This daddy-long-legs seems forever engaged with an obstinant leafhopper.
But another easily handles smaller prey, content to let me watch awhile
before up & scuttling away.
Though sharing a moniker with cellar spiders (also called “daddy-long-legs”), these arachnids are not spiders but harvestmen. They are one of the several Leiobunum species, quite possibly Leiobunum vittatum, also known as the eastern harvestman, one of our commonly elegant residents here by Little Crum Creek.
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For an impressive glimpse of several kinds of harvestmen, consider checking out Daniel Proud’s informative series of posts on them.
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August 15, 2012 at 10:16 pm
hm, scott. this made me remember a childhood camping trip…my older brother was probably whispering sweet horrors to me as i slept in the tent…dreaming about daddy-long-legs crawling all over me…woke up screaming and suffocating in my sleeping bag!!
thank you for replacing that “memory” with something a bit more pleasant, and i love the black and white body. still, my fears need assuaging: are these spiders poisonous in any way?
August 15, 2012 at 10:39 pm
Not to worry, Ann. Science says they don’t have venom glands. And experience proves they kinda tickle. So … sweet dreams.
August 15, 2012 at 6:57 pm
It’s only recently that I’ve overcome my fear (i.e. screaming terror) of spiders. But I never feared the Daddy Long Legs…turns out they were never spiders anyhow! Thanks for the clarification!
August 15, 2012 at 11:03 pm
Who knew, right? Congrats on finding peace with the others.
August 9, 2012 at 5:22 pm
These alien-looking creatures have always intrigued me!
August 9, 2012 at 9:26 pm
I like how they use a pair of legs to feel around like antennae.
August 9, 2012 at 1:24 pm
I’m with Jan, never paid much attention to their body, never got that close… once I saw the hideously long legs moving around… it was ‘eeeekkkk’ and a hasty retreat! LOL Great shots!
August 14, 2012 at 10:45 am
Oh, well, I’m sure there’ll be many more chances to grow a little closer to the harvestmen … thanks, Robin!
August 9, 2012 at 12:03 pm
I never noticed what kind of body they had, just identified them by the legs. Great pix.
Jan
August 9, 2012 at 9:15 pm
Thanks, Jan. In real time, from a distance, they really do seem like all legs. But up close, I’m just learning, there’s quite a variety of bodies. This one is super cool, I think.
August 12, 2012 at 12:23 pm
Well as many pix as I take of spiders—as you can see on my Cottonmouth Creek blog—I can’t believe I’ve never thought to aim a camera at one of these! I usually find them as a cat is transfixed to a spot on the floor and I see one making his way somewhere only to have the cat press a paw on top of him. I’m afraid I’ve taken to rescuing them when I find one. I prefer that to finding one flailing about with a few legs missing! Poor kitty needs a new toy!.
Jan
August 8, 2012 at 8:58 pm
Thanks for the great photos and all the background about these “harvestmen.” Really like that term!
August 9, 2012 at 9:08 pm
Hi Kathleen. I’m not sure why they’re called “harvestmen.” Think I read something about their visiblilty during fall. But I’m sure someone come up with a more colorful explanation than that.
August 8, 2012 at 10:55 am
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a black and white one. Great shots!
August 8, 2012 at 3:47 pm
Thanks, Allen. There are so many species. I wonder if this one stretches up to New Hampshire.
August 8, 2012 at 5:30 am
Its crazy how different they look up close. Really cool though! Thanks. 😀
August 8, 2012 at 3:46 pm
It really is cool & crazy, Daphne. I was surprised & struck by their intricate patterns of needle point precision.
August 8, 2012 at 9:09 pm
Yeah and their actual body is much larger than I thought it was.
August 8, 2012 at 1:01 am
That’s something I haven’t seen in awhile, a daddy-long-legs. I remember them as a kid, they were always hanging around the back porch.
August 8, 2012 at 3:44 pm
They seem to have disappeared from view in the past few weeks. I usually associate them with fall for some reason, probably because I do more yard work then. Sometimes I wonder if, when I was a kid, there were more of certain things like cicada shells, praying mantids, daddy-long-legs, etc. or if I was just closer to the ground and more impressionable then.
August 7, 2012 at 4:29 pm
Thanks for the info and such great photos for ID… Wonder if we have “harvestmen” here???
August 7, 2012 at 8:32 pm
There are reportedly several species of harvestmen throughout the country. Surely up in CT you have a few of them. Let us know if you see one!
August 7, 2012 at 10:03 am
Obviously, your subjects chose you for their “moment of fame.” And, as always, your pictures are amazing.
August 7, 2012 at 8:11 pm
Thanks … and funny you should put it that way. I’m convinced a couple of birds here have been trying to get my attention, as if I’ve forgotten about them. Will have to get them up here soon.
August 7, 2012 at 9:24 am
magnificent! The detail is amazing and beautiful. Thanks for sharing!
August 7, 2012 at 8:04 pm
Pleasure. I was surprised & impressed by the black & white detail on these.