Comparative study of walking and climbing speeds among Neotropical harvestmen from Costa Rica

Abstract

Abstract Relatively little is known about factors that contribute to microhabitat selection among Central American harvestmen. In this study, we compared walking and climbing speeds for five common species from Costa Rica representing the families Cosmetidae (3 species), Gonyleptidae (1 species) and Sclerosomatidae (1 species). Our sample included two arboreal species, two species that infrequently occupy perches in the vegetation, and one species that rarely climbs. Our analyses revealed no significant interspecific differences in climbing speed, although species with relatively long legs walked significantly faster than species with shorter legs. An arboreal habit did not correlate with increased climbing speed, and all species walked significantly faster than they climbed.