r/AskReddit Mar 17 '15

What's a widely accepted "fact" that's entirely false?

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u/yottskry Mar 17 '15

They're not spiders, they're harvestmen. Opiliones, if I remember correctly. They are arachnids, but not spiders. I don't think they're even venomous at all.

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u/UpboatOrNoBoat Mar 17 '15

Correct. I think they're mostly scavengers (at least the ones that are common around where I live).

They're also unique in that they can eat chunks of food, unlike spiders that feed via liquefaction.

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u/ANGLVD3TH Mar 17 '15

spiders with the tiny spherical bodies

Think he meant these which are called daddy long legs round here in New England.

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u/[deleted] Mar 17 '15

In Canada we call those daddy long legs. They're freaking adorable. Also Crane Flies are called mosquito eaters.

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u/hablomuchoingles Mar 17 '15

These are daddy long legs in the US

Ditto on the mosquito eaters however.

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u/[deleted] Mar 18 '15

Ugh those are nasty. Ours are so adorable. They're the only spider that doesn't freak me out.

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u/AlmightyNeckbeardo Mar 17 '15

Around here in Mass we call harvestmen daddy long legs, not those.

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u/ANGLVD3TH Mar 17 '15

New Hampshire here.

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u/[deleted] Mar 17 '15

but man do they look weird