EPOW - Ecology Picture of the Week

Brown Daddy-long-legs

Brown Daddy-long-legs, Phalangium sp., cf. opilio, Family Phalangiidae
Mixed hardwood forest, West Virginia USA

Explanation:   This tiny, walking red dot was nearly invisible amongst the leaves and twigs and down wood of this mixed hardwood forest in eastern West Virginia.  

But look quickly, as these spindly creatures have a very quick gait.

This is a species of phalangid spider, commonly known as daddy-long-legs.  Hmm, guess how they got that common name...

Daddy-long-legs -- also called harvestmen -- range coast to coast in North America.  They play an important ecological role by feeding on small, living insects and decaying organic material including plant juices, and some feed on dead insects.  

They are known to huddle together in dense clusters over night, locking their legs together.  They lay their eggs in the ground beneath rocks or in wood crevices.

It was a bit of a challenge to photograph this wonderful life form, as it never stopped moving for a moment.