Whole Notta Love (In the Opiliorium)

I recently collected some Harvestman from a site I visited in order to identify them. Because I didn't have time to look at them immediately I knocked up an impromptu temporary Opiliorium (noun, a naturalist enclosure for the observation of Opiliones) (well it's a word now) consisting of a ventilated plastic box, a piece of wet kitchen roll and some apple peel on the bottom, and an arrangement of shoots for climbing on (being able to choose their own level is important in helping them to choose their own humidity level, from damp at bottom to drier at the top where the vents are). Because this was temporary housing I didn't add any substrate other than the paper towel or any food other than the apple. 

Immediately on introduction most of the inhabitants made themselves fairly scarce, but the pair (well, a male and a female) of Opilio canestrinii were very active, climbing around and doing laps of the enclosure. After an hour, they had settled down in the upper reaches of the enclosure, snuggled up with the second leg of the male resting on the female's abdomen. And so they remained until it got dark. 

I checked on them a few times after dark and the male was enthusiastically pursuing the female around the enclosure; she was equally enthusiastically running away, and that was the pattern each time I looked at them. The Dicranopalpus in there skittered around trying to keep out of the way and the Oligolophus hanseni hunkered down in the lower reaches and tried to get some sleep. I suspect they were unsuccessful in this, as was the male in his endeavours. 

The next day I examined and identified the specimens and released them. The downside of the translucent plastic box was limited visibility and I'm very tempted to set up a more long term Opiliorium in a glass aquarium for observation. From my limited experience I'd say the enclosure needs to be as big as possible in order to observe more natural behaviour. These fascinating Arachnids are surprisingly active given the chance.