The incarnation of leggy! Cellar spiders are not really attractive for most people… Here’s a mother with hatchlings.
These spiders live with us at home. They find corners or quiet areas to live in, especially in the basement they can be everywhere. The webs collect dust and make places look dirty. So how is that a hero? Let’s first be clear on the ID: We are talking about Daddy long legs, not Harvestmen. DDL have two body parts, they are real spiders and they live in three-dimensional webs. Harvestmen have a undivided body, and they are as close related to spiders as a mite or a scorpion is – all of them are arachnids, but in different orders.
DDLs can be seen as very useful, as they have the ability to catch all sorts of prey. Even bigger spiders are not safe, so in areas with venomous spiders, a few DDLs in the corners make great natural traps for venomous spiders like the Black Widow or Brown Recluse. Unfortunately this ability lead to a misconception: Only venomous spiders could kill venomous spiders. Why would that be? Legends say that if only a DDL had large enough teeth, they would be harmful to humans. Looks like it is not, there is not evidence for that. Here is a study of the venom of a Mexican DDL, including bite reports (yes they can!). Interestingly only male DDLs did bite. So let’s admit, DDLs make your home even safer! They catch mosquitos as well! Keepers of exotic pets also appreciate them for catching escaped crickets. Male crickets can drive you crazy with their chirping…
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