As I was preparing the garden hose for watering the garden this evening I disturbed this rather long-legged individual who was sheltering nearby. It a male Leiobunum blackwalli, a species of harvestmen. I have bought you in close to start, and will bring you back gradually over three shots, and you will see just how long these legs are.
Note how small the body is, and how different it is to that of a spider. Harvestmen are quite an ancient group of arachnid, and although they resemble spiders they are not spiders, but related. They have an order of their own called Opiliones. The conjoined head and body of this individual is around 3mm (0.1in) long. Now the legs are about 50mm (2in) long. And that is each leg.
No wonder they are also called ‘Daddy Longlegs’.
Rear garden, Staffordshire, England. June 2017.
Nature Journeys 
Very leggy 🙂
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Indeed 🙂
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Do those long legs slow them down or speed them up?
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They can move pretty fast on them long legs.
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We used to call them harvest spiders, and I think I have a photo of one somewhere taken over here. That’s a super shot of him Pete, unbelievably long legs!
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Thank you, Jude 🙂 Indeed he has!
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Well captured Pete!
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Thank you, Ed 🙂
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Is it true that they have a very potent venom, but aren’t dangerous because they can’t bite humans?
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It is just an urban myth. They do not have venom glands, and although related, quite different to spiders. They are harmless.
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😀
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Such gentle creatures. Just keep them out of my bedroom!
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This one was directly below my bedroom window, but I don’t think I have ever seen a harvestman in the house, ever. Thankfully 🙂
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They probably avoid us as much as we do them!😉
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🙂
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Is this leggy beauty poisonous?
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No. They do not have venom glands. They are related but different to spiders. They are harmless 🙂
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Fascinating close-up. Another case of ‘I must look closer next time I see one of those’.
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Thank you, Judith 🙂 It’s amazing how much we can miss, and right under our very noses .
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We call Daddy Longlegs ones that have wings too, and call these Harvestmen or the latin term – ‘Arrrgggh run it’s one of those things with freakishly long legs and a tiny body!’
Astonishing close up. Well done that man.
– Esme impressed with Pete’s skill as usual upon the Cloud
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Thank you very much, Esme 🙂 You sure make me smile and chuckle here with your lovely sense of humour 🙂
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