Brown Harvestman
The brown harvestman (Leiobunum rotundum) is a long-legged arachnid found in woods, gardens and hedgerows in Europe, easily seen on walls and trees in late summer. Harvestmen are not spiders, and have no silk or venom.
The brown harvestman (Leiobunum rotundum) is a long-legged arachnid found in woods, gardens and hedgerows in Europe, easily seen on walls and trees in late summer. Harvestmen are not spiders, and have no silk or venom.
🧬 Field Guide Specimen: Open Brown Harvestman in the CRV Science Field Guide to log the specimen, see its place among the Ecdysozoa lineages in the Cladogram Explorer, and test your recall in the Red List conservation game.
Legs as Feelers
The second pair of legs is the longest and acts as a feeler, tapping the surroundings for food and danger. The animal has a single oval body with two eyes on a central turret.
Autumn Gatherings
Brown harvestmen gather in groups on walls and vegetation. Mating takes place in late summer and autumn, and the females lay eggs in the soil.
Scavengers and Hunters
They eat small insects, mites, fungi and dead material. They have no silk to spin, and a glandular scent repels predators. See Common Harvestman.
Brown Harvestman at a Glance
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Scientific name | Leiobunum rotundum |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Arthropoda |
| Class | Arachnida |
| Order | Opiliones |
| Family | Sclerosomatidae |
| Field Guide group | Ecdysozoa: Arachnida (Spiders, Scorpions & Allies) |
| Diagnostic feature (Field Guide) | Tiny round reddish-brown body on extremely long, thin legs; no waist, no silk, and no venom. |
| Order | Opiliones |
| Eyes | Two, on a turret |
See Also
- Common Harvestman — a widespread harvestman
- Saddleback Harvestman — another harvestman