> What I Found Out Today: After posting this, I was curious as to why do daddy long legs pile up like they did in the video (and this video). If their legs weren’t splayed about for some insane, mass spider cult orgy, it certainly wasn’t for comfort. So what gives, papi?
Surprisingly, Wikipedia had nothing on the daddy-clustering behavior (and I’ve still yet to come up with a good play on words). However, I did find this page referring to their tendency to “cluster” or pile up in the Autumn season:
In the fall, (Daddy-longlegs) can become a nuisance when they congregate in large clusters on trees and homes, usually around eves and windows. Additionally they can be found in damp crawl spaces, unfinished basements, and garages.
The “Harvestmen” version of the Daddy Long-legs (the ones in the videos) don’t have the ability to spin webs, instead they’re known to congregate, cluster, or clump together when it’s cold. The increased temperature helps them to stay warm and retain moisture during colder weather.
Another less-likely theory floating around is that since they’re not poisonous or can’t bite, they reply on one another for for protection against predators; they pile up for safety in numbers. Daddy support group, or less chance I die if I’m with 300 others.
Both make a lot of sense to me because have you seen their legs? Those hair-like legs are definitely not insulated for heat and they’re certainly not an asset in winning any battles of any kind.
