Meg Skinner
@megabunus.bsky.social
BAS Harvestmen Recording Scheme organiser/BAS press officer, invertebrate ecologist and overall bug nerd
A huge thanks to everyone that's supported me recently and helped me stay afloat. Plus those lovely folks posting harvestman pics, always a joy to see 😉
November 10, 2025 at 8:07 PM
A huge thanks to everyone that's supported me recently and helped me stay afloat. Plus those lovely folks posting harvestman pics, always a joy to see 😉
Reposted by Meg Skinner
Meet Phalangium opilio, one of the UK’s most common harvestmen! 🕷️
Males have striking horn-like chelicerae, as in the photo.
Join our UK Harvestmen webinar with @megabunus.bsky.social on 30th December 2025. 🌎 🧪
Sign up: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1502201859...
@britishspiders.bsky.social
Males have striking horn-like chelicerae, as in the photo.
Join our UK Harvestmen webinar with @megabunus.bsky.social on 30th December 2025. 🌎 🧪
Sign up: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1502201859...
@britishspiders.bsky.social
November 7, 2025 at 10:24 AM
Meet Phalangium opilio, one of the UK’s most common harvestmen! 🕷️
Males have striking horn-like chelicerae, as in the photo.
Join our UK Harvestmen webinar with @megabunus.bsky.social on 30th December 2025. 🌎 🧪
Sign up: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1502201859...
@britishspiders.bsky.social
Males have striking horn-like chelicerae, as in the photo.
Join our UK Harvestmen webinar with @megabunus.bsky.social on 30th December 2025. 🌎 🧪
Sign up: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1502201859...
@britishspiders.bsky.social
Very excited for this one - it's going to be all about those super long legs. Why so long? How do they work? How do these arboreal species live?
See you then!
See you then!
🕷️ Meet the fork-palped harvestmen! 🕸️
Dicranopalpus ramosus & D. caudatus: UK newcomers with eerie tuning fork–shaped palps. Learn all about them in our next UK Harvestmen webinar with
@megabunus.bsky.social on 30th December.
👉 www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1502201859...
@britishspiders.bsky.social
Dicranopalpus ramosus & D. caudatus: UK newcomers with eerie tuning fork–shaped palps. Learn all about them in our next UK Harvestmen webinar with
@megabunus.bsky.social on 30th December.
👉 www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1502201859...
@britishspiders.bsky.social
November 7, 2025 at 9:19 AM
Very excited for this one - it's going to be all about those super long legs. Why so long? How do they work? How do these arboreal species live?
See you then!
See you then!
We've had a few folks asking for the recording of this session - this is still available for those that have missed the event. A big focus on behaviour and reproduction so please get in touch if you'd like to see it! @biologicalrecording.co.uk
bsky.app/profile/biol...
bsky.app/profile/biol...
🕷️ Meet Scotolemon doriae – Britain’s weirdest arachnid?
Bright orange, stumpy & newly arrived in the UK. Learn more with @megabunus.bsky.social at the entoLEARN webinar, 27 Oct (18:30–20:00). @britishspiders.bsky.social
Book here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/terrestria...
Bright orange, stumpy & newly arrived in the UK. Learn more with @megabunus.bsky.social at the entoLEARN webinar, 27 Oct (18:30–20:00). @britishspiders.bsky.social
Book here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/terrestria...
November 7, 2025 at 9:18 AM
We've had a few folks asking for the recording of this session - this is still available for those that have missed the event. A big focus on behaviour and reproduction so please get in touch if you'd like to see it! @biologicalrecording.co.uk
bsky.app/profile/biol...
bsky.app/profile/biol...
Reposted by Meg Skinner
Think it’s a spider? Think again! 🕷️
Opilio canestrini is a harvestman—one of the UK’s most visible urban arachnids.
Join @megabunus.bsky.social on 30 Dec 2025 (18:30–20:00) for a deep dive into arboreal harvestmen ecology.
🎟️ www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1502201859...
@britishspiders.bsky.social
Opilio canestrini is a harvestman—one of the UK’s most visible urban arachnids.
Join @megabunus.bsky.social on 30 Dec 2025 (18:30–20:00) for a deep dive into arboreal harvestmen ecology.
🎟️ www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1502201859...
@britishspiders.bsky.social
October 24, 2025 at 2:57 PM
Think it’s a spider? Think again! 🕷️
Opilio canestrini is a harvestman—one of the UK’s most visible urban arachnids.
Join @megabunus.bsky.social on 30 Dec 2025 (18:30–20:00) for a deep dive into arboreal harvestmen ecology.
🎟️ www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1502201859...
@britishspiders.bsky.social
Opilio canestrini is a harvestman—one of the UK’s most visible urban arachnids.
