Banded Harvestman
Leiobunum vittatum
Often mistaken for spiders, harvestmen are a distinct arachnid order. They have a single fused body segment, do not spin webs, and use their extra-long second pair of legs as sensory antennae.
- Scientific name
- Leiobunum vittatum
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Arthropoda › Arachnida › Opiliones › Sclerosomatidae › Leiobunum
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Deciduous forests, damp woodland floors, shaded gardens, and shrublands.
- Diet
- Omnivorous scavenger: feeds on small insects, aphids, fungi, decaying plant matter, and fruit juices.
- Range
- North America, United States, Canada
- Size
- Body length: 5-8 mm; Leg span: up to 100 mm
- Lifespan
- 1 year
- Active
- crepuscular
- Threats
- Widespread chemical pesticide use and the clearing of damp leaf litter habitats.
- Safe to approach?
- Completely harmless. Banded Harvestmen lack venom glands and fangs, meaning they cannot bite or sting. Avoid handling them directly, as they easily shed their long legs (autotomy) in panic, which do not grow back. If one climbs on you, gently nudge it onto a nearby leaf or twig.
Leiobunum vittatum is a species of harvestman in the family Sclerosomatidae. It is found in North America.
Photo: Nick Block, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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