this post was submitted on 26 Aug 2025
575 points (98.2% liked)

Science Memes

16919 readers
2913 users here now

Welcome to c/science_memes @ Mander.xyz!

A place for majestic STEMLORD peacocking, as well as memes about the realities of working in a lab.



Rules

  1. Don't throw mud. Behave like an intellectual and remember the human.
  2. Keep it rooted (on topic).
  3. No spam.
  4. Infographics welcome, get schooled.

This is a science community. We use the Dawkins definition of meme.



Research Committee

Other Mander Communities

Science and Research

Biology and Life Sciences

Physical Sciences

Humanities and Social Sciences

Practical and Applied Sciences

Memes

Miscellaneous

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 
all 41 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] TheTechnician27@lemmy.world 90 points 1 month ago (3 children)

For those who might be confused, "daddy longlegs" colloquially refers to two totally separate things. Spiders are of the order Araneae under class Arachnida (they're arachnids; go figure).

"Daddy longlegs" often refers to cellar spiders, the family Pholcidae within the spiders. However, "daddy longlegs" also refers to another order of arachnids altogether called Opiliones, also known as harvestmen. So if this doesn't look like the daddy longlegs you know, that's why; they're not a "different type" of the cellar spider you're familiar with.

[–] warm@kbin.earth 28 points 1 month ago (2 children)
[–] Deebster@infosec.pub 5 points 1 month ago

That's what I think of when I hear The name Daddy Longlegs. Wikipedia tells me that they're called "Jenny long legs" in Scotland and Pilib an Gheataire ("Skinny Philip") in Irish.

[–] sartalon@lemmy.world 6 points 1 month ago (1 children)
[–] TheTechnician27@lemmy.world 15 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (3 children)

Funnily enough, that Unidan copypasta is 100% correct. I don't know why, for as long-winded as it is, though, he doesn't use more taxonomic names to make it precise: jackdaws are in genus Coloeus, and crows and ravens are in genus Corvus, both under family Corvidae. The apes are the primate superfamily Hominoidea*, which Homo sapiens sits under. There, Unidan; that's all you had to say.

* To clarify, not "are in" – are. You are an ape if and only if your species is in this superfamily.

[–] sartalon@lemmy.world 7 points 1 month ago

I thought he was a great contributer. It was disappointing to see it fall apart like that.

[–] Madison420@lemmy.world 5 points 1 month ago

It was never that they were wrong it was that they lost it and harassed someone at length and with alts about birds.

[–] JayGray91@piefed.social 2 points 1 month ago

man, a unidan reference. a simpler time when I was ignorant using reddit.

[–] remon@ani.social 5 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)
[–] sp3ctr4l@lemmy.dbzer0.com 24 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (3 children)

Daddy Longlegs are cute!

They're almost completely harmless to humans, and pets, aside of possibly small rodents.

They kill smaller pests, and can even kill other spiders that actually are dangerous to humans.

But I want the sequel, Mommy StepsAlot.

[–] remon@ani.social 8 points 1 month ago (1 children)

This one is the harvestmen daddy long legs, not the spider one.

[–] sp3ctr4l@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

But harvestman doesn't allie-oop into a sex pun. =(

Wait.

Unless you go into HarvestMoon r34 fanfiction.

... Nope, not going there today, lol.

[–] deepus@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

What do they do to rodents?

[–] sp3ctr4l@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Theoretically, a very small animal, or one that is quite sick and unhealthy, or basically a new born...

They may be small enough and have weak enough skin that a longlegs could actually penetrate the dermis and actually deliver a potentially troubling amount of venom.

IIRC, small rodents are things that a longlegs could potentially deliver an effective bite to... but I am not completely sure where or how exactly to draw the line.

Basically, they have a decent venom, but their fangs are quite bad at penetrating most kinds of skin... they are geared mainly toward hunting other small insects... but its not 100% impossible to harm something a bit bigger.

[–] remon@ani.social 7 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

Basically, they have a decent venom, but their fangs are quite bad at penetrating most kinds of skin…

That is a myth. They (Pholcidae) are absolutely capable of biting humans, their venom however is nothing special.

[–] sp3ctr4l@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Wait, so its inverse of the myth?

Fangs are fine, venom is a joke?

[–] remon@ani.social 6 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Yup.

They even busted that one on the myth-busters (2004, Episode 5).

[–] sp3ctr4l@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 1 month ago

Damn!

I must have forgotten.

Welp, time to rewatch... all of Mythbusters, lol

[–] Codpiece@feddit.uk 18 points 1 month ago (1 children)

That's the best name for them! (We called them grandaddy long legs where I grew up, they were always so cute and ticklish)

[–] Catoblepas@piefed.blahaj.zone 14 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Possibly the original? or at least another widespread name for them is ‘granddaddy longlegs’, which is a very different kink. 🍋🥳

[–] Peppycito@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 month ago
[–] FerretyFever0@fedia.io 11 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Urghhhhhhhhh, so looooonggggg

[–] FerretyFever0@fedia.io 9 points 1 month ago (1 children)
[–] toynbee@lemmy.world 6 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Would moisturizing be an acceptable alternative?

[–] FerretyFever0@fedia.io 4 points 1 month ago

Potentially.

[–] affenlehrer@feddit.org 9 points 1 month ago (3 children)

We call them "Schneider" (tailor) in Germany. Or at least some creature looking similar to this one.

[–] DonPiano@feddit.org 9 points 1 month ago

Another name: Weberknechte, weaver's servant/slave/minion (think a person who lives and works and belongs/'belongs' to a farm)

[–] haerrii@feddit.org 7 points 1 month ago (2 children)

That took me down the rabbithole of Wikipedia, cause I could swear that Schneiders were big flying insects in my childhood. Turns out there is a whole bunch of confusion in naming going on, and not just in german. Daddy long legs (I guess what the meme plays on) can be an arachnid or an insect depending on whom you ask

[–] banause@feddit.org 2 points 1 month ago

The one with the wings is clearly a "Häbbergas".

[–] affenlehrer@feddit.org 2 points 1 month ago

Ah, right... I forgot the flying things. Yes, for some reason they're also called Schneider

[–] 1stQ@feddit.org 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Never heard anyone calling that a Schneider in northern Germany. It's popularly called Oma Langbein (or the official term Weberknecht) in my area. Though Wikipedia doesn't know the Oma, only Opa.

[–] affenlehrer@feddit.org 3 points 1 month ago

I live in the Niederrhein region and never heard the Oma/Opa Langbein term before :)

[–] hakase@lemmy.zip 8 points 1 month ago

It's a good name in my humble opilion

[–] Zerush@lemmy.ml 4 points 1 month ago

These arachnits are more pathetic than creepy. Sometimes also called Master 7 legs, because they are very fragil creatures and often lose one or more legs. Anyway, as almost all spiders useful creatures.