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This site treats the Opiliones (commonly called “harvestmen”) of North America (north of Mexico, including Canada). Harvestmen are arachnids with four pairs of walking legs and chelicerate mouthparts, most-easily distinguished from spiders in having a single pair of eyes, and fused cephalothorax plus abdomen.

This page is a “jumping off” point to smaller phylogenetic groups within the order, traditionally classified as suborders. The 4 harvestmen suborders include Cyphophthalmi, Eupnoi, Dyspnoi, and Laniatores. Use the images and brief text below to move downstream to these smaller groups, where greater detail and more information can found.

Cyphophthalmi (mite harvestmen) – typically only encountered when sifting through leaf litter. Small (< 2 mm), mite-like appearance

Eupnoi (typical “daddy longlegs”) – almost all North American harvestmen encountered “wandering around” in native habitats or on buildings, etc. are members of Eupnoi. Long thin legs much longer than compact body, pedipalps without capture spines (*sometimes on basal segments in a few taxa)

Dyspnoi (atypical “daddy longlegs”) – a morphologically heterogeneous group of harvestmen; almost always found under rocks, logs, in caves, etc. Legs longer than compact body, pedipalps without capture spines or terminal claws, coloration typically black or grayish (unlike many Eupnoi which are often orange/brown)

Laniatores (armoured harvestmen) – North American Laniatores are reclusive, found under rocks, logs, in caves, etc. Small-bodied (e.g., 1-5 mm), legs relatively short, pedipalps with capture spines on all/most segments and strong terminal claw