Opiliolibrary

Opiliolibrary - Digital Library of Amazonian Harvestmen (Opiliones) 

The Opiliolibrary is a digital library of the harvestmen species of the Brazilian Amazon. Harvestmen are arthropods of the class Arachnida and are also known as daddy long legs, they are arachnids of the order Opiliones. They have, as all other arachnids does, four pairs of legs, one pair of chelicers and one pair of pedipalps, this last one is used to manipulate food and objects. Harvestmen are criptic and nocturnal beings and they need humid microhabitats to keep their bodies hidrated. Harvestmen are the third richest order among arachnids. There are more than 6500 species of harvestmen described in the world  (Kury, 2015). In the Amazon basin there are a little more than 300 espécies described, but scientists estimates there are 5 times more species of harvestmen out there to be described, or maybe more. Just the Reserve Ducke, in the city of Manaus, we found until now 36 species of harvestmen, from which 28 are undescribed. 

Paecilaema manifestum Roewer, 1927
Family: Cosmetidae
Suborder: Laniatores
Order: Opiliones
 
Fhoto: Sidclay Dias
 
How to cite the Opiliolibrary
Tourinho, A.L., Porto, W.L, Colmenares, P.A & Giribet, G. 2013. Opiliolibrary: Digital Library of Amazonian Harvestmen (Chelicerata, Arachnida, Opiliones). CENBAM, Manaus, Amazonas, Brasil.