dead spider identification fun ;)

[schnautzr]

"Rob!" comes the call from Mom. I'm getting used to it. She's not happy I've taken up spider breeding, but she can now count on me to save her from the harmless beasts.

She holds up a jar. "Oh, you caught one this time!" I shout, seeing it.

She hands me a jar Grandma brought that has a dead spider in it. The spider probably wasn't an intended gift from Grandma...

This guy came from the middle of the woods in Perry county, TN. It's an area where the trees are so tall and dense, nothing on the ground lives as far as plants are concerned. The roads are dirt and civilization is an hour away.

So...what is this? (Sorry it's shriveled and dead!)

 

[syndicate]

Was this found inside a house or in the forest?If inside a home I would say its definitely a Pholcus species most likely Pholcus phalangioides.
-Chris

 

[schnautzr]

I smacked my forehead on this one as I noticed the common name was "daddy longlegs", then realized I didn't need to do that-- what I'm familiar with around here is a type of harvestman (colloquially called a "daddy longlegs" around here).

And yes, it would have been in the home. The capture was entirely unintentional, and so was the transport from TN to IN.

 

[hassman789]

where i live i see lots of this one type of bug and everyone i know, including me calls them daddy long legs. but they dont look like this. they have long legs and only one body part, they look like this http://www.jimstonefreelance.com/photos/daddy long legs.jpg

so what is this that i have been calling a daddy long legs? is it not a daddy long legs? or is daddy long legs just a common name for many spiders? im confused.

P.S. that is not my picture

 

[schnautzr]

Hassman, that's a harvestman. That's exactly what I mean when I say "daddy long-legs". It's an informal name that gets applied by laymen (non-arachnologists, that is) to spiders with really long legs.

 

[Crysta]

Hassman, that's a harvestman. That's exactly what I mean when I say "daddy long-legs". It's an informal name that gets applied by laymen (non-arachnologists, that is) to spiders with really long legs.

here is one of the most amazing pictures of harvestmen i've seen.
http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs38/f/2008/336/6/1/Harvestman_eating_Mushroom_by_melvynyeo.jpg

 

[hassman789]

here is one of the most amazing pictures of harvestmen i've seen.
http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs38/f/2008/336/6/1/Harvestman_eating_Mushroom_by_melvynyeo.jpg

thats so cool. do they eat stuff like that? I love playing with them

 

[Crysta]

yep, he's eating it in that picture right now (i do not mean the spider in the first post.)

 

[Moltar]

Not a harvestman. It's a Pholcid like Syndicate said. Also know as "cellar spiders". They're a great species to let live (at least in limited amounts) because they eat pretty much everything. If you have these in your garage you won't have a problem with widows, wolf spiders, recluses, crickets, stray chihuahua's, or kittens.

 

[schnautzr]

Not a harvestman. It's a Pholcid like Syndicate said. Also know as "cellar spiders". They're a great species to let live (at least in limited amounts) because they eat pretty much everything. If you have these in your garage you won't have a problem with widows, wolf spiders, recluses, crickets, stray chihuahua's, or kittens.

We were referring to the photo Hassman posted, actually...I agree. The photos I posted are pholcids, but Hassman's is a harvestman. Sorry for the confusion!