Forsteropsalis Pureora on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
''Forsteropsalis pureora'' is a species of long-legged harvestman in the family
This species is highly sexually dimorphic, with males and females differing in morphology. Males have enlarged chelicerae used to fight other males in competition. The pinching claw of the chelicera is used to grab and pin down the opponent. Males may be one of three morphs that differ in chelicerae size, chelicerae shape, and body size. Males and females also differ in color, known as sexual dichromatism.Powell, E. (2020). ''The evolution and ecology of weapon polymorphic New Zealand harvestmen (Arachnida, Opiliones, Neopilionidae)'' (Doctoral dissertation, ResearchSpace@ Auckland). Males are brown to black with an orange stripe running dorsally down the body. There is also an orange horseshoe-shaped marking around the eyes. In the original species description, these markings are inaccurately described as white from the aged bleached specimens in ethanol. The orange markings may range from dull yellow-orange to dark red-orange. Females are more cryptic in color with a mottled brown and black pattern and light yellow-orange markings. Juveniles have the same coloration as mature females.
This species is a generalist opportunistic omnivore. In the wild, they have been observed eating a variety of insect prey (e.g., wētā, flies, beetles, dragonflies, caterpillars, adult moths, stink bugs, and cockroaches), spiders, and other invertebrates (e.g., amphipods), both captured live and scavenged. They are highly opportunistic and have been found resting under spider webs collecting discarded pieces of prey as they fall from the web.
New Zealand harvestmen are eaten by various vertebrate species, including introduced mammals (possums, hedgehogs, rats, stoats), bats, birds, frogs,
Neopilionidae
The Neopilionidae are a family of harvestmen.
It has a clearly Gondwanan distribution, with species found in Australia, South Africa and South America, and probably represent relicts of that time.
The family members range in size from the small ...
. This species is endemic to New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
, found in the North Island
The North Island, also officially named Te Ika-a-Māui, is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but much less populous South Island by the Cook Strait. The island's area is , making it the world's 14th-largest ...
. They are found in native forest, often resting on vegetation or stream banks.
Description
This species is highly sexually dimorphic, with males and females differing in morphology. Males have enlarged chelicerae used to fight other males in competition. The pinching claw of the chelicera is used to grab and pin down the opponent. Males may be one of three morphs that differ in chelicerae size, chelicerae shape, and body size. Males and females also differ in color, known as sexual dichromatism.Powell, E. (2020). ''The evolution and ecology of weapon polymorphic New Zealand harvestmen (Arachnida, Opiliones, Neopilionidae)'' (Doctoral dissertation, ResearchSpace@ Auckland). Males are brown to black with an orange stripe running dorsally down the body. There is also an orange horseshoe-shaped marking around the eyes. In the original species description, these markings are inaccurately described as white from the aged bleached specimens in ethanol. The orange markings may range from dull yellow-orange to dark red-orange. Females are more cryptic in color with a mottled brown and black pattern and light yellow-orange markings. Juveniles have the same coloration as mature females.
Diet and predators
This species is a generalist opportunistic omnivore. In the wild, they have been observed eating a variety of insect prey (e.g., wētā, flies, beetles, dragonflies, caterpillars, adult moths, stink bugs, and cockroaches), spiders, and other invertebrates (e.g., amphipods), both captured live and scavenged. They are highly opportunistic and have been found resting under spider webs collecting discarded pieces of prey as they fall from the web.
New Zealand harvestmen are eaten by various vertebrate species, including introduced mammals (possums, hedgehogs, rats, stoats), bats, birds, frogs, tuatara
Tuatara (''Sphenodon punctatus'') are reptiles endemic to New Zealand. Despite their close resemblance to lizards, they are part of a distinct lineage, the order Rhynchocephalia. The name ''tuatara'' is derived from the Māori language and m ...
, and fish ( kōaro). Invertebrate predators such as spiders also prey upon harvestmen and cannibalism
Cannibalism is the act of consuming another individual of the same species as food. Cannibalism is a common ecological interaction in the animal kingdom and has been recorded in more than 1,500 species. Human cannibalism is well documented, b ...
occurs within the Neopilionidae
The Neopilionidae are a family of harvestmen.
It has a clearly Gondwanan distribution, with species found in Australia, South Africa and South America, and probably represent relicts of that time.
The family members range in size from the small ...
. ''Forsteropsalis pureora'' has been observed being eaten by ''Uliodon
''Uliodon'' is a genus of spiders endemic to New Zealand and possibly Australia. They are commonly referred to as vagrant spiders. Vagrant spiders vary in colour from dark brown to almost black, they typically have a body length of 20mm and a 50 ...
'' sp. vagrant spiders and ''Cambridgea
''Cambridgea'' (common name New Zealand sheetweb spider, bush spider) is a spider genus in the family Desidae and some of the first endemic spiders described from New Zealand. They are known for constructing large horizontal sheet webs measuring ...
'' sp. sheetweb spiders.
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q21270315 Arachnids of New Zealand Harvestmen Endemic fauna of New Zealand Endemic arthropods of New Zealand