# Exotic Harvestman Keepers?



## DITB (Feb 2, 2011)

does anyone actually raise exotic harvestman? Many of the exotic harvestmen look amazing and i am now wanting to get some badly but cant find much information about them being in captivity expect for a few old posts about Chilean Red Devil Harvestman (Metagyndes innata)
also if any native harvestman keepers are lurking around here id like to hear about there experiences in raising these weird little things :}

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## Elytra and Antenna (Feb 2, 2011)

We do have Vonones ornata readily available which are in the same group. They're really easy to keep and seem to be long-lived but I've seen no sign of reproduction as of yet. They even look neat under black light.


----------



## DITB (Feb 2, 2011)

i had no idea Vonones ornata would glow under a black light!
i actually find a few dozen of the Vonones ornata(or a very similar species) in my backyard every year i cant wait until i warms up so i can start collecting some
and hopefully be able to find someone with exotics available this year

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## Alejandro45 (Feb 2, 2011)

I would love to keep harvestmen!! they are awsome. I once found a whole bunch of red harvestmen with long black legs all huddled together under a leaf.


----------



## DITB (Feb 10, 2011)

seems vonones ornata does overwinter! i found 6 in my backyard under a rotting piece of wood!!  am very excited to have found them


----------



## zonbonzovi (Feb 10, 2011)

Cool...a little larger than I thought they were.  Any idea why the reaction to UV?


----------



## DITB (Feb 10, 2011)

photos of them under a black light  ...cant believe they arent more common in the hobby


----------



## Elytra and Antenna (Feb 10, 2011)

I notice yours only seem to have pinpoint fluorescense on the legs. The ones I have from Florida glow solid.


----------



## DITB (Feb 10, 2011)

i noticed that too ....weird


----------



## Deroplatys (Feb 11, 2011)

Does anyone know how i have to go about getting some of these to the UK?


----------



## H. laoticus (Feb 11, 2011)

I'm not sure that's the same type of fluorescence scorpions have.


----------



## Galapoheros (Feb 16, 2011)

Even though I've found harvestman in dry places, they seem to dry out pretty fast so I'd have a source of water, maybe keep a corner moist, maybe they are dew drinkers.


----------



## DITB (Mar 6, 2011)

vonones ornata compared to vonones sayi? collected in TX 
seems sayi only glows in the joints of its legs when under a blacklight
terrible photo but ill try for another when i have better lighting


----------



## MrCrackerpants (Apr 27, 2011)

*Vonones ornata*

I just got some Vonones ornata (Ornate Harvestman). I was curious to see what they would eat so I gave them some scrabbled eggs and they are chowing down! :}

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## draconian22 (May 2, 2011)

I use to keep Metagyndes innata, unfortunately I only had males.  I know Mack managed to get them to lay eggs which hatched but all offspring died shortly after.  We wondered if there was something missing from their diet or environment that caused them to perish.

Definitely a fantastic species.  I had spoken to Adriano Kury a while back about the species and got him to identify another species that had peaked my interest Pachylinae Sadocus funestis (Butler, 1876).  Unfortunately no luck in finding this species anywhere on the market.  Guess I will just wait to leech off a future import from Chile.

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## MrCrackerpants (Jun 4, 2011)

My Vonones ornata (Ornate Harvestman) eggs just hatched. The juveniles are really cool. Must be all the scrambled eggs :}


----------



## DITB (Jun 4, 2011)

is it possible you could get photos of the juveniles? i am very interested in what they must look like


----------



## MrCrackerpants (Jun 4, 2011)

DITB said:


> is it possible you could get photos of the juveniles? i am very interested in what they must look like


It might take a while but they look exactly like the adults but very small. I received 6 sub-adults from Peter (bugsincyberspace) last month. If anyone wants to know what I am doing to get them to reproduce let me know. It has been very easy.

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## DITB (Jun 4, 2011)

i am very curious how you got them to reproduce!!


----------



## MrCrackerpants (Jun 4, 2011)

DITB said:


> i am very curious how you got them to reproduce!!


OK. They are in a plastic storage container that is about 2 feet by 2 feet. It has a lid (with no holes) to drive up the humidity level. They cannot climb plastic. I have down maybe a .25 of an inch of moist composted soil as a substrate but in a few places there is no substrate. I have 2 moist cotton balls on one end of the container. I have a moist cardboard egg crate (12 eggs) with the lid cut off laying upside down. They all like to hide under there. This is where I saw the nymphs. I spray the egg crate every 3-4 days to keep it moist. I alternate giving them scrabbled eggs, freshly killed crickets and freshly killed dubia roaches. I usually put these under the egg crate or .5 of an inch in front of it. The temperate is 75 F. The room is dark.


----------



## TTWD (Jun 17, 2011)

I have alot of harvestmen around my house in Illinois. I never really payed them much attention, i liked holding them when i was a kid. I don't know alot about the species, however comparing the ones around here to the pics in this thread, the species around my house must be fairly large for harvestmen, frequently having 2 1/2 - 3 in legspans and 4-5 mm bodies.


----------



## MrCrackerpants (Jun 17, 2011)

TTWD said:


> I have alot of harvestmen around my house in Illinois. I never really payed them much attention, i liked holding them when i was a kid. I don't know alot about the species, however comparing the ones around here to the pics in this thread, the species around my house must be fairly large for harvestmen, frequently having 2 1/2 - 3 in legspans and 4-5 mm bodies.


Yes, the harvestmen in Illinois are bigger. I was never successful at getting them to reproduce.


----------

