Are daddy long legs really spiders?

Question

Are daddy long legs really spiders?

Answer 1

They are arachnids, which means spiders. So Daddy Long Legs are actually spiders. Their description is small body and long legs.

Answer 2

Yes and no! The term is commonly applied to 3 different animals - spiders of the family Pholcidae, harvestmen (which are arachnids, but not spiders), and crane flies (which are insects).

EDIT: For Todd Likes Spiders and Chris B - I'm from England, and yes we do call crane flies daddy-long-legs! The name is so common here that some people don't even know they are actually called crane flies. Sometimes we call them 'flying daddy-long-legs' in order to separate them from the spiders and harvestmen.

Answer 3

Yes and no, it depends on which daddy long legs your talking about.

The nickname daddy long legs is commonly used to describe three very different arthropods.  

The cellar spider, which *IS* a spider (family Pholcidae)

http://bugguide.net/node/view/9608

The harvestman, which is *NOT* a spider, but *IS* an arachnid along with the spiders, scorpions, ticks, and mites (order opiliones)

http://bugguide.net/node/view/2405

The crane fly, which is not a spider at all but an insect, and more specifically a fly. (Family Tipulidae)

http://bugguide.net/node/view/183

Chris b - From what I have read, Crane flies are sometimes called "daddy long legs" in the UK and Ireland.  I have not personally heard a Brit call one that, but I include it in the explanation just in case.

Leolupus - thanks for the explanation!

"Arachnid means spider" - in the context used that is wrong.  That is like saying "Ford means Mustang".

The name does come from the Greek word for spider, but the Class Arachnida are a group of arthropod that includes spiders, scorpions, ticks, mites, and several other groups.

Answer 4

They are arachnids, but I'm not sure if they are spiders. I think so though. Look it up! You wasted points asking! Go to google!

Answer 5

They're arachnids, but a group of their own (Opiliones), not members of Araneae (true spiders).

In fact, in terms of evolutionary relationships, they're more closely related to scorpions and solifluges (the "camel spiders" shown in pictures from the Middle East).

EDIT:  "Todd Likes Spiders" is correct in that "daddy longlegs" can be applied to several groups of arthropods.  My answer was specific to the forms found around here; we have crane flies as well, but they've always been called "crane flies."

Answer 6

The above two answers are good. I would add that they are harmless, and DON'T MASH THEM because when you do they stink like crazy.