If they could bite, would daddy-long-legs be the most poisonous insect?

Answer 1

It is one of the strange twist of nature, they carry the most potent venom known to man, unfortunately it is stored in small plastic bottles in their pockets and as they have no hands, only long legs, they can't get it out. They can't even ask apes to help because their hands are too big to fit into their pockets, Scientist can only extract it using specially adapted Barbie hands with a bit of blue tack on the end.

Or something like that anyway.
Is it me or is it hot in here?

Answer 2

Daddy longlegs is an ambiguous common name referring to several unrelated terrestrial arthropods which have in common extremely long slender legs. Its use is highly regional, so the "Daddy longlegs" of one area is completely different from another. In parts of the UK the "Daddy Longlegs" is known as the "Ginny Spinner." It is common names like these which spurred development of the formal scientific classification system.

In the animal kingdom, "Daddy longlegs" may refer to:

A harvestman (Opiliones)
A Daddy long-legs spider (Pholcidae, cellar spider, house spider or vibrating spider)
A crane fly (Tipulidae)

There is an urban legend claiming that the harvestman is the most venomous spider in the world, only its fangs are too small to bite a human, and is thus not actually dangerous. This is untrue on several counts [1] (see also cellar spider). First, of course, phalangids are not spiders. None of the known species have venom glands. The size of the jaws varies by species, of course, but even those with relatively large jaws virtually never bite humans (or other large creatures), not even in self-defense. The few known cases of actual bites did not involve envenomation, and had no lasting effects.

There is an urban legend stating that Daddy long-legs spiders have the most potent venom of any spider, but that their chelicera (fangs) are either too small or too weak to puncture human skin; the same legend is also repeated of the harvestman, called "Daddy Longlegs" in some locales. Indeed, pholcid spiders do have a short fang structure (called uncate). However, brown recluse spiders also have uncate fang structure, but are able to deliver potentially fatal bites. Either pholcid venom is not toxic to humans or there is a musculature difference between the two arachnids, with recluses, being hunting spiders, possessing stronger muscles for fang penetration.

Pholcid venom has never been scientifically tested on mammals. This would normally require milking the spiders and injecting the venom into humans or mice. In any case, there are no known cases of a pholcid spider ever biting a human and causing any serious effects.

In 2004 the Discovery Channel show MythBusters set out to test the daddy long-legs myth (season 1, episode 13 "Buried in Concrete"). After measuring the spider's fangs at approximately 0.25 mm (average human skin thickness is about 0.10 mm) the show's host was apparently bitten, although the bite produced little more than a mild short-lived burning sensation. [3] This appears to confirm the suspicion that pholcids can penetrate human skin, but that their venom is practically harmless to humans. Additionally, recent research has shown that pholcid venom is actually relatively weak in its effects on insects as well.

Not Spiders?

Another misconception is that the Daddy long-legs spider is not a true spider. This misconception arises from the multiple uses of the name Daddy long-legs. It is the Harvestman (which is also called Daddy long-legs) which is an arachnid but not a true spider. The Daddy long-legs spider is a true spider.

Answer 3

NO. The most deadly spider on this planet is indigenous to Australia. It is called the "Sydney Funnel Web". It's rather-fat-looking, like a "trap door spider".

It can bite through shoe leather.

Its venom is the opposite of most spider venom. Its venom does not put you to sleep. It EXCITES you to death!

Blood pressure rises, and heartbeat speeds up. You are dead within 48-72 hours from being hyped up.

Fortunately, it only affects primates and humans. An antidote was developed from rabbits, which are naturally immune.

Answer 4

As a matter of fact, daddy-long-legs ARE the most poisonus spiders in the world....

Answer 5

No.

Daddy-long-legs do not bite humans, and they are not poisonous (they lack venom glands).

Answer 6

They are indeed incredibly poisonous but sadly lacking in a delivery system

Answer 7

Only if their bite carried poison dopey.

Answer 8

No - thats a myth

Daddy-longlegs (Opiliones) - They do not have venom glands, fangs or any other mechanism for chemically subduing their food.

Answer 9

This is a common myth. They are not poisonous at all.

Answer 10

I've heard that too but I find it hard to believe. I've never hesitated to pick one up and put it outside, never had a problem.