# daddy long legs...a spider??? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 4, 2004, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daddy-long-legs-a-spider/263070 "2004-09-04T03:22:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![primalimage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/aca169/32.png) [@primalimage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/primalimage)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2004, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daddy-long-legs-a-spider/263070/1 "2004-09-04T03:22:36Z")
ok so tonight i had a fight with my dad he is determined that daddy long legs arent spider…i think they are…soooo??? :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2004, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daddy-long-legs-a-spider/263070/2 "2004-09-04T03:31:42Z")
[http://spiders.ucr.edu/daddylonglegs.html](http://spiders.ucr.edu/daddylonglegs.html) “Most folks who retell this tale have no idea that they are referring to two completely separate groups of animals: “daddy-longlegs” and “daddy-longlegs spiders”.” ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2004, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daddy-long-legs-a-spider/263070/3 "2004-09-04T03:54:48Z")
“Father knows best.” While the site to which **Revtim** linked makes a case for “daddy-long-legs spiders,” I suspect that the overwhelming number of people in the U.S. mean the [harvestman](http://www.fcps.k12.va.us/StratfordLandingES/Ecology/mpages/harvestman.htm) when they use the term “daddy-long-legs” and, as both sites note, those critters are not spiders although they are in the Class Arachidna. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2004, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daddy-long-legs-a-spider/263070/4 "2004-09-04T04:01:40Z")
Jeez, **Revtim**! I was perusing your link when a spider (not a daddy long legs) strolled across my monitor. _That_ was freaky. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2004, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daddy-long-legs-a-spider/263070/5 "2004-09-04T04:08:29Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > I suspect that the overwhelming number of people in the U.S. mean the [harvestman](http://www.fcps.k12.va.us/StratfordLandingES/Ecology/mpages/harvestman.htm) when they use the term “daddy-long-legs” and, as both sites note, those critters are not spiders although they are in the Class Arachidna. Hmmmmm…no venom for the harvestman? My favorite lie about them is where the climb up over the back of your head and swing down and bite your eyeball–because that’s the only membrane their fangs can penetrate–and inject you with one of the most toxic venoms in the animal world. So. Not true then? ---
**Author:** ![WoodCM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7bcc69/32.png) [@WoodCM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WoodCM)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2004, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daddy-long-legs-a-spider/263070/6 "2004-09-04T06:55:48Z")
order Opiliones, known as ‘harvestmen’. These not same as spiders (order Araneae). 'tis easy to distingiush them. Spiders seem to have two disticnt parts to their bodies, whilst harvestmen just seem to have one main blob to their bodies. There are many other differences of course. Generally speaking, harvestmen look much alike, and have eight very long legs. The most long-legged spiders seems short to them. I wish I could go on and on, but I’m knackered. All harvestmen are totally harmless, and it would be a great sin to kill them. Here in Britain all spiders are also totally harmless, but in other parts of the world a few species do cause problems to the vain species known as ‘humans’. There is a group of spiders known as ‘jumping spiders’. These beings seem very intelligent, and have the most fantastic eyes. As far as I know, none pose any danger whatsoever to humans. It would be a good thing if you observed them closely, indeed, revere them. ---
**Author:** ![MalFrog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6a8cbe/32.png) [@MalFrog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MalFrog)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2004, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daddy-long-legs-a-spider/263070/7 "2004-09-04T07:52:46Z")
On this side of the pond we are refering to Crane Flies when we talk about Daddy Long Legs [http://www.insects.org/entophiles/diptera/dipt\_003.html](http://www.insects.org/entophiles/diptera/dipt_003.html) ---
**Author:** ![Maxxxie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f14d63/32.png) [@Maxxxie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maxxxie)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2004, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daddy-long-legs-a-spider/263070/8 "2004-09-04T11:33:11Z")
And in Australia, “Daddy longlegs” refers to one of these buggers: [http://www.xs4all.nl/~ednieuw/australian/Pholcidae/Pholcidae.htm](http://www.xs4all.nl/~ednieuw/australian/Pholcidae/Pholcidae.htm) And may I be the first to say… these spider pages creep me out! :eek: Max ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2004, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daddy-long-legs-a-spider/263070/9 "2004-09-04T13:43:13Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > I suspect that the overwhelming number of people in the U.S. mean the harvestman when they use the term “daddy-long-legs” Not me. As **Revtim** ’s link says: > [@](#): > > This is most probably the animal to which people refer when they tell the tale because these spiders are plentiful especially in cellars (hence their common name) and are commonly seen by the general public. This is the only creature I call “daddy long-legs”. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a harvestman. As the link says, they are very common along the Pacific coast. I’m a native Californian who has lived in costal areas (San Diego and Los Angeles) and in the desert (Lancaster). Now I’m in the PNW and there are more pholcids up here than I’ve ever seen before. Webs pop up all over the place. Seriously, the PNW seems to be The Kingdom of the Spiders. Lots of pholcids and orb weavers. (The desert was Kingdom of the Black Widows.) ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2004, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daddy-long-legs-a-spider/263070/10 "2004-09-04T15:42:35Z")
