Daddy Long-legs (Harvestman)
Scientific Name: Various species, e.g., Phalangium opilio (a common European species introduced worldwide)
Order & Family: Order: Opiliones, Family: Phalangidae (common example)
Size: Body length typically 3-9 mm, but legs can span up to 50 mm or more.
Natural Habitat
Commonly found in damp, cool, and dark places such as cellars, basements, caves, under rocks, logs, and leaf litter. They are also found in gardens and under eaves of houses.
Diet & Feeding
They are omnivores and scavengers, feeding on small insects, decaying plant and animal matter, fungi, and sometimes other harvestmen.
Behavior Patterns
Daddy long-legs do not spin webs for catching prey but may build simple web-like structures for resting or molting. They are often found in dark, damp places.
Risks & Benefits
Daddy long-legs are harmless to humans; they are not venomous like true spiders and cannot bite. They play a beneficial role in the ecosystem as decomposers and predators of small garden pests.
Identified on: 8/13/2025