#phalangium

Via Tarras, the Lindis Valley, and the Lindis Pass. We stopped a few times to stretch our legs, but not for long.

But I did see a few species, and unfortunately, a few of the introduced ones that have showed up all over the place. And a plinth commemorating the introduction of red deer to the area, while we're talking about bad ideas.

Circling around the volcanoes we came to a very small town named after the Pepper Tree Pseudowintera colorata, a 'primitive' flowering shrub with powerful antifungal uses amongst other things. There may well have been some growing around the area, but I didn't recognise it alas.

Still, the place we stayed had some very nice stuff growing around the yard, and a geologically slightly worrying amount of boulders filling the creek. But then Ruapehu did loom at the end of the road, and it's notorious for its lahar landslides.

As previously, here's some of the species I've covered before. Some turned up when I set up an LED lamp near the wall of the house that evening.

Other photos from elsewhere on the trip.

AKA brown harvestman and daddy longlegs. They've also been called Dentizacheus minor, Phalangium brevicorne, Phalangium cornutum, Phalangium cornutum and Phalangium longipalpis.

Phalangium might refer to fingers, or possibly refers to the military phalanx, often armed with long pikes. Opilio means 'sheep-slave' and is probably a reference to the stilts that shepards used to walk around on to keep track of their herds. Opiliones is now the name for the entire order.

Anyway - this species is common in Eurasia, and has been introduced to New Zealand, North Africa, and North America. It thrives in human-altered areas, such as croplands and gardens, so seeing this one out in the Rangipo Desert may have been a little unusual, but it was near the Desert Road and a siding where gravel was stockpiled, so...

Like most harvestmen, this special is a nocturnal carnivore and scavenger, and a useful predator of insect eggs in croplands. During the day they hide up among vegetation or on vertical surfaces, preferring warm slightly moist areas, and come down to feed. Young instars might not descend to the ground - possibly to avoid larger harvestmen.

There's also been a recent discovery about harvestman eyes - until now it was thought they only had a single pair, on the spiny tubercle in the third photo - but it turns out they also have vestigial median and lateral eyes.

tertium genus est eodem phalangi nomine araneus lanuginosus, grandissimo capite, quo dissecto inveniri intus dicuntur vermiculi duo adalligatique mulieribus pelle cervina ante solis ortum praestare, ne concipiant, ut caecilius in commentariis reliquit. vis ea annua est. quam solam ex omni atocio dixisse fas sit, quoniam aliquarum fecunditas plena liberis tali venia indiget.

And here is a translation by me.