Mitopus morio

Mitopus morio is a species of harvestman arachnid belonging to the family Phalangiidae.

Mitopus morio
Mitopus morio
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Chelicerata
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Opiliones
Family:	Phalangiidae
Genus:	Mitopus
Species:	M. morio
Binomial name
Mitopus morio (Fabricius, 1779)
Synonyms
List Mitopus boreali s (Thorell, 1876) Mitopus californicus Banks, 1901 Mitopus montanus Banks, 1901 Mitopus scaber Roewer, 1912 Oligolophus kulczynskii Strand, 1900 Oligolophus vagans Strand, 1900 Opilio affinis Koch, 1848 Opilio albescens Koch, 1848 Opilio albipes Doleschall, 1852 Opilio alpinus Herbst, 1799 Opilio canescens Koch, 1839 Opilio cinerascens Koch, 1839 Opilio cinerascens Koch, 1848 Opilio crypturum Koch, 1836 Opilio fasciatus Koch, 1835 Opilio grossipes Herbst, 1799 Opilio inermis Doleschall, 1852 Opilio petrensis Koch, 1861 Opilio rhododendri Koch, 1869 Opilio rufescens Koch, 1848 Opilio serripes Koch, 1848 Opilio similis Koch, 1848 Phalangium morio Fabricius, 1779 Phalangium palliatum Latreille, 1798 Phalangium urnigerum Hammer, 1804

Distribution

This species occurs in Europe, North Africa, Asia and in North America.

Habitat

This very common species inhabits different biotopes, forests, heath and moorland, spruce forests, beech forests. meadows, human settlements and gardens, from the lowlands to the mountains.

Description

Close-up on the body

Mitopus morio can reach a body length of about 4–6 millimetres (0.16–0.24 in) in males, of about 4–8.5 millimetres (0.16–0.33 in) in females. However the body size is quite variable. The body is ovate, slightly narrower in the male. The head shows various tiny bumps. The eyes are small and narrow, longer than wider, with a varying number of small spikes around the eyebrow. Also color is rather variable, but males are usually brown-colored, where as females are darker. A dark irregular saddle-like area is always present on the back, sometimes with narrow white edges and a longitudinal pinkish stripe in the centre. The legs varies from yellowish-brown to dark brown and are thin and long. The length of the longest of the second pair of legs is 30–40 mm. Males have sharp, forward-pointing tooth under first segment of chelicera.

This species is rather similar and may be confused with the females of Phalangium opilio.

Biology

Adults can be found from the middle of May until the middle of November, depending on the location. Eggs hatch at the end of March. These harvestmen feed on small insects and other small arthropods. Mitopus morio has been observed to walk using its first, third, and fourth sets of legs, using the unusually long second pair of legs to feel in front of it and probe its environment.

Bibliography

• Cawley, M.. 2002, A review of the Irish harvestmen (Arachnida: Opiliones), Bulletin Irish biogeographical Society, 26: 106-137
• Edgar, A. L., 1990. Opiliones (Phalangida). pp. 529–581 in: D. L. Dindal, ed., Soil Biology Guide. John Wiley & Sons, New York, : i-xx, 1–1349.
• Sankey, J.H.P & Savory, T.H. 1974, British Harvestmen. Arachnida : Opiliones, Synopses of the British Fauna, 4: 1-76

External links

• BioImages
• Invertebrated On Line