Posted by Shirley Arner on March 24, 2006

Q: My sister and I got onto the subnject of spiders today, and she said that a daddy long legs is a venomous spider, and one of the most venomous in the world.... I have never heard this about daddy long legs before today, and I don't believe it. Could you please let me know... I have checked many sites on the net, but I can't get a definitive answer. Some sites say that the daddy long legs is venomous, but because its fangs are too short, it can't pierce a human's skin. Some sites say that there is a spider in Australia called a daddy long legs, and it is venomous, but I don't know if I believe that or not.

Please.... let me know if this is truly a myth.

Thank you....

A: This is where the use of common names can be a problem. There are spiders called Daddy- Long-Legs and there are harvestmen (not a spider) called Daddy-Long-Legs. So, if you're referring to the harvestmen, then their mouthparts are indeed too small to harm humans but some, only some, prey on live insects and do have venom. How potent this venom is is not clear to me but I doubt that it's very potent. The Daddy-Long-Leg Spiders in North America are often found in peoples' basements and these do also have venom but it is not dangerous to humans. I can't comment on spiders in Australia but be sure when using the term "Daddy-Long-Legs" that you're both talking about the same animals.

Do keep in mind that ALL spiders have venom, but usually it is not strong enough to affect a human if they bite. Of course the Black Widow and Brown Recluse are two exceptions to this here in North America. Hope this helps a bit.

John Wiessinger ( March 25, 2006)