Join @megabunus.bsky.social on 30 Dec 2025 (18:30–20:00) for a deep dive into arboreal harvestmen ecology.
🎟️ www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1502201859...
@britishspiders.bsky.social
Reposted by Meg Skinner
Beneath stones, soil & darkness... 🕷️
Discover the secret lives of Subterranean Harvestmen with @megabunus.bsky.social on 5th Feb 2026 (£12.50).
Learn about rare species, new discoveries & the value of ongoing field recording.
👉 www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/subterrane...
@britishspiders.bsky.social
Discover the secret lives of Subterranean Harvestmen with @megabunus.bsky.social on 5th Feb 2026 (£12.50).
Learn about rare species, new discoveries & the value of ongoing field recording.
👉 www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/subterrane...
@britishspiders.bsky.social
October 24, 2025 at 3:21 PM
Beneath stones, soil & darkness... 🕷️
Discover the secret lives of Subterranean Harvestmen with @megabunus.bsky.social on 5th Feb 2026 (£12.50).
Learn about rare species, new discoveries & the value of ongoing field recording.
👉 www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/subterrane...
@britishspiders.bsky.social
Discover the secret lives of Subterranean Harvestmen with @megabunus.bsky.social on 5th Feb 2026 (£12.50).
Learn about rare species, new discoveries & the value of ongoing field recording.
👉 www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/subterrane...
@britishspiders.bsky.social
Reposted by Meg Skinner
🕷️ Britain’s craziest creature? Meet Megabunus diadema — a harvestman with eyes on a spiky turret! Not a spider, but part of its own Order: Opiliones.
Learn more in our UK Harvestmen webinar on 5 Feb 2026:
🔗 www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1720584467...
@britishspiders.bsky.social @megabunus.bsky.social
Learn more in our UK Harvestmen webinar on 5 Feb 2026:
🔗 www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1720584467...
@britishspiders.bsky.social @megabunus.bsky.social
November 1, 2025 at 11:26 AM
🕷️ Britain’s craziest creature? Meet Megabunus diadema — a harvestman with eyes on a spiky turret! Not a spider, but part of its own Order: Opiliones.
Learn more in our UK Harvestmen webinar on 5 Feb 2026:
🔗 www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1720584467...
@britishspiders.bsky.social @megabunus.bsky.social
Learn more in our UK Harvestmen webinar on 5 Feb 2026:
🔗 www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1720584467...
@britishspiders.bsky.social @megabunus.bsky.social
Thanks to those that attended the terrestrial harvestmen webinar! Lovely to speak to you and great questions asked. Tune in for the next one - arboreal harvestmen!
🕷️ Meet Scotolemon doriae – Britain’s weirdest arachnid?
Bright orange, stumpy & newly arrived in the UK. Learn more with @megabunus.bsky.social at the entoLEARN webinar, 27 Oct (18:30–20:00). @britishspiders.bsky.social
Book here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/terrestria...
Bright orange, stumpy & newly arrived in the UK. Learn more with @megabunus.bsky.social at the entoLEARN webinar, 27 Oct (18:30–20:00). @britishspiders.bsky.social
Book here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/terrestria...
October 29, 2025 at 7:54 PM
Thanks to those that attended the terrestrial harvestmen webinar! Lovely to speak to you and great questions asked. Tune in for the next one - arboreal harvestmen!
Reposted by Meg Skinner
Garden wildlife. These Harvestmen (Opiliones) are quite active in the garden at night at the moment. Thanks to Esmond Brown @chalkspring.bsky.social for confirming the ID as Odiellus spinosus. @britishspiders.bsky.social #londonwildlife
October 3, 2025 at 12:25 PM
Garden wildlife. These Harvestmen (Opiliones) are quite active in the garden at night at the moment. Thanks to Esmond Brown @chalkspring.bsky.social for confirming the ID as Odiellus spinosus. @britishspiders.bsky.social #londonwildlife
Reposted by Meg Skinner
Out of the wind and into the microscopy - Critically Endangered in GB, Zora armillata has to be the species of the day.
October 4, 2025 at 7:21 PM
Out of the wind and into the microscopy - Critically Endangered in GB, Zora armillata has to be the species of the day.
Reposted by Meg Skinner
🕷️ Meet Scotolemon doriae – Britain’s weirdest arachnid?
Bright orange, stumpy & newly arrived in the UK. Learn more with @megabunus.bsky.social at the entoLEARN webinar, 27 Oct (18:30–20:00). @britishspiders.bsky.social
Book here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/terrestria...
Bright orange, stumpy & newly arrived in the UK. Learn more with @megabunus.bsky.social at the entoLEARN webinar, 27 Oct (18:30–20:00). @britishspiders.bsky.social
Book here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/terrestria...
October 1, 2025 at 7:19 PM
🕷️ Meet Scotolemon doriae – Britain’s weirdest arachnid?
