Daddy Long-Legs Spider

by Jonathan Leeming

There is a myth regarding the Daddy Long-Legs Spider which has existed for a long time. No one actually knows where the myth originates from, however even today it is often presented as fact in popular media.

Daddy Long-Legs Spiders are the most venomous spider in the world, but their fangs are too small to bite into human skin!

There are no known bites from Daddy Long-Legs Spiders from anywhere in the world, so their toxicity of their venom remains unproven. They do have very short fangs which are characterised by a secondary tooth which prevents the fangs from being embedded deep into tissue. Many spiders have short fangs, so the fang size is not specific to this spider. Its thought that Daddy Long-Legs SpIders are very similar to Violin Spiders which may have accounted for the mixup. However, even Violin Spiders are not the most venomous spider in the world either.

This myth has perpetuated out of pure ignorance that people have towards spiders. It's one of those little facts that almost everyone knows but no one questions.

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