Opiliones

Opiliones (more commonly known as Harvestmen) are an Order of eight-legged invertebrates within the Class Arachnida. Opiliones have long thin walking legs and their bodies have the appearance of being just a single structure. They do possess both cephalothorax and abdomen but these are joined together with no narrowing between the two body segments.

There are over 6,000 known species of harvestmen and most are omnivorous. They do not possess fangs or venom and catch prey using their chelicerae.

A photograph of a harvestman illustrating their characteristically long legs and undifferentiated body.
Photograph by Martina Tillein licensed under Creative Commons.

Other names for (or types of) Opiliones include:

• Harvestman
• Phalangida

Related terms

• Abdomen
• Acari
• Arachnid
• Cephalothorax
• Chelicerae
• Chelicerata
• Class
• Daddy long legs
• Minibeast
• Mite
• Ocularium
• Omnivore
• Order
• Tick

Related groups of terms

• General biology

Related pages on this web site

• Arachnids

See other words beginning with O