''Forsteropsalis pureora'' is a species of long-legged harvestman in the family, Neopilionidae. This species is endemic to

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

, found in the

North Island The North Island ( , 'the fish of Māui', historically New Ulster) is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but less populous South Island by Cook Strait. With an area of , it is the List ...

. They are found in native forest, often resting on vegetation or stream banks.

Description

This species is highly

sexually dimorphic Sexual dimorphism is the condition where sexes of the same species exhibit different Morphology (biology), morphological characteristics, including characteristics not directly involved in reproduction. The condition occurs in most dioecy, di ...

, with males and females differing in morphology. Males have enlarged

chelicerae The chelicerae () are the arthropod mouthparts, mouthparts of the subphylum Chelicerata, an arthropod group that includes arachnids, horseshoe crabs, and sea spiders. Commonly referred to as "jaws", chelicerae may be shaped as either articulated ...

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 Wētā (also spelled weta in English) is the common name for a group of about 100 insect species in the families Anostostomatidae and Rhaphidophoridae endemism, endemic to New Zealand. They are giant wingless insect, flightless cricket (insect ...

, flies, beetles, dragonflies, caterpillars, adult moths, stink bugs, and cockroaches), spiders, and other invertebrates (e.g.,

amphipods Amphipoda () is an order (biology), order of malacostracan crustaceans with no carapace and generally with laterally compressed bodies. Amphipods () range in size from and are mostly detritivores or scavengers. There are more than 10,700 amphip ...

), 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 The tuatara (''Sphenodon punctatus'') is a species of reptile endemic to New Zealand. Despite its close resemblance to lizards, it is actually the only extant member of a distinct lineage, the previously highly diverse order Rhynchocephal ...

, 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 also well document ...

occurs within the Neopilionidae. ''Forsteropsalis pureora'' has been observed being eaten by '' Uliodon'' 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 arthropods of New Zealand Animals described in 2013