Is it fact or fiction … are Daddy Long Legs the most poisonous spider in the world?
Urban legend has it that Daddy Long Legs spiders have incredibly powerful venom but fangs so small that it can’t bite humans. Science, on the other hand, proves otherwise.
According to the Burke Museum, there are actually three creatures commonly called Daddy Long Legs. They are:
- Pholcid House Spider (also sometimes known as Cellar Spiders)
- Harvestman (an arachnid with eight long jointed legs making it look similar to a spider, although it is an opilionid and not actually a spider at all)
- Crane Fly (a flying insect with long legs and wings)
Neither the Harvestman nor Crane Fly have any venom at all, poisonous to humans or otherwise.
But what about the Daddy Long Legs that actually is a spider?
Daddy Long Legs Spider — the Pholcid House Spider or Cellar Spider
According to spider research done by UC Riverside’s Department of Entomology, there is no record of any pholcid or Daddy Long Legs spider ever biting a human and causing a toxic reaction.
There also hasn’t ever been any toxicological studies done to test how poisonous pholcid spider venom may be to mammals.
Spider experts at UC Riverside conclude that “there is no scientific basis for the supposition that they are deadly, and there is no reason to assume that it is true.”
While Not Poisonous, Daddy Long Legs May be Unwelcome House Guests
Just because they’re not poisonous, you still may not welcome these spiders into your home. And there’s no reason why you should have to.
Contact us today for help controlling spiders in your home.
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