✗ The myth everyone repeats
Kids heard that daddy longlegs (harvestmen) were deadly venomous spiders but couldn't hurt humans because their fangs couldn't penetrate skin.
✓ What is actually true
Daddy longlegs aren't spiders at all, they're arachnids in a different order (Opiliones) that don't have venom or fangs. They have mouthparts but no venom glands. The myth combines multiple falsehoods into an impressive-sounding urban legend. True daddy longlegs spiders (Pholcidae) do exist and have minor venom, but they're also harmless to humans. Either way, daddy longlegs are among the most benign creatures in nature.
Reception
Go deeper
- Browse NSW suburbs (where redbacks actually live) · postcodes.refdat.com
The receipts 3 sources
- Snopes: Daddy LonglegsPRIMARY
- Wikipedia: Opiliones HarvestmanREFERENCE
- Wikipedia: Pholcidae Daddy Longlegs SpiderREFERENCE