#cosmetidae

[saritawolf]

Ornate Harvestman (Libitioides ornata) - (c) SaritaWolf - please do not repost

[arthro]

Cosmetid Harvestman

Eupoecilaema magnum

Over spring break, I took a one-week study abroad course where I stayed in a tropical rainforest research station located in Costa Rica. Seeing the ecosystem there was a bit of a shock compared to the temperate forests I'm used to! The nutrient turnover is so fast you'd be hard-pressed to find a stick that hasn't already started to decay, and everything grows on everything. Note the lichen(?) on the leaf and the two hitchhiker mites (red) on the back of the harvestmen for examples of just how high the species density can be! This harvestman is from one of my many night hikes trying to search for an elusive velvet worm. I never did end up finding one, but learning that many neotropical harvestmen glow under ultraviolet light was equally as interesting. Expect more posts of insects from the rainforest soon!

[terranlifeform]

[ecuadorlife]

Video: Harvestman, Opiliones by Andreas Kay Via Flickr: youtu.be/TJVPGgjZarw from Ecuador

[ecuadorlife]

Bunny Harvestman, Metagryne bicolumnata, Cosmetidae by Andreas Kay Via Flickr: watch my VIDEO: youtu.be/SvQ1uhn08Jo from Ecuador: www.youtube.com/AndreasKay

[ecuadorlife]

Harvestman, Cosmetidae by Andreas Kay Via Flickr: watch my VIDEO: youtu.be/TJVPGgjZarw from Ecuador: www.youtube.com/AndreasKay

[ecuadorlife]

Bunny Harvestman, Metagryne bicolumnata by Andreas Kay Via Flickr: watch my VIDEO: youtu.be/SvQ1uhn08Jo

[ecuadorlife]

Harvestman, Cosmetidae by Andreas Kay Via Flickr: watch my VIDEO: youtu.be/TJVPGgjZarw from Ecuador: www.youtube.com/AndreasKay