Common Harvestman
Phalangium opilio
The common harvestman is a long-legged arachnid often found in grassland, hedgerows, gardens, and field edges across much of Europe and beyond. It walks over vegetation and ground litter hunting tiny invertebrates, but also scavenges dead insects and feeds on soft plant material. Unlike true spiders, it has no silk glands and no venom fangs. When threatened, it can shed a leg or release a foul defensive secretion from scent glands on its body.
- Type
- Venom
- Conservation status
- NE