Why aren daddy-long-legs real spiders?
People use the name “daddy-long-legs” to refer to creatures that belong to two separate orders within Class Arachnida (spiders and their allies). Although they look like spiders to most people, daddy-long-legs are actually harvestmen (Order Opiliones) – not true spiders. They differ in a number of ways. They have longer legs than most spiders, a less distinct waist and a segmented abdomen. They do not produce silk, so are not found in webs unless a true spider has caught them. They do not have poison glands, feed on a wide variety of things, and can be found in a many different habitats, including forests, brushy areas, open grasslands, and disturbed areas. Daddy-long-legs are native to Canada but are seldom seen because they live under logs and in hidden places. The other creatures often called daddy-long-legs are long-legged, true spiders (Order Araneae) in the Family Pholcidae. They have a distinct waist and abdomen without segments. They are poisonous and make webs using silk. Beca
