Daddy Longlegs | Arachnid - Britannica

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Physical characteristics

Daddy longlegs
Daddy longlegsMembers of the order Opiliones are known as daddy longlegs, or harvestmen.(more)

The body of a daddy longlegs is spherical or ovoid in shape. Its length can range from about 0.6 to 23 mm (0.02 to 0.9 inch), though the bodies of most species are between 3 and 7 mm (0.12 and 0.28 inch). The legs are typically several times as long as the body. Some of the longest legs—in excess of 15 cm (5.9 inches)—are found on certain species in the suborders Eupnoi and Laniatores. Of the four pairs of walking legs, the second pair may be specially adapted for sensory functions. The slender legs break off easily and are sometimes sacrificed in a phenomenon known as leg autotomy, which may be used to escape a predator’s grasp. The lost limb cannot be regenerated, as it can in certain insects and spiders.

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Daddy longlegs typically have two eyes located on a central knob on the front of the body. Some species, however, such as certain members of the suborder Cyphophthalmi, lack eyes or have eyes positioned laterally on the cephalothorax. Extinct Tetrophthalmi possessed four eyes. Daddy longlegs also have scent glands, located near the front of the body. In many species, the glands secrete a foul-smelling fluid through openings known as ozopores. The secretions may serve as a form of defense for certain species. Among predatory species of daddy longlegs, the pedipalps (second pair of appendages on the body) may be modified for grasping.

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