The Opiliones, formerly called Phalangida, are an order of arachnids colloquially known as harvestmen, harvesters, daddy longlegs or granddaddy longlegs. Over 6,650 species have been discovered worldwide, though the total number of extant species may exceed 10,000, and representatives can be found on every continent except Antarctica. Though superficially similar to and often misidentified as spiders, they are a distinct order, easily told apart by their fused body regions and single pair of eyes in the middle of the cephalothorax, where a spider has a distinct abdomen separated from the cephalothorax and three to four pairs of eyes.
Facts
Identification
Distinguishing AppearanceExceptionally long legs relative to body size, though some species are short-legged 1 Scientific Name Sources
1. Opiliones - Wikipedia
Lead paragraph
The Opiliones (formerly Phalangida) are an order of arachnids, colloquially known as harvestmen, harvesters, daddy long legs, or granddaddy long legs.
Description
The Opiliones are known for having exceptionally long legs relative to their body size; however, some species are short-legged.
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