Daddy Long Legs (Crane Fly) the most pointless creature on earth? What do you think?

Question

By the way in England we call Crane Flys Daddylong legs just to avoid any confusion from those across the pond!

Answer 1

second to George Bush & Tony Blair

Answer 2

Let's clear up a few misconceptions, first off, please!

From University of California Department of Entymology:

DADDY-LONGLEGS ARE ONE OF THE MOST POISONOUS SPIDERS BUT THEIR FANGS ARE TOO SHORT TO BITE HUMANS -- This tale has been lurking around for years. I have heard it repeatedly in the United States and even heard a schoolteacher misinforming her class at a museum in Brisbane, Australia. This is incorrect, but to clarify it, several points need to be explained first." (see link for rest of article)

Second, what critter exactly are you talking about? Daddy Long Legs are NOT Crane Flys -- and even Daddy-longlegs can be different things.

Daddy-longlegs (Opiliones) / Daddy-longlegs spiders (Pholcidae) / Crane Fly Tipula genus (many species)

If you truly mean Crane Fly, well, the adult may be:

"Adult Crane Flies do not eat. They have only one purpose, to mate and lay eggs."

Like a lot of butterflies, huh? But their eggs and larvae and even the adults are food for other creatures, like so much else on this earth -- so a purpose is still served.

Thanks for the fun search!

Answer 3

Crane flies (daddy long-legs) [Tipulids] are not pointless. In fact, I'm wondering whether it is pointless to ask a question about the possible pointlessness of a particular group or species - they are part of a food web and have their place. Starlings feed on the grubs that will eventually emerge as the adult fly; the birds will aerate your lawn at the same time as feeding.

Answer 4

That's funny! Coz Crane flies think that Human Beings' are the most pointless creatures on Earth! Mmmmmm, no, it's no good! Gotta agree with the Crane flies!
p.s. Daddylonglegs are actually spiders!

Answer 5

Maybe I should change my name to 'Old Fart' -- I seem to want to give a legimate answer right away. But I agree with the person who suggested that you look in the mirror.

I'm not going to get all Sunday School teacher on you and say all creatures, great and small, serve some useful function, but all creatures, great and small, serve some useful function even if some of them are annoying to us. Either they are food for other pointless creatures, or, they act as fertilizer when they drop over dead.

Answer 6

I'm pretty sure the Daddy Long Legs has one of the most poisonous venoms of all spiders. Two problems for it though, it's fangs are too small to bite anything larger than very small insects and the amount of venom they hold is so small, that even if you or your dog ate one (or a dozen?), nothing would happen to you.

It is cool that one of the most harmless spiders has the most poisonous venom though.

Answer 7

Ear wigs are more pointless.... what the hell use are they then???? at least with a crane fly kids can have fun pulling its legs off

Answer 8

Yes, Crane Flys are good trout food, and sorta aimless creatures, but so are some humans.

Answer 9

That is a good question. Daddy long legs do not spin webs, like some spiders, yet they are not poisonous. So therefore they cannot protect themselves from being some other spiders supper. (A spider who can spin a web or is poisonous)

Answer 10

I think mosquito's, roaches, and fleas are more pointless, I can't find any good in them. At least Daddy Long legs catch other creatures in their webs, like flies.

Answer 11

I think they're amazing. Think about it - all their lives they live as grubs under your lawn and suddenly, something makes them crawl upwards towards the air. One minute they're a grub and the next, they're flying through the air. And having sex. And then they die. Months, years(?) of living as a grub and then for a brief fling, they're on ecstasy. Sigh.