Eight legs - but is it a spider?

[Bruce Williams]

Location Stockgrove Country Park under an old log.

When I took the pic earlier this afternoon I thought I was taking a photo of a distinctively marked spider. However looking at it at full resolution I'm not so sure. For a start it doesn't seem to possess a clearly defined cephalothorax and abdomen - in fact I'd say it's anatomy looks more like that of a Harvestman. Also I couldn't find anything like it in Collins Field Guide to Spiders of GB and N. Europe.

Help with identification much appreciated.



Bruce

[Action_Man]

I have only ever seen one of these in the past, and no its not a spider, its an opilone ...

[tr33lo]

It looks like a harvestman which is a member of the archnid family but isn't a spider as it doesn't have two body parts, at least thats my understanding, I'm sure i will be corrected if I'm wrong

[Action_Man]

I`ve had a look in my book, and it looks like the genus nemastoma to me ...

[Paul mabbott]

Everyone's right, I think. Nemastoma bimaculatum Invertebrate Ireland Arachnida: Opiliones (harvesters, harvestmen). This is much smaller than the bulk of British Opiliones.

Another Nemastoma species has established in UK over recent years - I can't recall its name or what it looks like and the football will be starting soon Might be worth looking at the BAS site ....

[Bruce Williams]

Wow that's super-quick! You guys are GOOD.

Well I've done a quick search on "Nemastoma" and of course you're right Action_Man it is in the Order Opiliones.....and with only a few pics to go on N. bimaculatum looks to be quite a close fit for species. What do you think?

AM - Could you let me know what book you're using to look up this sort of info.

Thanks.

Bruce

EDIT: Thanks Paul our postings must have crossed in cyberspace.

[Pudding4brains]

Hi All,

Originally Posted by Paul mabbott

Another Nemastoma species has established in UK over recent years - I can't recall its name or what it looks like

Well, I can't readily find which one that would be (FE doesn't even list 1 Nemastoma for Britain ), but one other Nemastoma that looks very similar would be Nemastoma lugubre. In this thread on a german forum you'll find some images and the dutch expert Hay Wijnhoven stating that on lugubre the two white/silver spots would be mostly round, whereas on bimaculatum the sides would be indented (making Bruce's beast a N. bimaculatum indeed, as suggested by Paul

Cheers!
Arp

[Action_Man]

The book in question is :- The Spiders & Allied Orders of the British Isles (Theodore H. Savory). Last published in 1945, so good luck on finding a copy .

An ideal book though would be Collins Field Guide to the Spiders of Britain and Northern Europe, which i`m on the lookout for ...

[Action_Man]

Pudding there is another listed in my book, which is :- nemastoma chrysomelas.

I cant much info about it on the net, text or images ...

[Pudding4brains]

Originally Posted by Action_Man

there is another listed in my book, which is :- nemastoma chrysomelas

Hmmmm ... I'm guessing that would now be Mitostoma chrysomelas (Also a Nemastomatidae, but looks quite different) .... ??

P.S.: Yes, I suppose it is. For Britain see here.