An unusual creature came to the attention of our site - a haymaker. Their common name is the rhino, or mowing. All because of the unusual structure of the limbs. These are representatives of arachnids, and according to the calculations of zoologists in wildlife there are about 6,650 species. Haymakers are very common animals, but few articles have been written about them, their appearance and behavior make them invisible in everyday life.
Let’s try to fill this gap by presenting some interesting facts about hayfields (rhinoids), and also show a lot of their photos and even an amazing video.
Appearance and structure
Representatives of the class of arachnids are very similar to spiders. But it all ends with an external resemblance. Haymen have a segmented body structure. The abdomen is connected to the cephalothorax with a wide base. The spider has such a subtle connection.
The body is small and covered with a protective shell. Adult individuals do not grow more than 2–5 mm (trunk), but the legs can reach 16 mm. Large hayfields are found, the trunk length of which reaches 22 mm.
On the front of the head is a pair of simple eyes, and they feel objects with the largest limb. The internal structure of them, like all arachnids. Glands are located on the edges of the abdomen. In times of danger, they emit an unpleasant odor, scaring off enemies.
By the way, on our site most-beauty.ru there is an interesting article about the TOP 20 most beautiful spiders in the world.
Special features
If you grab the haymaker by the foot, it will come off easily. A few more minutes the severed limb will make jerky movements.
The ease with which the limb comes off creates the misleading impression that the legs are loosely attached to the body. In fact, this is not so. The haymaker deliberately separates the limb. The foot separates like the tail of a lizard. Such an autotomy helps hayers to escape from enemies.
The predator first stumbles on its legs, and then is distracted by a moving limb, while the animal flees. Therefore, you can often find individuals with an incomplete number of legs.
Area of resettlement
It's time to find out where these amazing creatures live. Mowers settled almost everywhere, occupying various natural landscapes.
The main species were chosen by forests and meadows. They are found in mountain ranges, settling in rock crevices and caves. Some species are easily accustomed to living conditions in cities, and therefore they can be found in apartments, houses, office premises.
Lifestyle
Most species are nocturnal predators. In the afternoon they freeze in secluded places. Pets are hiding in the corners. Sometimes they can be seen frozen on the walls. A shy animal that immediately tries to hide at a meeting.
They feed, like all predators, on animal food. In the diet, caterpillars, ants, mosquitoes, various beetles. There are species that can easily cope with snails. Individual rhinodes eat mushrooms, moss, and other plant foods.
The structure of the oral apparatus allows the absorption of solid particles of victims. Food is crushed by pidipalps, which act as jaws.
Breeding
The process of reproduction brings them closer to insects. The mating season begins in August. Males brutally fight for the female. During mating, internal fertilization occurs.
The female lays eggs in a special nest in the soil. In one clutch, there are up to 500 eggs. Under favorable conditions, the female can lay eggs 2-3 times.
In some males, maternal instinct awakens after mating. They zealously guard the offspring, as an indiscriminate female can eat her own masonry. The haymaker lives for 2 years, but there are species that have a one-year life cycle.
Classification
Systematics divides these creatures into four main suborders.
Cyphophthalmi
A small suborder comprising about 220 genera. These are primitive hayfields, the fossils of which paleontologists still find in coal deposits.
Representatives of this suborder have an oval oblong body, not more than 2 mm long. Paws are short. They live in the tropics and subtropical regions of Africa, South America and Eurasia.
The suborder includes two large families - Sironidae and Stylocellidae.
Eupnoi
This suborder includes rhino cutters with the longest limbs. They have big eyes, a soft abdomen and a special vitality.
Easily tolerate cold, showing activity until the first frost. Due to the special frost resistance, they settled all over the planet. They are found on the slopes of mountains, broad-leaved and coniferous forests.
Suborder totals 1 800 species, united in two families - Phalangiidae and Caddidae.
Dyspnoi
The oldest representative of this suborder Ameticos scolos was found in coal deposits in France. Now it includes 320 modern species.
Very motionless species that sometimes seem inanimate. They live in the southern regions of Russia, in the vastness of Europe and Southeast Asia.
The paws are short. There are species in which the abdomen is elastic, but shell-coatings are also found. The suborder includes four families - Ischyropsalidae, Nemastomatidae, Trogulidae, Dicranolasmatidae.
Laniatores
The most numerous tropical suborder. Includes more than 4 thousand species. It’s also the most mysterious, as it is the least studied.
