Care info on Opiliones needed

[Charliemum]

This morning when I got up I found this rather chunky lady in the middle of the floor in my kitchen she's missing 3 legs on one side and was struggling to move without falling. There doesn't seem to be much info on them apart from they like a high humidity.
Obviously if she can't walk properly I don't feel right just putting her out so my plan is to make her a viv up.
Anyone got any info on these I would appreciate it massively pretty sure she's gravid coz of her girth so this needs to be spot on for her.
Also what do I feed her ? I have seen fish food suggested but is there anything else I will need to supplement with?
I really am a total noob here so all info is welcome
Thank you in advance.



Pics of the poor lass just incase anyone can help me with an id.

 

[zsiciarz]

Never kept them, but I'd like to. She is an Opilio canestrinii.

 

[Charliemum]

Never kept them, but I'd like to. She is an Opilio canestrinii.

Thanks I had never considered it before we have loads in our garden but I just don't feel right realising her like that. I am just about to make her a viv n was just checking to see if there was any answers before I did .
My plan is sub cork and a little moss with some very shallow food n water dishes.
Do you know if they eat more then fish food in captivity? I have seen the ones in my garden eating the catfood , and I have read different things on here like feeding them green fly or springtails so I am not sure what food to offer.

 

[zsiciarz]

For all I know, they have very diverse diet in the wild - fly eggs/larvae, dead insects, fungi, slime molds, even other arachnids. I'd try giving her a prekilled roach or a mealworm.

 

[Charliemum]

For all I know, they have very diverse diet in the wild - fly eggs/larvae, dead insects, fungi, slime molds, even other arachnids. I'd try giving her a prekilled roach or a mealworm.

Thank you again I don't do roaches so will try her with a mealworm tomorrow she's pretty fat so not sure she will take it but I will still offer. She's in her new place now happily chilling on her bark.

Pic of her bew home just incase i got it wrong.
Pic of her leg as she's found her new hiding spot.


If its wrong let me know ppls. She has lots to climb live moss n springtings in with her

 

[Glorfindel]

Squires call them Daddy Long Legs.

 

[Charliemum]

Squires call them Daddy Long Legs.

Call em that here too but now she's known as Ophelia

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Thanks I had never considered it before we have loads in our garden but I just don't feel right realising her like that. I am just about to make her a viv n was just checking to see if there was any answers before I did .
My plan is sub cork and a little moss with some very shallow food n water dishes.
Do you know if they eat more then fish food in captivity? I have seen the ones in my garden eating the catfood , and I have read different things on here like feeding them green fly or springtails so I am not sure what food to offer.

I’ve seen them catch insects . But this one is missing legs .

 

[Charliemum]

I’ve seen them catch insects . But this one is missing legs .

Yes she is I found her like that on my kitchen floor , she is missing 3 legs all on one side so I didn't feel right realising her, if she couldn't walk properly she wasn't going to survive out there, she now lives with my t's in her own viv .
She seems to be OK in there this morning, she's chosen a corkbark and settled on it, I am going to try offering her prekilled today and I have seeded her viv with springtings so if she does feel upto hunting she can have a go, but she's stuck with me now bless her, she's named, housed , n part of our family .

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Yes she is I found her like that on my kitchen floor , she is missing 3 legs all on one side so I didn't feel right realising her, if she couldn't walk properly she wasn't going to survive out there, she now lives with my t's in her own viv .
She seems to be OK in there this morning, she's chosen a corkbark and settled on it, I am going to try offering her prekilled today and I have seeded her viv with springtings so if she does feel upto hunting she can have a go, but she's stuck with me now bless her, she's named, housed , n part of our family .

What is that green moss? Very nice little container. Do they molt or no? I know they’re not spiders. But something similar.

 

[Charliemum]

What is that green moss? Very nice little container. Do they molt or no? I know they’re not spiders. But something similar.

I grow my own live sphagnum moss so I put some in her viv for humidity. It's pretty easy to grow just takes forever lol .
Honestly I am not sure I spent yesterday trying to work out how to house and what to feed her , today's mission is to research their life cycle. I know they only live a year, they are communal, and food wise they will eat anything regardless if its live or dead, and the sp I have is invasive to the uk.
But by the time I found out exactly what sp she is my son was up and we had guests coming so there was no more time to research, but fingers crossed I will be able to find out today now i can research a sp name not just a general search .

