harvestman
/ˈhɑːvɪs(t)mən
/noun (plural harvestmen)
An arachnid with a globular body and very long thin legs, typically living in leaf litter and on tree trunks.
- Order Opiliones: three suborders.
- While some species may be better at hunting than others, most harvestmen scavenge dead plants and animals, only occasionally catching relatively easy prey, such as small caterpillars.
- Cave crickets and harvestmen or ‘daddy longlegs’ that live inside the caves during the day and feed outside the caves at night contribute important nutrients to the cave ecosystem.
