Harvestman (also known as Daddy Longlegs)
Scientific Name: Order Opiliones (likely Leiobunum spp.)
Order & Family: Order: Opiliones; Family: Sclerosomatidae
Size: Body length usually 3–7 mm; legs can span up to 50 mm or more.
Natural Habitat
Commonly found in damp, shady areas such as under rocks, logs, in leaf litter, or on forest floors and garden foliage.
Diet & Feeding
Omnivorous; they scavenge on dead insects, fungi, and plant matter, or hunt sluggish prey like aphids and mites.
Behavior Patterns
Nocturnal; they do not spin webs or produce venom. When threatened, they may shed a leg (autotomy) or release a pungent odor from scent glands.
Risks & Benefits
Completely harmless to humans as they lack venom glands and fangs; beneficial to ecosystems as scavengers and predators of garden pests.
Identified on: 6/30/2026