 

[RezonantVoid]

I'm a few days late, but hope I can be of help nonetheless. My main focus currently is Australian Opiliones and I have first keeping/breeding records for quite a few different ones from a few families.






I think the biggest thing to keep in mind with these guys is you should always give them FAR more space than you would far just about any other arachnid of comparable legspan; these guys will do alot of exploring, especially the larger leggy families. This is mostly applicable to keeping colonies of them but it's good to keep in mind.






They will eat just about anything from tiny live prey or thawed bloodworms to steamed vegetables, mashed fruits and fish flakes. They don't need alot of food per feeding but do require it fairly frequently. Water should be provided in the form of misting the enclosure slightly in the evening.

I would highly recommend wherever possible going full native bioactive for them. Ditch the cork, ditch the coir, ditch the plastic decor, just grab some soil from outside, an interesting piece of wood from nearby (I do use driftwood if its shape is more suitable for the sp. I'm housing), and some forest leaf litter and mosses. Because they need frequent feeding and are quite messy, going bioactive will save lots of time in maintenance while simultaneously looking better and being a little cheaper

 

[Charliemum]

I'm a few days late, but hope I can be of help nonetheless. My main focus currently is Australian Opiliones and I have first keeping/breeding records for quite a few different ones from a few families.
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I think the biggest thing to keep in mind with these guys is you should always give them FAR more space than you would far just about any other arachnid of comparable legspan; these guys will do alot of exploring, especially the larger leggy families. This is mostly applicable to keeping colonies of them but it's good to keep in mind.



View attachment 479316 View attachment 479319


They will eat just about anything from tiny live prey or thawed bloodworms to steamed vegetables, mashed fruits and fish flakes. They don't need alot of food per feeding but do require it fairly frequently. Water should be provided in the form of misting the enclosure slightly in the evening.

I would highly recommend wherever possible going full native bioactive for them. Ditch the cork, ditch the coir, ditch the plastic decor, just grab some soil from outside, an interesting piece of wood from nearby (I do use driftwood if its shape is more suitable for the sp. I'm housing), and some forest leaf litter and mosses. Because they need frequent feeding and are quite messy, going bioactive will save lots of time in maintenance while simultaneously looking better and being a little cheaper

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Wow thank you so much! I will do that today I must admit I am finding her facinating, she's just sitting alot atm but she has moved from the bark to the lotus pod last night she's also eaten for me, I left her a chopped up mealworm yesterday she ignored it all day yesterday but its gone this morning. So I assume she's stuffed her face coz there is non left. Also should I take the water dish out if I am misting? I don't want to over soak her or her to end up dead in the dish are they safe? Everything I read just said put a shallow dish in glad you said I should mist, i need her care to be excellent not just enough. How often should I mist, it's pretty wet here (North East uk) so I assume every day or 2. ( like the rain )

Tbh I was thinking of moving her anyways just because I hate the tub she's in totes are not for me and I happen to have a 30cm acrylic cube free and was considering making that up for her. Think I definitely will now you say she needs more space . I have a large nature reserve and forest next to my home so I can get her branches to climb and forest floor sub from the woods, will that be OK if not I can just take stuff from my garden its a mini nature reserve so full of bushes trees long grass and wild flowers, and a huge pile of rotted wood for the bugs n burrowing bees to live in, so it won't be difficult to get her decor.
(I assume she came from there as the bk door in my kitchen where I found Ophilia opens onto my mini nature reserve in my bk garden and I see hundreds of them of all sizes marching round in there everyday.)

Should I catch her some friends out of my garden once I move her? I have read these are communal but was frightened to put anything in with her due to her being missing so many legs, I was frightened incase others would pick on her.
Will native bio be safe for her, I don't want anything to hurt her its why I didn't release her, she's mobile on vertical surfaces but falls over on anything flat and she's very fat I think she may be gravid, is there anything special she will need for this? For her laying her eggs ect.

