What Do Daddy Long Legs Turn into?

It is familiar to us in its adult form as the gangly insect that flits around our homes in summer. As a larva, it is a grey grub (also known as a 'leatherjacket') that lives underground, feeding on plants stems and roots.

What are Daddy Long Legs Good For?

Daddy-longlegs are generally beneficial. They have a very broad diet that includes spiders and insects, including plant pests such as aphids. Daddy-longlegs also scavenge for dead insects and will eat bird droppings.

Can Daddy Long Legs evolve?

An evolution based on recycling genes

The researchers found that the daddy longlegs, also known as harvestmen, evolved their special legs not through a genetic secret ingredient but by reusing parts of the same genetic recipe found in other arthropods, such as genes that affect tarsomeres — subsegments of the leg.