Bright orange, stumpy & newly arrived in the UK. Learn more with @megabunus.bsky.social at the entoLEARN webinar, 27 Oct (18:30–20:00). @britishspiders.bsky.social
Book here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/terrestria...
Bright orange, stumpy & newly arrived in the UK. Learn more with @megabunus.bsky.social at the entoLEARN webinar, 27 Oct (18:30–20:00). @britishspiders.bsky.social
Book here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/terrestria...
Reposted by Meg Skinner
Log-flipping season! 🍂 You’ll know the woodlice & centipedes under logs, but what about harvestmen? 🕷️ Discover the UK’s fascinating ground-dwelling species in our webinar with @megabunus.bsky.social, on 27 October.
👉 www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1493393342...
@britishspiders.bsky.social
👉 www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1493393342...
@britishspiders.bsky.social
October 2, 2025 at 6:28 PM
Log-flipping season! 🍂 You’ll know the woodlice & centipedes under logs, but what about harvestmen? 🕷️ Discover the UK’s fascinating ground-dwelling species in our webinar with @megabunus.bsky.social, on 27 October.
👉 www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1493393342...
@britishspiders.bsky.social
👉 www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1493393342...
@britishspiders.bsky.social
The BENHS @britentsoc.bsky.social harvestman course is in full swing! @britishspiders.bsky.social
September 13, 2025 at 1:05 PM
The BENHS @britentsoc.bsky.social harvestman course is in full swing! @britishspiders.bsky.social
Join me this Saturday for some harvestman ID time - we still have a few spaces left! @britishspiders.bsky.social #harvestmen #opilionee
Bookings are going well so don’t miss out on the BENHS Harvestman workshop with Meg Skinner and her new test British key to ID them . . .
To book: mail indoormeetings@benhs.org.uk providing a mobile contact number.
To book: mail indoormeetings@benhs.org.uk providing a mobile contact number.
September 10, 2025 at 11:36 AM
Join me this Saturday for some harvestman ID time - we still have a few spaces left! @britishspiders.bsky.social #harvestmen #opilionee
Reposted by Meg Skinner
BENHS Dinton Pastures – October 4th 2025
An Introduction to the Identification of UK Spiders – Michael Davis and William Blumsom
Gain the knowledge to identify common spider families and species.
Book a place by mailing, with contact phone: indoormeetings@benhs.org.uk
Image: Steven Falk
An Introduction to the Identification of UK Spiders – Michael Davis and William Blumsom
Gain the knowledge to identify common spider families and species.
Book a place by mailing, with contact phone: indoormeetings@benhs.org.uk
Image: Steven Falk
August 26, 2025 at 4:00 PM
BENHS Dinton Pastures – October 4th 2025
An Introduction to the Identification of UK Spiders – Michael Davis and William Blumsom
Gain the knowledge to identify common spider families and species.
Book a place by mailing, with contact phone: indoormeetings@benhs.org.uk
Image: Steven Falk
An Introduction to the Identification of UK Spiders – Michael Davis and William Blumsom
Gain the knowledge to identify common spider families and species.
Book a place by mailing, with contact phone: indoormeetings@benhs.org.uk
Image: Steven Falk
Reposted by Meg Skinner
Do you do moth trapping in the UK? We'd love your help! 💡
At @ukceh.bsky.social we're training & testing AI to detect multiple moths in a single image.
Send us top-down photos of multiple moths on egg trays to support this work.
More info & form: forms.gle/e3HzBPEd7RVV...
#mothsmatter #TeamMoth
At @ukceh.bsky.social we're training & testing AI to detect multiple moths in a single image.
Send us top-down photos of multiple moths on egg trays to support this work.
More info & form: forms.gle/e3HzBPEd7RVV...
#mothsmatter #TeamMoth
August 7, 2025 at 2:23 PM
Do you do moth trapping in the UK? We'd love your help! 💡
At @ukceh.bsky.social we're training & testing AI to detect multiple moths in a single image.
Send us top-down photos of multiple moths on egg trays to support this work.
More info & form: forms.gle/e3HzBPEd7RVV...
#mothsmatter #TeamMoth
At @ukceh.bsky.social we're training & testing AI to detect multiple moths in a single image.
Send us top-down photos of multiple moths on egg trays to support this work.
More info & form: forms.gle/e3HzBPEd7RVV...
#mothsmatter #TeamMoth
Reposted by Meg Skinner
Opilio canestrinii, another #harvestman disturbed by same garden tidy as Odiellus spinosus below. At just right angle to catch bright afternoon sunlight, highlighting long, whip-like, sensitive second leg pair with which this poor-sighted animal navigates its surroundings. Bungay, Suffolk, England.
