Meeting Abstract
Opiliones, also known as “harvestmen” or “daddy longlegs”, is an arachnid order with an ancient fossil record and considerable extant diversity. The prolific and synanthropic species Phalangium opilio is easily accessible in many parts of the world, as well as in a laboratory setting. Resources for this species include a developmental transcriptome and protocols for RNA interference, but the embryogenesis of this species has not been well characterized. We present a staging system of P. opilio embryogenesis using different morphological landmarks to delimit key events during the development of this harvestman. Using confocal microscopy, we tracked the development of a single synchronous clutch of eggs from egg laying through adulthood. This staging system provides a valuable reference for P. opilio that we anticipate to be useful to the arachnid evo-devo community.
