Harvestmen
Order Opiliones
The Harvestmen (Order Opiliones) includes 107 species across 20 families and 64 genera in our directory.
About Harvestmen
Opiliones (harvestmen/daddy longlegs) includes ~6,650 described species. Despite common myths, harvestmen are NOT spiders - they have a single fused body (not two segments), no venom glands, and no silk. They are completely harmless.
Economic Impact
Harvestmen have minimal economic impact. They are primarily beneficial as predators of small arthropods and as decomposers of organic matter in forest and garden ecosystems.
Ecological Role
Some harvestmen species practice paternal care - males guard eggs, a rare behavior among arachnids. Many species can detach their legs when caught by predators (autotomy), and the detached leg continues twitching to distract the predator.