Sorry for all the questions but your the first person I have spoken too that keeps these and I know you won't steer me wrong your baby's are always stunning and well looked after

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

I'm a few days late, but hope I can be of help nonetheless. My main focus currently is Australian Opiliones and I have first keeping/breeding records for quite a few different ones from a few families.
View attachment 479313
View attachment 479314
View attachment 479318



I think the biggest thing to keep in mind with these guys is you should always give them FAR more space than you would far just about any other arachnid of comparable legspan; these guys will do alot of exploring, especially the larger leggy families. This is mostly applicable to keeping colonies of them but it's good to keep in mind.



View attachment 479316 View attachment 479319


They will eat just about anything from tiny live prey or thawed bloodworms to steamed vegetables, mashed fruits and fish flakes. They don't need alot of food per feeding but do require it fairly frequently. Water should be provided in the form of misting the enclosure slightly in the evening.

I would highly recommend wherever possible going full native bioactive for them. Ditch the cork, ditch the coir, ditch the plastic decor, just grab some soil from outside, an interesting piece of wood from nearby (I do use driftwood if its shape is more suitable for the sp. I'm housing), and some forest leaf litter and mosses. Because they need frequent feeding and are quite messy, going bioactive will save lots of time in maintenance while simultaneously looking better and being a little cheaper

View attachment 479317 View attachment 479315

Wow nice they look very cool do they behave like spiders I’ve seen them forever running around outside but they’re getting rare here . I don’t have any bioactives but this one has a plant that’s not growing…it may need removed . https://arachnoboards.com/threads/when-the-plant-🌱-becomes-the-enemy.368467/

 

[Charliemum]

Wow nice they look very cool do they behave like spiders I’ve seen them forever running around outside but they’re getting rare here . I don’t have any bioactives but this one has a plant that’s not growing…it may need removed . https://arachnoboards.com/threads/when-the-plant-🌱-becomes-the-enemy.368467/

My t's do that with plastic plants I only have maybe 5 vivs that the t's haven't trashed and 3 of them are arboreal

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

My t's do that with plastic plants I only have maybe 5 vivs that the t's haven't trashed and 3 of them are arboreal

I removed the fake plant the t hated it , she .wouldnt even walk near it
. the real plant is still alive I’ll post pics eventually on that post.

 

[RezonantVoid]

Wow nice they look very cool do they behave like spiders I’ve seen them forever running around outside but they’re getting rare here . I don’t have any bioactives but this one has a plant that’s not growing…it may need removed . https://arachnoboards.com/threads/when-the-plant--becomes-the-enemy.368467/

As loyal as I want to be to mygs/general spiders, I can genuinely say I find Opiliones to be equally if not more entertaining than probably 90% of all spiders I've kept (I have/have previously had all but 1 of Australia's native myg families, spanning hundreds of specimens over about 6 years).

If I could make a behavioral comparison to any other large arachnids, I would say they are most similar to some true spiders; have small territories they hide in during the day, but patrol to hunt/feed during the night.

They are just a bizarre combination of all the best aspects of other arachnid orders with very few downsides. For the most part, they:

- are social/communal like mites
- glow under UV like scorpions
- have the absurd visual variety of true spiders
- have the general durability/resilience of primitive spiders
- have the body plan of amblypygi (2nd pair of limbs being extended and somewhat whip-like)
- have the wandering, explorative nature of solifugae (hide at day, adventure at night)
- have the dietary tolerance (and again visual diversity) of isopods
- do not destroy their enclosures
- mostly take excellent care of their young and rarely cannibalise, or even hunt other harvestmen in multi species communals



Their lifespans aren't half bad either, at least for the families that do best in captivity. My estimate for average lifespan per individual if cared for well is about 2 years, and bare in mind they can form colonies of sorts similar to isopods, so you'll never run out.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

As loyal as I want to be to mygs/general spiders, I can genuinely say I find Opiliones to be equally if not more entertaining than probably 90% of all spiders I've kept (I have/have previously had all but 1 of Australia's native myg families, spanning hundreds of specimens over about 6 years).

If I could make a behavioral comparison to any other large arachnids, I would say they are most similar to some true spiders; have small territories they hide in during the day, but patrol to hunt/feed during the night.

