Mite Harvestman are usually known as Daddy Longlegs.
These are not spiders but are in their own order, Opiliones.
There are literally thousands of species worldwide. The
Daddy Longlegs is harmless, I have never known one to
bite and they do not have the venom glands of the spiders.
The Daddy Longlegs is distinguished from spiders by the
lack of a distinct abdomen.
The name Mite Harvestman suggests that they would eat
mites. Some species apparently will eat mites and other
small insects, but many are scavengers and some may be
Spiders, Male and Female
This pair of spiders is mating. If you look at the picture below left, you will see the
spiders has a pair of appendages with balls on the end near its head. I think they
look something like a pair of pompoms. These are called pedipalps and are only
present on the male spider. The pedipalps are used to transfer the sperm to the
female. The male spider first deposits the sperm on a web, then picks it up with the
pedipalp. The pedipalp is inserted into the female's epigynum, the genital opening,
to deposit the sperm.
Many spiders stay with their eggs and young to protect them from predators. This very large spider was
with her newly hatched offspring.
The picture was taken at Oregon