Daddy Longlegs (Harvestmen) Missouri Department of Conservation

Most of us are familiar with the common, harmless, spiderlike “harvestman,” with its remarkably long, wiggly legs. We can easily see differences between harvestmen and spiders. The body is a simple oval, and it’s usually hard to tell where the “head” ends and the segmented “abdomen” begins. They also lack silk and venom glands, and they only have two eyes. Lacking silk glands, they never build webs. They lack venom, but they emit a weird odor when disturbed. Their chelicerae (mouthparts) are too small to bite people. Sometimes there are tiny yellow, orange, or red blobs stuck on the body or legs: These are mites parasitizing the harvestman. Similar species: Long-legged cellar spiders (in the spider family Pholcidae) are sometimes called “daddy longlegs,” but they are definitely spiders: They weave cluttered, irregular webs in the upper corners of basements, caves, and similar places and clearly have two distinct body regions: an oval abdomen plus a rounded head. They are generally much smaller and more delicate, too.

Daddy Longlegs – Field Station

Eastern Harvestman

Harvestman (Daddy Longlegs) – 10/2/13 – Sharon Friends of Conservation

Opilionids

Fungus and fruit consumption by harvestmen and spiders (Opiliones, Araneae): the vegetarian side of two predominantly predaceous arachnid groups

Common Spiders of Missouri: Identification, Benefits, and Concerns // Missouri Environment and Garden News Article // Integrated Pest Management, University of Missouri

Daddy Longleg “Spiders” North Texas Master Naturalist

Opilionids

Daddy Longlegs (Harvestmen) Missouri Department of Conservation

Inside

Cellar Spider

daddy longlegs

Many Looong Legs - Harvestmen aka Daddy Long Legs - Wildlife Conservation Trust

Harvestman (Order Opiliones)