally not where I expected their eyes to be… Underneath the head they have pedipalps or pincers. These aren’t used to pinch or bite us, but to clean their long legs, grab and tear food and stuff it into their mouths and in fanciful shows of machismo they are also used to fight other Harvestmen. These guys are omnivores and eat a variety of items but many of them act like scavengers eating dead and decaying plant and insect matter. Harvestmen have scent glands that they can use to emit a foul smelling substance (some equipped with quinones!) to ward off predators. 

The Legs Make The Beast!
If we had legs in the same proportion as Harvestmen do – our legs would be 40 feet long. The first pair of legs are generally the shortest and the tips of which are sensitive and are used for exploring and being aware of potential dangers. When their legs are ripped off (or dropped) they can continue to twitch for up to an hour in some species! It is hypothesized that this is an effort to confuse predators and keep their attention while the Harvestman limps to their grand escape. Their legs also allow many species to walk on water. Jeebs be Jealous! 

But Can A Harvestman Bite Kill Me?!?!
No ways! The tall tale that these “spiders” are most venomous in the world but that their mouths are too small to allow them to bite through human skin is mega-bunk. First, bigger species can bite us. They generally won’t though – even when harassed. Pacifistic behavior is great in the wild world, eh? But second and most important, they don’t make venom and they don’t have the fangs necessary for delivering venom. They can’t hurt you whatsoever.

So, be friendly when you see ‘em in your garden.