Judy Abbott
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The family contains more than 1,800 individual species of pholcids, including those commonly known as cellar spider, daddy long-legs spider, carpenter spider, daddy long-legger, vibrating spider, gyrating spider, long daddy, and skull spider.
- Daddy Longlegs Aren't Spiders. First, daddy longlegs make up the order Opiliones and aren't spiders. They are arachnids, but so too are mites, ticks, and scorpions.
- They Aren't Venomous. A common urban myth is that daddy longlegs have the most toxic venom of all spiders, but their fangs are too small to bite. Even if they were spiders, they don't have venom glands or fangs.
- They Can't See Very Well. Daddy longlegs have simple eyes mounted on eye turrets attached to their bodies. These eyes act as light sensors and do not appear to provide more than blurry images.
- They Are Ancient. The Opiliones first appeared a long time ago and have barely changed at all over millions of years. Fossils dating back 400 million years, before dinosaurs roamed the earth, look very similar to today's daddy longlegs.
Learn about the daddy longlegs, a large and common fly with long legs and translucent wings. Find out how to identify it, where to see it, and why it is not venomous or related to spiders.
Jan 16, 2022 · You've probably heard this playground legend: Daddy longlegs are the most venomous spiders in the world, but their fangs are too short to bite you. Is this really true? The short answer: no.
Daddy longlegs are arachnids that resemble spiders but lack venom and silk. They are harmless to humans and beneficial to the environment, but may be a nuisance in some homes.
Pholcus phalangioides, commonly known as the cosmopolitan cellar spider, long-bodied cellar spider or one of various types called a daddy long-legs spider, is a spider of the family Pholcidae. It is also known as the skull spider, since its cephalothorax is said to resemble a human skull.
Learn about daddy longlegs, also known as harvestmen, a group of arachnids with long and thin legs and compact bodies. Find out their physical characteristics, distribution, habitat, diet, reproduction, and more.
