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Phalangium. Linnaeus, 1758. Type species. Phalangium iberica. Schenkel, 1939. Synonyms. Cerastoma. Phalangium is a genus of harvestmen that occur mostly in the Old World. The best known species is Phalangium opilio, which is so common in many temperate regions that it is simply called "harvestman".
Scientific name: Phalangium opilio. The Common harvestman is familiar to us as the large, spindly spider-like creature that frequents gardens and houses. It predates on smaller invertebrates which it catches using hooks on the ends of its legs.
Phalangium cornutum Linnaeus, 1767. Phalangium longipalpis Weed, 1890. Phalangium opilio (also known as the common harvestman, brown harvestman and daddy longlegs) is a species of harvestman belonging to the family Phalangiidae .
A harvestman (a male Phalangium opilio), showing the almost fused arrangement of abdomen and cephalothorax that distinguishes these arachnids from spiders. Harvestmen have a pair of prosomatic defensive scent glands that secrete a peculiar-smelling fluid when disturbed. In some species, the fluid contains noxious quinones.
In addition to the 6 valid names from the above list, the genus Bactrophalangium (with its 2 species) has been synonymized into Phalangium, 8 species have been described since 2005 and one species described in 1953 is missing from the above list, making a total of 17 species currently recognized as valid.
Classification. Scientific Name: Phalangium opilio Linnaeus, 1761. Kingdom: Animalia. Phylum: Arthropoda. Class: Arachnida. Order: Opiliones. Family: Phalangiidae.
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