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

Science Memes

16561 readers
3307 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 week 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 week ago (2 children)
[–] Deebster@infosec.pub 5 points 1 week 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.

[–] xorollo@leminal.space 2 points 1 week ago

Skeeter eater!

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

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

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

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

[–] remon@ani.social 5 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)
[–] xorollo@leminal.space 3 points 1 week ago

Obvs that's a skeeter eater, not a daddy longlegs. Plant is pretty.

[–] sp3ctr4l@lemmy.dbzer0.com 24 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week 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 7 points 1 week ago (1 children)

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

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

What do they do to rodents?

[–] sp3ctr4l@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 1 week 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 6 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week 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 5 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Wait, so its inverse of the myth?

Fangs are fine, venom is a joke?

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

Yup.

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

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

Damn!

I must have forgotten.

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

[–] Codpiece@feddit.uk 18 points 1 week 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 16 points 1 week ago (1 children)

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

I get it, but scientists don't come up with common names. The name scientists came up with for them is Opiliones.

[–] FerretyFever0@fedia.io 13 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Urghhhhhhhhh, so looooonggggg

[–] FerretyFever0@fedia.io 11 points 1 week ago (1 children)
[–] toynbee@lemmy.world 6 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Would moisturizing be an acceptable alternative?

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

Potentially.

[–] hakase@lemmy.zip 11 points 1 week ago

It's a good name in my humble opilion

[–] affenlehrer@feddit.org 9 points 1 week 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 week 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 week 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

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

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

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

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

[–] 1stQ@feddit.org 1 points 1 week 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 week ago

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

[–] Zerush@lemmy.ml 4 points 1 week 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.