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Photo#735271
Harvestman - Ortholasma pictipes - female

Harvestman - Ortholasma pictipes - Female
Cowichan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
January 4, 2013
Size: 3.6mm body length
Found on gravel in front of the house. Check out the hood and the surface of the scute... Nemastomatids are some of the weirdest and most fantastic critters I've seen around here. Not too hard to photograph either because they'll graciously sit motionless for minutes on end. This one could move at a decent clip, but mostly played dead. It was so sedentary it didn't react for several seconds when I flipped it over for the ventral shot.

The double conical processes on the frontal border of the carapace would seem to make this Ortholasma, and O. pictipes is the only species in my area (Shear & Gruber 1983). Other characteristics, such as the light median stripe on the scute and the banded legs seem to match with the species too.

Note: size excludes hood.

Images of this individual: tag all
Harvestman - Ortholasma pictipes - female Harvestman - Ortholasma pictipes - female Harvestman - Ortholasma pictipes - female Harvestman - Ortholasma pictipes - female Harvestman - Ortholasma pictipes - female Harvestman - Ortholasma pictipes - female Harvestman - Ortholasma pictipes - female

ID confirmed by Rod Crawford
"I'd agree the Ortholasma is female based on genital operculum."

New species for the guide!

Moved from Nemastomatidae.

 
i can't get enough of this face.
formidable gal. thanks for the addition!

 
...
Agreed, these really are neat critters... I hope one day we find out what the crazy hood is for!

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