August 25, 2025 at 4:54 PM
Opilio canestrinii, another #harvestman disturbed by same garden tidy as Odiellus spinosus below. At just right angle to catch bright afternoon sunlight, highlighting long, whip-like, sensitive second leg pair with which this poor-sighted animal navigates its surroundings. Bungay, Suffolk, England.
Tune in to Suffolk Radio - Gen X Radio to hear me harp on about spiders at around 10.20 tomorrow (Friday) morning if you've got nothing better to do ;)
It's house spider season so open to answer a myriad of questions too! share.google/9OQJ9pA8lGFu...
It's house spider season so open to answer a myriad of questions too! share.google/9OQJ9pA8lGFu...
Suffolk Radio - Gen X Radio
Welcome to GenX Radio - Local Radio for and from Suffolk Summer 2025! Ways To Listen DAB+ Listen on DAB+ iOS Listen on Apple Devices Android Listen on Android Devices Alexa Listen on Alexa Devices Goo...
share.google
August 28, 2025 at 7:56 PM
Tune in to Suffolk Radio - Gen X Radio to hear me harp on about spiders at around 10.20 tomorrow (Friday) morning if you've got nothing better to do ;)
It's house spider season so open to answer a myriad of questions too! share.google/9OQJ9pA8lGFu...
It's house spider season so open to answer a myriad of questions too! share.google/9OQJ9pA8lGFu...
Reposted by Meg Skinner
Eight legs, but not spiders! 🕷️
From giants with legs 11× their body length to species that gather by the hundred, UK harvestmen are full of surprises.
Discover them in our entoLEARN course, 27 Oct 2025:
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1493393342...
@megabunus.bsky.social
@britishspiders.bsky.social
From giants with legs 11× their body length to species that gather by the hundred, UK harvestmen are full of surprises.
Discover them in our entoLEARN course, 27 Oct 2025:
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1493393342...
@megabunus.bsky.social
@britishspiders.bsky.social
August 15, 2025 at 3:13 PM
Eight legs, but not spiders! 🕷️
From giants with legs 11× their body length to species that gather by the hundred, UK harvestmen are full of surprises.
Discover them in our entoLEARN course, 27 Oct 2025:
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1493393342...
@megabunus.bsky.social
@britishspiders.bsky.social
From giants with legs 11× their body length to species that gather by the hundred, UK harvestmen are full of surprises.
Discover them in our entoLEARN course, 27 Oct 2025:
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1493393342...
@megabunus.bsky.social
@britishspiders.bsky.social
Shout out to BENHS for another fab workshop - hoppers are absolutely fascinating! @britentsoc.bsky.social
August 13, 2025 at 6:09 AM
Shout out to BENHS for another fab workshop - hoppers are absolutely fascinating! @britentsoc.bsky.social
Botany day and trip to the plunge pool - Forest of Dean might well be my new home soon
August 13, 2025 at 6:06 AM
Botany day and trip to the plunge pool - Forest of Dean might well be my new home soon
Reposted by Meg Skinner
Is there a collective noun for #Opiliones? Here is a clump of male Leiobunum rotundum seen at #RSPBMiddletonLakes, 12/08/25 @megabunus.bsky.social @vannabartlett.bsky.social
August 12, 2025 at 2:23 PM
Is there a collective noun for #Opiliones? Here is a clump of male Leiobunum rotundum seen at #RSPBMiddletonLakes, 12/08/25 @megabunus.bsky.social @vannabartlett.bsky.social
Last (professional) invert survey of 2025. Huge thanks to colleagues and friends for making this a great season, not a bad way to end the year.
August 12, 2025 at 7:20 PM
Last (professional) invert survey of 2025. Huge thanks to colleagues and friends for making this a great season, not a bad way to end the year.
Reposted by Meg Skinner
A superb example of the harvestman Dicranopalpus ramosus sensu stricto, seen at #RSPBMiddletonLakes, 16/07/25 @megabunus.bsky.social #Opilione @opiliones.bsky.social
July 31, 2025 at 4:17 PM
A superb example of the harvestman Dicranopalpus ramosus sensu stricto, seen at #RSPBMiddletonLakes, 16/07/25 @megabunus.bsky.social #Opilione @opiliones.bsky.social
Reposted by Meg Skinner
I enjoy encountering the odd #harvestman when examining rocks and trees for #lichens. Another ancient and successful form of life. This is Opilio canestrinii, clinging to a tree-trunk in Loddon, Norfolk, England. Harvestmen tend to mature for autumn, and this is the first adult I've seen this year.
August 1, 2025 at 6:20 PM
I enjoy encountering the odd #harvestman when examining rocks and trees for #lichens. Another ancient and successful form of life. This is Opilio canestrinii, clinging to a tree-trunk in Loddon, Norfolk, England. Harvestmen tend to mature for autumn, and this is the first adult I've seen this year.