Tuesday 26 January 2016

'Behemoth' Daddy Longlegs Discovered in Oregon

by Tia Ghose, Senior Writer | January 25, 2016 01:57pm ET

Scientists have unearthed a monstrous new arachnid lurking in the woods of southwest Oregon — and it's a beast.

The new daddy longlegs species, dubbed Cryptomaster behemoth,towers over other creatures of its kind. And like its cousin, the equally elusive Cryptomaster leviathan, the new species is incredibly difficult to find, because it hides out beneath the logs and leafy debris that blanket the forest floor.

The Cryptomaster leviathan was discovered in 1969 at one location in the coastal town of Gold Beach, Oregon. The mysterious creature belonged to one of the most diverse suborders, called Laniatores, which contains at least 4,100 species. (Daddy longlegs belong to the arachnid order commonly known as harvestmen, so-called because they often emerge during the fall months during the harvest.)

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