The representatives of the suborder have a brightly colored little body with a very hard protective cover. On the abdomen are characteristic small tuberous growths. The distribution area is extensive. Found in the tropics of Africa, South America, Australia.
A large population lives in India. The largest suborder includes five families - Cosmetidae, Gonyleptidae, Triaenonychidae, Oncopodidae, Phalangodidae.
Kinds
And now consider some types of extraordinary inhabitants of our planet.
Common haymaker / Phalangium opilio
Females and males of this species differ in size, body structure, color. Males grow from 4 to 5 mm, females are larger - 6-7 mm. On the upper body of the female there is a saddle-shaped dark spot.
Both sexes have long legs. The second pair of limbs is the longest. The males have tuberous growths on their bodies, which are not found in females.
They live in Eurasia and North America. They feed mainly on small insects, but are not averse to feasting on plant foods.
Opilio parietinus
In the photo is an inhabitant of the forests and meadows of the Eurasian continent and North America. Belongs to the Phalangodidae family.
The elongated body reaches 5–7 mm in length in adults. The female is slightly larger than the male. They have long legs, on which there are dark spots.
It feeds on caterpillars, bugs. Mosquitoes and flies eat in houses. Adapted to life in residential and utility rooms. But now it is actively crowded out by other invasive inhabitants of apartments.
Opilio canestrinii
The historical homeland of this species is the south of Italy. From these territories, he began to spread throughout Europe, having adapted to live in a cooler climate.
Females grow up to 8 mm, males - no more than 6 mm. Paws in both sexes reach 16–17 mm. Settling on the territory of Central Europe, began to crowd out the representatives of Opilio parietinus habitual for these places.
Often they can be seen on tree trunks and walls of houses. The view was discovered in 1876 by the Swedish zoologist Tamerlan Torell.
Pettalidae
A separate family of the suborder Cyphophthalmi includes about 75 species. Settled in the tropical forests of South America, found in Australia, Africa, on the islands of Madagascar and Sri Lanka.
Very small. They grow no more than 2 mm. The legs are short. This, according to most-beauty.ru, makes them look like ticks. The color is dark brown, sometimes yellow. They feed on insects and plant foods.
Almost all species prefer to live in fallen foliage. Only in South Africa are found in caves. Cave dwellers have no eyes. The French scientist Eugene Simon introduced the new family into the world classification in 1879.
Ischyropsalis helwigi
The range of this species is limited to European countries. Lives in deciduous forests, but can move to megacities. In the cities they settle in orchards and parks.
Quite large hayfields. The body length reaches 7 mm, but the legs can grow up to 1 cm. During danger, it quickly moves or freezes, pretending to be dead.
This is a specialist in eating slugs and snails. Thus, it benefits, preserving the fruits of trees from dangerous pests.
Interesting Facts
- After DNA studies, biologists found that these creatures are closer not to spiders, but to scorpions.
- Limb loss is not fatal and does not affect lifestyle. This protective function helps the animal hide from natural enemies. Lost paws are not restored.
- In cave species, the organs of vision are completely absent, and they learn the habitat with the help of pedipalps.
- This is an example of parallel evolution. During evolutionary development, they easily adapted to life on land, and resemble insects in their way of life and structure.
- They have no flexion-extension muscles on the limbs. They move hydraulically. There are hooks on the legs that allow you to hold on a smooth surface.
- In the Middle Ages they were called "shepherd spiders." In England they are called "reapers", "harvesters", but in Latin America, popular names are associated with unpleasant odors emitted by hayers.
- They are not poisonous and do not bite, but they are frightened by their similarity with spiders. This similarity only harms them. People try to get rid of their neighborhood in the house. But the benefit from them is great.
Do not miss the fascinating article most-beauty.ru on our site about the TOP 10 most poisonous scorpions of the planet.
Guess who it is?
We hope there are no arachnophobes among our readers?
Conclusion
So we found out what unusual creatures look like, able to throw their paws, as well as how much the haymaker lives and what he eats. In addition, we watched a video with haymakers, which should surprise you. The hayfields are often confused with their closest relatives - hayfire mites and hayfire spiders, but unlike the last rhino, they do not weave a web.
They are harmless to humans, but their importance in nature is great. Mowers destroy insect pests, and are also excellent orderlies, processing rotting organics and various wastes.
The editors of most-beauty are waiting for interesting comments from you, stories related to hayfields.