Megabunus diadema
Encyclopedia
Megabunus diadema is a species of harvestman widely distributed in Europe
, where it has been found in Iceland
, Faroe Islands
, Western Norway
, Great Britain
, Western France
, Belgium
and Northern Spain
.
It is commonly found among moss
and lichen
s, and has a cryptic coloration that blends with this habitat, rendering it almost invisible when it is not moving. Its second pair of legs is as long as 35 mm. Its prominent pair of eyes is equipped with a spiny "crown".
M. diadema was shown to feed on chironomid
flies .
The gregarines Actinocephalus megabuni and Doliospora repelini (Eugregarinorida), and the mite
Leptus beroni were found to parasitize on this species.
During a study of woodland in Scotland
, they were found to be most active during March, June to July and December; in montane regions of Wales
they only occurred in August, while they were found all year round in English
woodland, with a peak from May to August.
The mainly parthenogenetic M. diadema lays three batches of eggs per year, with about 30 eggs per batch that are deposited among leaf litter or on the soil. The larvae, like many in the suborder Eupnoi
, have an egg tooth
.
Males have 28 chromosome
s.
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, where it has been found in Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
, Faroe Islands
Faroe Islands
The Faroe Islands are an island group situated between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately halfway between Scotland and Iceland. The Faroe Islands are a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, along with Denmark proper and Greenland...
, Western Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, Western France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
and Northern Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
.
It is commonly found among moss
Moss
Mosses are small, soft plants that are typically 1–10 cm tall, though some species are much larger. They commonly grow close together in clumps or mats in damp or shady locations. They do not have flowers or seeds, and their simple leaves cover the thin wiry stems...
and lichen
Lichen
Lichens are composite organisms consisting of a symbiotic organism composed of a fungus with a photosynthetic partner , usually either a green alga or cyanobacterium...
s, and has a cryptic coloration that blends with this habitat, rendering it almost invisible when it is not moving. Its second pair of legs is as long as 35 mm. Its prominent pair of eyes is equipped with a spiny "crown".
M. diadema was shown to feed on chironomid
Chironomidae
Chironomidae are a family of nematoceran flies with a global distribution. They are closely related to the Ceratopogonidae, Simuliidae, and Thaumaleidae...
flies .
The gregarines Actinocephalus megabuni and Doliospora repelini (Eugregarinorida), and the mite
Mite
Mites, along with ticks, are small arthropods belonging to the subclass Acari and the class Arachnida. The scientific discipline devoted to the study of ticks and mites is called acarology.-Diversity and systematics:...
Leptus beroni were found to parasitize on this species.
During a study of woodland in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, they were found to be most active during March, June to July and December; in montane regions of Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
they only occurred in August, while they were found all year round in English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
woodland, with a peak from May to August.
The mainly parthenogenetic M. diadema lays three batches of eggs per year, with about 30 eggs per batch that are deposited among leaf litter or on the soil. The larvae, like many in the suborder Eupnoi
Eupnoi
The Eupnoi are a suborder of harvestmen, with more than 200 genera, and about 1,700 described species.They consist of two superfamilies, the Phalangioidea with many long-legged species common to northern temperate regions, and the small group Caddoidea, which have prominent eyes and spiny...
, have an egg tooth
Egg tooth
In some egg-laying animals, the egg tooth is a small, sharp, cranial protuberance used by offspring to break or tear through the egg's surface during hatching...
.
Males have 28 chromosome
Chromosome
A chromosome is an organized structure of DNA and protein found in cells. It is a single piece of coiled DNA containing many genes, regulatory elements and other nucleotide sequences. Chromosomes also contain DNA-bound proteins, which serve to package the DNA and control its functions.Chromosomes...
s.