Although they resemble spiders, harvestmen have only one body part (looking much like a blob with legs), lack fangs, and do not produce silk.

Members of this order have widely varying eating habits. Some species have quite specific preferences as to what is and is not food, while others will eat almost anything. Some species are carnivorous and predatory, some are strictly vegetarian, and some feed primarily on dead plant and animal matter. Regardless of what they eat, however, all members of the order chew their food.

Courtship and mating behavior vary by species, but insemination is always direct. Eggs are almost always deposited in groups in moist, well-protected places. The young resemble the adults and grow through a series of moults.

Harvestmen are preyed upon by birds and small animals. Most species possess a pair of glands from which a stinky substance is secreted if the animal is disturbed. Harvestmen cannot bite, but some species do have sharp spinelike projections on their body that can cause discomfort to potential predators. Many species also have the ability to cast off one or two legs, which continue to twitch for several minutes, distracting predators long enough for the animal to escape.

Worldwide, there are about 7,000 described species of Opiliones, although there are probably thousands more not yet named. They are found everywhere in the world, except Antarctica, in a wide variety of habitats.

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This page was last updated on September 27, 2017.