[ID] Pholocus... opilionoides??

[Jason Green]

Hi all,

Whilst on a fruitless invertebrate hunt in the garden this morning I came across this rather dead Daddy Long-legs, hanging by a leg under the edge of a shed roof, sheltered. I took it away and photographed it in a better environment.

01/02/2010

Four angles to hopefully assist with an ID...
Whole body, abdomen detail, epigyne (glad it was a girl!) and femur/tibia colouration

Body length excluding legs: c7-8mm

I only suggest the less common opilionoides because it was found outside with most DLL being indoors. Also the abdomen was pretty round. I have retained the specimen.

Either way, what is opilionoides' distribution UK-wise? I notice it's been dropped by NBN, and images of phalangioides to compare it to vary considerably on the 'Net!

Any other possibilities?

Thank you for reading

Take care,

Jason

[Geoff F]

If it was P. opilionoides I'm not surprised it was dead considering the recent weather. A southern europe species, up to 5 mm length.

Although I suppose an accidental introduction could survive for a time inside a modern well heated house.

The close ups of the epigyne match with my book for P. phalangioides, but I'm not an expert on these matters - in fact I've a long way to go before even becoming a novice!