3 ms·
"Daddy longlegs" is a weird name that seems to apply to at least a few bugs. In the southeastern US where I grew up, yeah, it's a thing with wings that I think
by ubermonkey 3y ago
"Daddy longlegs" is a weird name that seems to apply to at least a few bugs.
In the southeastern US where I grew up, yeah, it's a thing with wings that I think are more precisely referred to as crane flies.
Harvestmen exist in that part of the world, but are much less common, and so I never learned to use the "daddy longlegs" name for them.
- davidmurdoch 3y agoI live in Florida. I never knew about another other than the spider version of "Daddy long legs" until now.
- danielvaughn 3y agoYeah, I know of 3 insects that have been called "daddy long legs." There are pholcidae (cellar spiders), tipuloidea (crane flies as you mentioned), and opiliones (harvestmen). My personal opinion is that harvestmen are the true daddy long legs. Odd to hear you say that they're less common where you are. I grew up in Tennessee, which is essentially the same region, and they were everywhere. They were all over my house growing up, and were the cause of many childhood traumas lol. I know some people don't mind them, but they're the stuff of nightmares for me, I hate them probably more than any other insect.
- netcraft 3y agoIn western KY, west TN, northern MS, the long legged things with wings are gollywoppers or candleflies. Daddy longlegs are the spiders. It was a right of passage growing up to learn how to pick them up by one leg and the weight of their body meant that they couldnt grab on to anything with their other legs. Unfortunately it was common for them to lose a leg in the process.
- marcus0x62 3y agoEastern Arkansas was the same - daddy longlegs referred to the house spiders.
- ubermonkey 3y agoSouthern MS here (Hattiesburg). The winged things were definitely the main thing called "Daddy longlegs" there.
- wil421 3y agoI’ve from the southeast and a daddy long leg is a spider.