There isn't a special scientific name for female daddy long-legs (cellar spiders), but they are often called "Mummy Long-legs" or "Mother of the Year" in casual conversation, especially when they're seen carrying their egg sacs, and the female of the popular game character is named Mommy Long Legs. Scientifically, they're just female Pholcus phalangioides (or other cellar spider species).
The animals
Most folks who retell this tale have no idea that they are referring to two completely separate groups of animals: "daddy-longlegs" and "daddy-longlegs spiders". In the animal class Arachnida, there are several lower level divisions called Orders.
If you look closely, the male has a square-ended body, but the female has a long, sharp-ended body - this stinger-like 'tail' is her ovipositor, which she uses to lay her eggs in the ground.
Cellar spiders may look spooky, but they're completely harmless to people and pets. They thrive in damp, cluttered spaces where other insects are present. Regular cleaning, sealing entry points, and reducing moisture are the best ways to keep them out.
Daddy longlegs, or harvestmen, are familiar Missouri animals. They are not spiders, but opilionids. Unlike spiders, they have a fused body form and lack silk and venom glands.
The Opiliones (formerly Phalangida) are an order of arachnids, colloquially known as harvestmen, harvesters, daddy long legs, or granddaddy long legs. Over 6,650 species of harvestmen have been discovered worldwide, although the total number of extant species may exceed 10,000.
While there's no single "Top 1," the Sydney Funnel-web Spider (Atrax robustus) from Australia is often cited as the world's most dangerous due to its potent, primate-specific venom, aggressive nature, and fast-acting effects, capable of killing a human quickly, though fatalities are rare now due to antivenom. The Brazilian Wandering Spider (Phoneutria species) also ranks high for potent venom and aggression, but the Sydney funnel-web's impact on humans makes it a top contender.
Essential oils
(Peppermint, eucalyptus, tea tree oil, cloves, lavender, citronella) – spiders dislike these oils, (mosquitos and mice do too). Once a week, clean your home thoroughly, then apply 20 drops of oil with water in a spray to corners where you've seen them.
Like mentioned before, the long-bodied cellar spider doesn't bite humans as its mouth is too weak. They are completely harmless. Jumping spiders, grass spiders, and common house spiders have very little venom in their bites. I bite from one of these fellows is likely to just cause minor pain and swelling.
You should never squish a spider because it can release dozens of baby spiders if it's a mother carrying eggs, attract pests with released pheromones, cause allergic reactions from its internal fluids, leave stains and odors, and you'd be killing a beneficial predator that controls other insect populations. Most spiders are harmless to humans, and squishing them can backfire, worsening pest problems or causing messes.
They're the Good Guys. You may not like them, but harvestmen are actually helping you out. Daddy long legs eat spiders, earthworms and other insects. They'll also scavenge for dead insects, decaying plant material and insect eggs if live prey isn't available.
Underwatering a spider plant could be the reason it is not producing spiderettes. The Spider Plant does not tolerate drying out completely between waterings. Water when the soil volume is 50-75% dry. Be sure to water thoroughly and discard any excess water in the saucer.
You might think that daddy longlegs are spiders, but they are actually crane flies. The early crop of daddy longlegs begin to emerge around mid-August in the UK, and reach their peak in September as the weather begins to cool. This is when they seek refuge in the warmth of our homes.
Cellar spiders are often called "daddy long legs," but true daddy long legs are harvestmen, which are arachnids but not spiders. Cellar spiders build webs and have two body segments, while harvestmen don't build webs and have a single fused body.
Harvestmen are arachnids and look a lot like spiders, but they have some important differences. Harvestmen have fewer eyes, do not make webs and do not produce venom. The urban legend about harvestmen producing the most deadly venom but lacking the ability to bite a human is simply not true! Spiders. Harvestmen.
While spiders can have up to eight eyes, the estimated 6,500 species of daddy longlegs usually have just two. But while looking through a microscope at an embryo of Phalangium opilio—a daddy longlegs species—scientists recently discovered four additional eyes that never fully develop.
Cellar spiders are inconspicuous, harmless, fragile spiders with extremely long, thin legs. They are sometimes referred to as daddy longlegs spiders, which are quite different and an unrelated common spider species. Cellar spiders are typically pale yellow, grey, or light brown.
Daddy long legs in your house are typically a sign of favorable conditions for their survival. These spiders are attracted to dark, damp areas such as basements, attics, and closets. They seek out quiet spaces where they can build their webs, away from direct light.
Life Cycle. From egg to adult, immature cellar spiders take about one year to fully develop. Females produce as many as three egg sacs over the course of their lifetime. Each generation may yield 13 to 60 offspring at a time.
Spiders want to avoid human contact as much as people want to avoid spiders. So unless there is some sort of food source for them in or around your bed, spiders are not likely to come crawling on you while you sleep.
The color that spiders tend to hate is light blue. People don't just paint their porches light blue for the aesthetic. Painting your porch ceiling in this shade is a pretty effective way of keeping spiders away. The color is also known to repel wasps.
The cellar spider, also known as the daddy long-legs spider, is almost only ever found indoors, where they benefit from a warm, stable temperature. Cellar spiders spin loose, messy webs in the corners of rooms, usually where the wall meets the ceiling.
Top Ten Scariest Spiders
Spiders avoid people, animals, and most insects – except for the one's they're about to eat of course. As stated above, most spiders are relatively small. That makes them especially vulnerable. Many birds and animals may try to eat spiders, or at the very least, they'll probably interfere with the spider's food source.
The best known of these is the Sydney funnel web spider, Atrax robustus. The male of this species (in the picture on the left) is Australia's most dangerous spider, and is capable of causing death in as little as 15 minutes.