They are just a bizarre combination of all the best aspects of other arachnid orders with very few downsides. For the most part, they:

- are social/communal like mites
- glow under UV like scorpions
- have the absurd visual variety of true spiders
- have the general durability/resilience of primitive spiders
- have the body plan of amblypygi (2nd pair of limbs being extended and somewhat whip-like)
- have the wandering, explorative nature of solifugae (hide at day, adventure at night)
- have the dietary tolerance (and again visual diversity) of isopods
- do not destroy their enclosures
- mostly take excellent care of their young and rarely cannibalise, or even hunt other harvestmen in multi species communals

View attachment 479443 View attachment 479445 View attachment 479446 View attachment 479450

Their lifespans aren't half bad either, at least for the families that do best in captivity. My estimate for average lifespan per individual if cared for well is about 2 years, and bare in mind they can form colonies of sorts similar to isopods, so you'll never run out.

Very neat ! Colony’s sound cool .
my tarantulas don’t really do much tbh , but they are always on display (some hide during premolt )… but I’m sure you’ve kept plenty of them and mygs. It’s hard keeping a big collection you must be busy.. what I’ve got right now I can easily deal with . lol cake walk … so few Ts . So I’ll just keep researching, …

 

[RezonantVoid]

Wow thank you so much! I will do that today I must admit I am finding her facinating, she's just sitting alot atm but she has moved from the bark to the lotus pod last night she's also eaten for me, I left her a chopped up mealworm yesterday she ignored it all day yesterday but its gone this morning. So I assume she's stuffed her face coz there is non left. Also should I take the water dish out if I am misting? I don't want to over soak her or her to end up dead in the dish are they safe? Everything I read just said put a shallow dish in glad you said I should mist, i need her care to be excellent not just enough. How often should I mist, it's pretty wet here (North East uk) so I assume every day or 2. ( like the rain )

Tbh I was thinking of moving her anyways just because I hate the tub she's in totes are not for me and I happen to have a 30cm acrylic cube free and was considering making that up for her. Think I definitely will now you say she needs more space . I have a large nature reserve and forest next to my home so I can get her branches to climb and forest floor sub from the woods, will that be OK if not I can just take stuff from my garden its a mini nature reserve so full of bushes trees long grass and wild flowers, and a huge pile of rotted wood for the bugs n burrowing bees to live in, so it won't be difficult to get her decor.
(I assume she came from there as the bk door in my kitchen where I found Ophilia opens onto my mini nature reserve in my bk garden and I see hundreds of them of all sizes marching round in there everyday.)

Should I catch her some friends out of my garden once I move her? I have read these are communal but was frightened to put anything in with her due to her being missing so many legs, I was frightened incase others would pick on her.
Will native bio be safe for her, I don't want anything to hurt her its why I didn't release her, she's mobile on vertical surfaces but falls over on anything flat and she's very fat I think she may be gravid, is there anything special she will need for this? For her laying her eggs ect.

Sorry for all the questions but your the first person I have spoken too that keeps these and I know you won't steer me wrong your baby's are always stunning and well looked after

No worries at all

I would probably remove the dish as long as misting is being done, for some species it can be beneficial to have one but for active roamers like what you've found, misting let's them encounter water droplets easier than stumbling across the dish. I mist my ones almost daily but that's because we have the heaters on and I try not to let them dry out too much. If evaporation isn't an issue, every few days is fine, or not at all if some degree of condensation is forming on the sides of the setup.

Grabbing stuff from the reserve is probably fine, as much as I love the general invertebrate hobby I think the overwhelming majority of keepers tend to avoid the bioactive route for fear of parasites/mites, mold etc, often resulting in avoidable deaths of new species. There's certainly a chance these can appear in a setup but for most part, these things can actually be more beneficial than harmful. Just 1 example, soil mites which are normally exterminated in T enclosures actually do the same job as springtails, but are far more resilient and can cope in much drier setups than most springtails.

Mold, mites and worms in reasonable numbers is a sign of a healthy decomposition cycle, and from my personal experience the kind of habitats harvestmen of all sorts will thrive best in. I think particularly in your case here with a local species, local materials will suit her very well. Id recommend some level of light exposure during the day, even just sitting the setup near a windowsill will be enough to keep any mosses happy and keep the tank fresh.

