Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: Harvestman

Yesterday, I took my car in to get a new control box installed. Just had a phone call to say that I also have a fairly significant oil leak, so I will have to get that seen to, as well. I'm beginning to regret not replacing my vehicle, as it has been costing me too much in repairs the last while. This photo was taken at the Reader Rock Garden in Calgary on 24 June 2015. I just checked the folder of photos I took that day and discovered that this is only the second photo posted yet on Flickr. I didn't notice the delicate Harvestman down in the right hand corner until I got home and downloaded my photos.

After a volunteer shift on 23 July 2014, I wasn't too far away from the Erlton/Roxboro Natural Area, where I was finally going to go on a botany walk with friends. Having been to this location several times before, I knew it was a short, easy, flat trail, and that I could go as far as I wanted and then turn back early, which is what I did. I missed pretty well all the botany and birding walks last year, which was quite depressing. The main thing I wanted to see there were the Nodding / Musk Thistles, as they are my favourite species of Thistle. They are called a "weed", but they are beautiful and I love to see and photograph them. With a couple of hours to "kill" between volunteering and the walk, I spent them at the Reader Rock Garden, which was just a few minutes' drive away from the evening botany walk location. Happened to notice this Harvestman (hope I have the correct ID) hanging out on a leaf. “What most people do not seem to know is that they are not spiders, but members of a different group that is closely related to spiders, and they should correctly be called Harvestmen. There are at least eight species of harvestmen in Alberta, but Phalangium opilio is by far the most likely to be seen. They look rather spider-like, but the legs are much longer and thinner than those of most spiders and they have only one body part as opposed to the two that spiders have. They also lack the poison glands and the silk-producing glands that spiders have. The biggest myth concerning Harvestmen concerns how poisonous they are. They are not poisonous, and completely lack the toxin producing glands that spiders have. They do have scent glands that produce a peculiar smelling fluid when the animal is disturbed. This probably acts as a repellant to some predators. Found throughout Alberta. Harvestmen are found throughout the world, but Phalangium opilio is restricted to North America, Europe and temperate Asia.” From the Royal Alberta Museum. royalalbertamuseum.ca/research/lifeSciences/invertebrateZ...

I didn't even notice this Harvestman (Daddy Long-legs) sprawled over a Poppy seedhead, until I got home and downloaded my photos : ) Seen at the Reader Rock Garden on 14th July. By the way, a Harvestman is neither a spider nor an insect. Holy smokes, 4:15 p.m. and we are in the middle of a huge thunder, rain and hail storm!!! SO glad I didn't follow through with my plan to go to the forest this afternoon. It's taken just a few minutes to turn the ground white! Incredible. talkaboutwildlife.ca/profile/?s=1494

This rather fine Harvestman was on a fence post at the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary this afternoon.

Harvestmen, also called Daddy Longlegs, are close relatives of spiders. The body grows to 1/4 inch long and, unlike spiders, which have two main body sections, the Harvestman only has one. Like a spider, it does have eight legs, but its are much longer.