EISPIRATEN

Couldn't get a great picture. Anyone know the type? Found in Dark Canyon along the stream bank.

Hi Sean,

An arachnid but not exactly a spider.
At first glance on small screen I saw only three legs per side, but once I enlarged the postage stamp, the ID was apparent.

The body parts fused into one segment also makes these little fellers look more insectoid than the thorax-and-abdomen spydies.

This is an Opilionoid (sorry, can't resist), *ahem* Opiliones / Harvestman.

Clues and details from the image:



1. Fused/single body segment
2. Long spindly legs, sometimes appearing delicately curved.

--This one is missing the right third leg, marked at its junction with the body by the light blue dot. The left third leg is marked by the blue line.
--The second left leg is blurred by movement, and is less apparent with small image size. Marked here with a bent orange line; the right second leg is marked with a shorter orange line.

3. The front leg pair is marked with yellow lines. Note the curve on the distal segment. The Opinel (whoops, that.s another knife, not Spyderco)
is resting on the front two legs, keeping stable, while the second leg pair is extended and in motion, probing the environment. It uses this 2nd leg pair as feelers/antennae-like, sensing vibrations which give it clues about the neighborhood, and potential prey (or predators).

Other high point factoids about these arachnoids:

---They don't make silk, thus no webs
---They are non-venomous
---Unlike other arachnids, these males have a penis, and mate directly, so to speak.

I could detail the Genus and probable species, but it's best to keep in mind here they have a wide range of coloration, both across and within species, as well as individual specimen color which can vary with time and environment.

(btw, with any critter query, it is helpful to give some indication of size, either by estimate or visual frame of reference with known object. Likewise with flower/foliage queries, thx.)

hth,
now back to deep submergence,
arocknoid

PS thanks and congrats on maintaining and transmogrifying this board

arocknoid wrote: ↑An arachnid but not exactly a spider...

Thank you very much! That explains why I was having trouble finding it in spider databases.

Thanks, arocknoid! Love the detailed description...!

Fascinating. I had to look this one up and found that they are also called daddy longlegs. I've heard that term my entire life, but never knew what exactly it referred to.