17-9-2021 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - TROGULID HARVESTMAN (Family Trogulidae)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/354551-Trogulidae

19-6-2020 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - TROGULID HARVESTMAN (Family Trogulidae)

Trogulid harvestmen (Family Trogulidae) are a highly specialized group of soil-dwelling arachnids. Unlike typical long-legged "daddy longlegs", they are small (2–22 mm), slow-moving, and heavily armored. They are masters of disguise, gluing dirt and debris to their bodies with bodily secretions to achieve perfect soil crypsis.

Key Facts

Appearance: They have flattened, leathery bodies covered in rounded papillae (bumps). Their legs are notably shorter than those of most other harvestmen.The "Hood": Adults feature a distinct, forward-projecting head cap (hood) that acts as an umbrella to shield their short chelicerai and pedipalps from debris.

Diet & Hunting: Unlike omnivorous harvestmen, Trogulids are specialized predators that primarily feed on snails.

Reproduction: Some species, such as Trogulus tricarinatus, exhibit parthenogenesis (reproduction without fertilization). Females typically deposit their eggs inside empty snail shells.

Habitat: They are a Western Palearctic group and spend their lives burrowed in deep soil, leaf litter, and moss, where their soil-coated bodies render them virtually invisible to predators.

Defense: When threatened, they rely on remaining perfectly still. They also possess defensive scent glands (ozopores) that secrete foul-smelling fluids.