You could try catching small individuals from outside and putting them in with her, that way they are unlikely to accidentally get tangled in her legs and make her drop more of them (unlikely to happen but best to play it safe). Difficult to tell if gravid as their body size fluctuates wildly between feeds, some days they look super full while the next they can look skinny. The best bet on the odd chance she is gravid though is probably just making a bioactive setup. I've got colonies of quite a few different ones going, I have repeatedly found they will only start producing offspring once they are comfortably housed, no matter how well fed or how many are together in like a temporary setup. I think most just lay them in damp soil under or next to logs with leaf litter beside them

 

[Charliemum]

No worries at all

I would probably remove the dish as long as misting is being done, for some species it can be beneficial to have one but for active roamers like what you've found, misting let's them encounter water droplets easier than stumbling across the dish. I mist my ones almost daily but that's because we have the heaters on and I try not to let them dry out too much. If evaporation isn't an issue, every few days is fine, or not at all if some degree of condensation is forming on the sides of the setup.

Grabbing stuff from the reserve is probably fine, as much as I love the general invertebrate hobby I think the overwhelming majority of keepers tend to avoid the bioactive route for fear of parasites/mites, mold etc, often resulting in avoidable deaths of new species. There's certainly a chance these can appear in a setup but for most part, these things can actually be more beneficial than harmful. Just 1 example, soil mites which are normally exterminated in T enclosures actually do the same job as springtails, but are far more resilient and can cope in much drier setups than most springtails.

Mold, mites and worms in reasonable numbers is a sign of a healthy decomposition cycle, and from my personal experience the kind of habitats harvestmen of all sorts will thrive best in. I think particularly in your case here with a local species, local materials will suit her very well. Id recommend some level of light exposure during the day, even just sitting the setup near a windowsill will be enough to keep any mosses happy and keep the tank fresh.

You could try catching small individuals from outside and putting them in with her, that way they are unlikely to accidentally get tangled in her legs and make her drop more of them (unlikely to happen but best to play it safe). Difficult to tell if gravid as their body size fluctuates wildly between feeds, some days they look super full while the next they can look skinny. The best bet on the odd chance she is gravid though is probably just making a bioactive setup. I've got colonies of quite a few different ones going, I have repeatedly found they will only start producing offspring once they are comfortably housed, no matter how well fed or how many are together in like a temporary setup. I think most just lay them in damp soil under or next to logs with leaf litter beside them

OK I took my son yesterday over to the reserve, we got a few bits but it was so overgrown with nettles n bramble I couldn't get into the trees for a good bit of wood so gunna search my bug heap today , while I am there I will see if I can find her some smaller friends .
It turns out she did not eat much though I found the mealworm yesterday when I was trying to find where she was hiding she'd moved it onto the sub under a leaf. It doesn't look like she tried much if any I will try again today with some fish food as she doesn't seem keen on mealworm.
I plan on misting if that's what's best for her , I want her care to be second to non so out with the dish and fake stuff and today we will try to make her a real home .
I did pull out the spare 30cm cube yesterday so all I need todo is set her up today. I have alot of other bugs in my garden isopods slugs snails tiny crickets ect will she be OK if they accidentally end up in there with her or should I remove them soon as I see them? Obviously I will check her new decor first but if they are hidden well I might end up missing a couple and again I don't want to upset her or put her in danger. Hopefully she will enjoy her new life with me.

They glow in the dark ? that's so cool I need to find my uv light now do you know if they get upset about it ? I read once scorpion don't like the black light I assume these are the same? I don't even know if it's true but I don't want to stress her out in any way.


I had always wondered if detritus mites could be used as a cleanup crew ! It had occurred to me once or twice but no one seems to know much about these mites on ab , I am even guilty myself of getting rid of them from t's and helping others remove them too, (they love mushroom and can be easily removed with that changed out twice a day for a week or 2,) but I have always secretly wondered if they belonged in the cleanup crew, never had anyone with enough knowledge to ask but it made sense in my head if they eat detritus as the name suggests do they not belong in the soil.

Thank you again for your answers and sorry again for all the questions lol.