Best time to see: Sep to end Nov

Key facts

Harvestmen are related to spiders but cannot spin silk and have no fangs, defending themselves via a foul smell

Most mature in autumn, i.e. at harvest time, hence their common name, and are mainly nocturnal

Several thousand species world-wide and a couple of dozen in Britain

Recognition

Round compact body up to 7mm long, with no 'waist', and most with very long thin legs

Two eyes on a knob-like structure in the middle of the body, and at the front pincer-like jaws and leg-like palps

Eat anything they can find, catching small insect by means of hooks on the end of their legs