Invertebrate ecologist, biological recorder. BAS Harvestmen recording scheme organiser. All views are my own. 🕷️🕸️🐞🦋🦟🦞🦎🪰🐝🏳️🌈
Gloucestershire
Joined September 2015
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No longer active on here - please find me at bsky.app/profile/megabunus.b…
Meg Skinner (British Harvestmen) (she/her) retweeted
Poor photos but discovered this tiny Harvestman spider neath scree on #TunstallHills 🔎 Confident with Mitostoma chrysomelas and a reminder to focus on #Opiliones srs.britishspiders.org.uk/po…
Meg Skinner (British Harvestmen) (she/her) retweeted
I know this looks like a small ball/bead, but it is actually a baby Nelima gothica harvestman in its egg. Those black areas and the light area between them are the eyes and ocularium.
Fingers crossed for a successful growth!
Meg Skinner (British Harvestmen) (she/her) retweeted
#opilioctober Day 5
Leiobunum blackwalli is one of three Leiobunum species in Ireland (two of which can be superficially confused). They are very common at this time of year as adults, and I will teach you how to tell them apart!
(Male = Left, Female = Right)
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Meg Skinner (British Harvestmen) (she/her) retweeted
Our own @Megabunus recently featured in the September issue of @cpm_magazine, talking all things spiders 🕷️
In the article, she discusses the impact of agro chemicals on spider populations & how resilient arachnids are as a species.
cpm-magazine.co.uk/technical…
@BritishSpiders
Great day last week at @FieldStudiesC Bishop's Wood - loads of cellar spiders (Pholcus) in their saxon hut (and a peacock butterfly) #arachtober #arachnology @BritishSpiders
Meg Skinner (British Harvestmen) (she/her) retweeted
Harvestmen (Arachnida: Opiliones) are among the most beautiful and overlooked arachnids on the planet. I invite everyone to take part in #Opilioctober, regardless of where you live. This month, I will teach you how to identify and record these fascinating creatures in Ireland.
Meg Skinner (British Harvestmen) (she/her) retweeted
#Opilioctober
Day 3
Say hello to the most spider-looking harvestman there is... Odiellus spinosus.
A stunning and large species that I generally find under and between stones (Photo 1), especially on well-drained gravel or stone areas.
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Meg Skinner (British Harvestmen) (she/her) retweeted
#Opilioctober
Day 2 introduces us to Dicranopalpus ramosus (Fork-legged Harvestman).
Both males and females strike an unmistakable pose with their legs held straight out to the side as they wait for unsuspecting prey to pass.
Male, left. Female right.
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Meg Skinner (British Harvestmen) (she/her) retweeted
#Opilioctober
Beginning with one of the most common and easiest to recognise of the Irish Harvestman fauna.
Nemastoma bimaculatum is a small (body ~3mm) black harvestman with two yellow or silver marking on the cephalothorax.
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As I say on all of the talks/courses, if you learn only one harvestman - this is the one! Super common in late summer/autumn all across the UK
#opilioctober Day 4
Today we meet the Winter Harvestman, Paroligolophus agrestis.
A small harvestman with medium legs which is very abundant at the moment.
The defining characteristic for me is the beautifully smooth, silvery/cream ocularium (eye turret).
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Meg Skinner (British Harvestmen) (she/her) retweeted
For #Arachotober, a chance to celebrate the colourful diversity of Britain's spiders with @RoyalMailStamps special edition, superbly illustrated by @rlewington2.
Available now from your local Post Office or as special packs from
shop.royalmail.com/special-s….
Meg Skinner (British Harvestmen) (she/her) retweeted
Britain's favourite swiftly-spreading non-native #harvestman: Opilio canestrinii. Spotted at dusk hanging out on a tree near Loddon, Norfolk, TM39/VC27. Literally: the photo was taken from below, straight up the tree-trunk! Waiting for a small meal to climb up, perhaps.
Meg Skinner (British Harvestmen) (she/her) retweeted
📸 Soerensenella sp. With mites. I am unsure what relationship these mites have with the harvestmen 🕷️
Hopefully this will inspire others to look a bit closer during #arachtober 2024, which is just a few days away now.
Meg Skinner (British Harvestmen) (she/her) retweeted
OK spider fans, stamps go up on 7th Oct so buy instead of your Yule stamps, extra new spider stamps designed by @rlewington2 🤩
Meg Skinner (British Harvestmen) (she/her) retweeted
Male Phalangium opilio have these huge horns projecting from their chelicerae, apparently used as weapons in combat with other males. Now that I'd like to photograph! @BritishSpiders @Megabunus
This one has a passenger too (a small red mite).
ALT A male harvestman (Phalangium opilio), orange/brown in colour, photographed side-on amongst green grass. The harvestman (a male) has huge horn-like projections coming from the front, a single fused body with a small pair of spiked eyes in an ocularium on top.
Meg Skinner (British Harvestmen) (she/her) retweeted
We are all set up at the @amentsoc exhibition at Kempton Park racecourse. Come and say hello 👋 🕸 🕷 @Megabunus #arachnids #spiders #britishspiders
I was recently interviewed on behalf of @BritishSpiders to chat about spiders in agriculture. This article touches on why we should consider spiders alongside other groups such as pollinators: cpm-magazine.co.uk/technical…
#arachnids #arachnology #entomology