Science Fact Finder | The Animal World - What Is A "Daddy Longlegs"?

What is a "daddy longlegs"?

The name "daddy longlegs" applies to two different kinds of invertebrates (animals without a spine). The first is a harmless, nonbiting long-legged arachnid. (Arachnids are a class of invertebrates having jointed legs, including spiders, scorpions, mites, and ticks.) The second is a cranefly—a thin-bodied insect with long, thin legs that has a snoutlike proboscis (protruding mouth-part) with which it sucks water and nectar.

The arachnid daddy longlegs, also called a harvestman, is often mistaken for a spider, but it lacks the segmented body shape that a spider has. Although it has the same number of legs (eight) as a spider, the harvestman's legs are far longer and thinner. These very long legs enable it to raise its body high enough to avoid ants and other small predators. Another difference between harvestmen and spiders is that harvestmen never spin webs.

Harvestmen are largely...

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