Here’s the [Staff Report](http://69.20.125.245/mailbag/mdaddy.html) on daddy longlegseses. ---
**Author:** ![umop\_ap\_sdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/dbc845/32.png) [@umop\_ap\_sdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/umop_ap_sdn)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2004, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daddy-long-legs-a-spider/263070/11 "2004-09-04T17:39:52Z")
Based on the descriptions, it sounds like the creatures I’ve seen in both northern California and Oregon were harvestmen. Coulda sworn they had 7 legs though, not 8. Is there a species of 7 legged arachnid that lives in the area? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2004, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daddy-long-legs-a-spider/263070/12 "2004-09-04T17:50:29Z")
> [@cityboy916](#): > > Based on the descriptions, it sounds like the creatures I’ve seen in both northern California and Oregon were harvestmen. Coulda sworn they had 7 legs though, not 8. Is there a species of 7 legged arachnid that lives in the area? Harvestmen very often lose one or more of their legs. If you will look at **tomndebb’s** link, you will see that the one in the first photo has only seven legs. I have seen some with as few as four legs hobbling gamely along. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2004, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daddy-long-legs-a-spider/263070/13 "2004-09-04T18:47:43Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Harvestmen very often lose one or more of their legs. If you will look at **tomndebb’s** link, you will see that the one in the first photo has only seven legs. I have seen some with as few as four legs hobbling gamely along. Quite true. I noticed one on the wall of my office building just two days ago; it had only six legs. Impersonating an insect! ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2004, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daddy-long-legs-a-spider/263070/14 "2004-09-04T19:00:43Z")
> [@MalFrog](#): > > On this side of the pond we are refering to Crane Flies when we talk about Daddy Long Legs > > [http://www.insects.org/entophiles/diptera/dipt\_003.html](http://www.insects.org/entophiles/diptera/dipt_003.html) Are your crane flies what we call dragon flies or damsel flies? BTW, all spiders have poisonous glands and can bite, but usually don’t bite people, and are not all that venomous except for the black widow and the brown recluse. ---
**Author:** ![Fatwater\_Fewl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/4491bb/32.png) [@Fatwater\_Fewl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fatwater_Fewl)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2004, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daddy-long-legs-a-spider/263070/15 "2004-09-04T19:04:11Z")
Just like **Johnny L.A.** , we here in eastern Canada know the [Pholcus phalangioides](http://caliban.mpiz-koeln.mpg.de/~stueber/essays/pholcus/pholcus_phalangioides.html) spider as the daddy-longlegs. I’ve never seen a harvestman. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2004, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daddy-long-legs-a-spider/263070/16 "2004-09-04T19:06:36Z")
> [@barbitu8](#): > > Are your crane flies what we call dragon flies or damsel flies? No, they belong to the order Diptera, which includes the true flies (house flies, horse flies, deer flies, etc.) plus mosquitoes, gnats, midges, and others. Members of this order have only one pair of functional wings, the other pair being reduced to small balancing organs. Damselflies and dragonflies belong to the order Odonata, and are a much more primitive group. They have two pairs of wings that are often nearly the same size. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2004, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daddy-long-legs-a-spider/263070/17 "2004-09-04T19:30:05Z")
**Johnny L.A.** and \*\*Fatwater Fewl]/b] have both enjoyed the company of the same daddy longlegs as I have, all these years on the west coast. A popular myth when I was a kid was that they would hunt and kill, but not eat, any black widows that wandered into their domain (cellars, sheds, under-the-house etc.) Nevah hoid the “deadliest venom” story. Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2004, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daddy-long-legs-a-spider/263070/18 "2004-09-04T19:34:43Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > No, they belong to the order Diptera, which includes the true flies (house flies, horse flies, deer flies, etc.) plus mosquitoes, gnats, midges, and others. Members of this order have only one pair of functional wings, the other pair being reduced to small balancing organs. > > Damselflies and dragonflies belong to the order Odonata, and are a much more primitive group. They have two pairs of wings that are often nearly the same size. To add to this, a crane fly looks like a very large mosquito (about an inch long). However, it doesn’t bite. The larva is called a leatherjacket and is a common lawn pest, which sometimes also infests gardens and farm crops. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2004, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daddy-long-legs-a-spider/263070/19 "2004-09-04T19:45:18Z")
> [@yabob](#): > > To add to this, a crane fly looks like a very large mosquito (about an inch long). When I was a kid in The Bronx, we used to call them “Jersey Mosquitoes,” with the idea that they were the biggest baddest mother\*\*\*\*ing mosquitoes in creation, and that they flew over from the Great Swamp in New Jersey where they bred. They were greatly feared. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2004, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daddy-long-legs-a-spider/263070/20 "2004-09-04T20:24:36Z")
> [@Qadgop the Mercotan](#): > > Jeez, **Revtim**! I was perusing your link when a spider (not a daddy long legs) strolled across my monitor. > > _That_ was freaky. Revtim, could you post a link to Maxim’s Anna Kournakova shoot? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daddy-long-legs-a-spider/263070.md?page=2)