So, crane flies are pests, cellar spiders are helpful, and true daddy longlegs are pretty much neutral. Their lifespan can vary depending on the species and their habitat preferences. These spiders prefer dark and damp environments such as basements and cellars. They’re known for their distinctive egg sac production and spiderling development. This is impressive because their eyes cannot form images. The Short-Bodied Cellar Spiders, on the other hand, come in both long-bodied and short-bodied species. When they do hunt, they ambush their prey. While daddy longlegs are predators in their own right, they get most of their nutrients from decomposing plant and animal matter and manure. They prefer hiding in moist areas, under logs and rocks, so you may find one under your kitchen sink or in a crawl space or basement. Other non-spider arachnids include mites, scorpions, and ticks. While Opiliones are arachnids, they are not spiders. Daddy longlegs belong to the Opiliones order. They do not build webs or produce venom but can eat chunks of food. This makes cellar spiders helpful in the house and garden, reducing the number of potentially dangerous spiders.Ĭellar spiders go by several names: carpenter spider, long daddy, marbled cellar spider, skull spider, vibrating spider, granddaddy longlegs, and daddy longlegs, hence the confusion.ĭaddy longlegs have fat, fused bodies and a brown stripe on the belly. Funnel weaver spiders, hobo spiders, huntsmen, house spiders, and redback spiders (cousin to black widows) are all favorites of the cellar spider. They shake the webs of neighboring spiders, tricking them into thinking prey has been trapped.Ī fatal bite turns the host spider into the next meal. Rather than feeding exclusively on flies or gnats, cellar spiders prefer eating other spiders. Prey become entangled, are bitten, and then eaten or saved for later. These webs are not sticky, just confusing.
Cellar spiders hang upside down from their messy, irregularly-shaped webs and will shake them when they feel threatened. They can be gray, tan, or brown and often have chevron markings. Often found under loose bark and in the upper corners of rooms and garages, cellar spiders have oval- or peanut-shaped bodies. The long-legged spiders most of us see are cellar spiders. If there are no wings present, it’s a spider.
Crane fly larvae feed on the crowns, leaves, and roots of lawns and other members of the grass family, including corn and lemongrass. Many people believe crane flies eat mosquitoes, but this is false. If you see a daddy longlegs with wings, it’s a crane fly. Daddy longlegs can bite you and their venom is too weak to hurt you. Many people say that daddy longlegs have the most potent venom of any spider and the only reason they aren’t dangerous is that their fangs are too small to bite us. The insects many of us call daddy longlegs are either cellar spiders or crane flies. We’ve all seen them in our Morgan Hill homes - spiders with tiny bodies and long, delicate legs.