Not sure what this is.

[Ollie]

Whenever I turned over a log or rock in western Belize, I could be sure of finding one or more of several critters: juvenile B. vagans, various kinds of millipedes, roaches, wandering spiders and this little critter. Not sure if it is a spider or not. Any ideas anyone?

[Mike "troll" Dame]

looks liek a mature male harvestmen Opiliones and a really neat looking one at that, ours are all spindily legged

[Kasai]

That is the coolest harvestman I have EVER seen.

[tunedbeat]

I'm with Kasai, that's one strange but neat looking critter.

[Wade Harrell]

I've often wondered why there was no hobbyist intrest in harvestmen at all, since some of the tropical ones are so funky looking!

I think we must have a relative of those Belize ones here in Virginia...see this thread: http://atshq.org/forum/showthread.ph...ird+harvestmen

I've since moved them right into one of my milliped tanks and they seem to do fine there.

Wade

[Ollie]

Thanks folks.
I have to agree that they sure look like harvestmen but not like any I've seen before. I wonder about the structures on the backlegs and their purpose. They don't really look like setae and appear to be arranged as sets of 3 or 4. Very interesting little creatures and I'm going to have to pay a little more attention to them next time.

Ollie

[cacoseraph]

Originally Posted by Wade Harrell

I've often wondered why there was no hobbyist intrest in harvestmen at all, since some of the tropical ones are so funky looking!

I think we must have a relative of those Belize ones here in Virginia...see this thread: http://atshq.org/forum/showthread.ph...ird+harvestmen

I've since moved them right into one of my milliped tanks and they seem to do fine there.

Wade

i've tried to keep some local sp before. limitted success. i want to set up a large detritivore/herbivore somewhat naturalistic setup with these guys.


i always joke with my vegan brother than these are "his" arachnids (cuz they will eat fungus and vegetable matter to a greater extant than any other arachnid i am aware of)

[Wade Harrell]

Many of the Acari are herbiverous/detrivorus of course, but excluding them, Harvestmen are the only archnids I know of that could be considered omnivores.

The large phalangiidae will eat small crushed crickets. I read some papers on the Journal of Archnology website which indicated they're actually important predators of aphids!

In captivity, I think they're one of these animals that like humid conditions but don't tolerate stale air, making them somewhat delicate.

Wade

[Patrick]

Cool critter Ollie, thanks for posting the pictures.

So far I can only see the two eyes, does it have more located where I can't see them or are the ones I see segmented? Does anyone know the purpose of the rear leg attachments?

Veggie eating arachnids, who knew?

Thanks again Ollie.

[Celeste]

Patrick-
Harvestmen only have two eyes, and one body structure. In Ollie's you can almost see a separate head or prosoma, but its fused to the abdomen.

Our local Harvestmen in Missouri have their eyes smooshed together as a kind of an eye stalk, Its interesting that this one has its two eyes so far apart.

Wade-
I have always liked Harvestmen, I have done as much reading on them as spiders. If you mean by "hobbyist interest" keeping them in cages- I honestly never thought to keep any arachnids until I discovered people kept tarantulas.

What I would prefer, actually, is to create a arachnid friendly yard where I could observe Harvestmen in their natural habitat, like Tabbie with her Brown Widow and Natalie with her Argiopes.

Harvestmen have been amoung my favorite "tentmates" my dad thinks they are only scavangers, but I am sure they rid my tent of flying insects on my last trip! -it was hard to get them all out of the tent when we packed up, though!