Daddy Longlegs (Harvestman)
Scientific Name: Phalangium opilio (or other species within Opiliones)
Order & Family: Order Opiliones, Family Phalangiidae (most common)
Size: Body length typically 2-10 mm, leg span can be up to 50 mm.
Natural Habitat
Found in a variety of environments including forests, grasslands, agricultural fields, gardens. They often hide in damp, dark places during the day, under rocks, logs, leaf litter, or in shaded vegetation, and become active at night.
Diet & Feeding
Opportunistic omnivores and scavengers. They feed on small insects, aphids, mites, decaying plant and animal matter, fungi, and sometimes even bird droppings or dead insects. They do not spin webs to catch prey.
Behavior Patterns
Nocturnal, active at night. They move slowly, using their long legs to feel their way. When threatened, they may vibrate rapidly making themselves harder to catch, or release a foul-smelling fluid from scent glands. They are not spiders, lacking silk glands and venom glands (though some species have weak secretions). They typically have only one body segment, unlike spiders which have two.
Risks & Benefits
No risks to humans; they are harmless and do not bite. They are beneficial to the ecosystem by helping to control populations of small pests like aphids and mites, and by acting as scavengers, contributing to decomposition.
Identified on: 9/26/2025