Phalangium opilio

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Phalangium opilio
Phalangium opilio MHNT Male.jpg
Male Phalangium opilio
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Arachnida
Order:
Opiliones
Family:
Phalangiidae
Genus:
Phalangium
Species:
P. opilio
Binomial name
Phalangium opilio
Synonyms
  • Dentizacheus minor Rambla, 1966[1]
  • Phalangium brevicorne Simon, 1879[2]
  • Phalangium cornutum Degeer, 1778
  • Phalangium cornutum Linnaeus, 1767
  • Phalangium longipalpis Weed, 1890

Phalangium opilio is a species of harvestman belonging to the family Phalangiidae.

Distribution[]

It is "the most widespread species of harvestman in the world", occurring natively in Europe, and much of Asia. The species has been introduced to North America, North Africa and New Zealand.[3]

Habitat[]

This species can be found in a wide range of habitats, including meadows, bogs, forests, and various types of anthropogenic habitats, such as gardens, fields, hedgerows, lawns, quarries, green places in built-up areas, walls and bridges.[3]

Description[]

Females have a body length of 6–9 mm (1⁄4–3⁄8 in), males are slightly smaller at 4–7 mm (3⁄16–1⁄4 in). Males however have longer legs; the second leg is about 54 mm (2+1⁄4 in) in males and 38 mm (1+1⁄2 in) in females. Males and females are similarly coloured and marked, although males' markings tend to be less clear. The body has a three-lobed darker "saddle", usually with spots or dashes in the midline. Both sexes show many tubercules with small spikes on the anterior surface of their body.[4]

Mitopus morio has a very similar appearance, but P. opilio can be distinguished by the two pale "denticles" (small teeth-like structures) below the anterior margin of the carapace. Males have long forward-pointing "horns" on the second segment of their chelicerae.[5]

Biology[]

Phalangium opilio is normally an univoltine species and overwinters as eggs. Eggs are laid in moist areas and hatch in three- five months. The immatures undergo several molts and reach maturity in two-three months. These harvestmans usually feed on soft-bodied animals such as aphids, caterpillars, leafhoppers, beetle larvae, mites, but sometime it may scavenge on hard-bodied animals such as various arthropods. [4] They ares also known to feed on Helicoverpa zea eggs, and thus can act as biological pest control for soybean crops. The species is nocturnal, as is typical of opilionids.[6]

Gallery[]

  • Male showing the "horns" on the chelicerae

  • Male side view

  • Female

  • Female side view

References[]

  1. ^ Biolib
  2. ^ GBIF
  3. ^ a b Tone Novak; Vesna Klokočovnik; Saša Lip ovšek Delakorda; Dušan Devetak; Franc Janželpvoč (2009). "Preferences for different substrates in Phalangium opilio (Opiliones: Phalangiidae) in natural environment" (PDF). . 52 (1): 29–35.
  4. ^ a b Bugguide
  5. ^ Jones, Dick (1983), The Countrylife Guide to Spiders of Britain and Northern Europe, Feltham, England: Country Life Books (Hamlyn), p. 310, ISBN 978-0-600-35665-3
  6. ^ Allard, Cora; Yeargan, Kenneth (September 2005). "Diel activity patterns and microspatial distribution of the harvestman Phalangium opilio (Opiliones, Phalangiidae) in soybeans". The Journal of Arachnology. 33 (3): 745–752. doi:10.1636/T04-17.1. S2CID 85825506. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
Retrieved from ""