Jump to content
Join the Unexplained Mysteries community today! It's free and setting up an account only takes a moment.
- Sign In or Create Account -

What is a daddy Long Legs?


Junior Chubb

What is a Daddy Long Legs?  

54 members have voted

  1. 1. What is a Daddy Long Legs?

    • A Crane fly
    • A Harvestman arachnid
    • None of the above (please post your answer)


Recommended Posts

After a recent mention in a thread, and something my son and a friend said recently I thought I would ask the question in this poll. What is a Daddy Long Legs?

For me a Daddy Long Legs (DLL) is a Crane fly, but recently I have come across a rogue percentage of the population that refers to other creatures as DLL, the most common of these is an arachnid known as a Harvestman (a very long legged spider looking creature).

I was wondering which is the most common and if there is a right or wrong on the subject or whether it is area specific as to what a DLL is. Here are a few links if you are interested in further reading or don't have a clue what I am going on about.

Crane Fly

Harvestman

The first written mentioning of Daddy Long Legs?

Thanks for any votes and input...

Edited by Junior Chubb
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Crane fly for me...i used to always feed them to my terrapins as a kid which is cruel when i look back now.. :hmm:

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

ive always assume both were called daddy longs legs but known that they both cant be

They are both known as DLL's, I was hoping to find which was first or which is most appropriate, for me its the Crane Fly.

It might be like asking which came first, the Chicken or the Egg though... :hmm:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here in Texas, people moronically call crane flies 'mosquito hawks' and think they eat mosquitos. -sighs-

I think you just gained a point of your 'Science test' result. ;)

Thanks for sharing, nice to know those blighter's are well travelled...

Edited after I read your post correctly. :blush:

Edited by Junior Chubb
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think that in the USA it's the Harvestman and in the UK its the Crane-fly.

This is what I have read before making the OP, I have just come across a lot of Brit's recently that go with the Harvestman though. American influence or was it just there anyway?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think you just lost a point of your 'Science test' result. ;)

Thanks for sharing though, nice to know those blighter's are well travelled...

Why me? Lol, I know crane fly adults don't eat! It's other Texans...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Why me? Lol, I know crane fly adults don't eat! It's other Texans...

Sorry Hasina, I amended the original post, and my 'English Literature' grade... :blush:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I voted for crane fly, I've never heard it used for anything else (other than a Fred Astaire film!).

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here in Texas, people moronically call crane flies 'mosquito hawks' and think they eat mosquitos. -sighs-

Well call me a moron because that's what I was always told.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sorry Hasina, I amended the original post, and my 'English Literature' grade... :blush:

It's all cool dude.

And I was looking it up, seems there's a spider called the cellar spider that's ALSO called the daddy long legs.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well call me a moron because that's what I was always told.

I mean no offense, I'm sorry! I do understand that's what people are told, especially as children. My parents told me that as well.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here the Harvestman spiders (I never actually knew the correct name for them, so thanks!) are known as Daddy Long Legs and the Crane Flies are usually nicknamed Mosquito Hawks or "those big giant mosquito looking things". lol

Edited by sarah_444
  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Daddy-long-legs=Harvestman. That's what my parents and grandparents called them, so it stuck with me. I've also heard people call harvestmen "brown recluse", but that's from misidentification.

Edited by Hippycrite
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was brought up wiht my family etc calling the crane-fly a DLL.

But I read a while ago that the Harvestman was originally called DLL. I still call the crane-fly DLL, but the correct one is the Harvestman. I also read that the Crane-fly was thought to be a flying version of the harvestman back in the old days, but they are unrelated.

Edited by Coffey
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've always called them a Daddy long Legs since my childhood, but was told their real name is a Crane Fly.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's all cool dude.

And I was looking it up, seems there's a spider called the cellar spider that's ALSO called the daddy long legs.

You are a wealth on information, thanks Hasina. another one to add to the mix. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Looks like the Harvestman is taking the lead...

Thanks for all the votes, lets get some more for the Crane Fly though, it would be nice if my reference had most votes. ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Surely all "daddy long legs" can't be male. ?

Is there a "mother long legs" ?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

where I come from a Daddy Long Legs is a spider.

The flying bug with long legs is a crane fly.

Seattle, Wa. USA

Link to comment
Share on other sites

its a spider here, i used to go and get as many as i could and feed them other bugs (sometimes they didn't win)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.