Daddy long legs, also known as harvestmen, are a group of arachnids that get their name from their exceptionally long legs compared to their body size. They are found all over the world and are adapted to a variety of habitats. An interesting question regarding their reproductive behavior is whether daddy long legs carry their babies or not. In this article, we will explore the answer to this question and look at the evidence.
Quick Answer
The quick answer is no, daddy long legs do not carry their babies. After mating, the female lays the fertilized eggs and the male does not provide any parental care. The eggs are simply left to develop and hatch on their own without any transport or protection by the parents.
Do Female Daddy Long Legs Carry Eggs?
Female daddy long legs do not carry their eggs after laying them. Instead, the females deposit the eggs in a suitable location, usually in the soil or in crevices, and leave them to develop. The eggs are enclosed in a protective sac which shields them from the environment. Here are some more details:
- Females lay between 20 to 200 eggs depending on the species
- Eggs take between 20 to 60 days to hatch depending on temperature
- Females provide no parental care to the eggs after laying them
- Eggs are susceptible to predation from ants, mites, and other creatures
- Hatchlings emerge self-sufficient and instantly independent
So in summary, while the female daddy long legs carries the eggs internally before laying them, she does not transport them externally after depositing them. The eggs are simply left to hatch on their own.
Do Male Daddy Long Legs Carry Eggs or Babies?
Male daddy long legs also do not carry eggs or babies. The males have no involvement with the eggs at all. After reproducing, the males do not remain with the female or provide any paternal care. Some key points about male daddy long legs behavior:
- Males leave immediately after mating and fertilizing the female
- Males do not guard the female or the nest/egg site
- Males play no role in depositing, caring, or protecting the eggs
- Male daddy long legs provide no parental care to eggs or hatchlings
Therefore, male daddy long legs have no physical contact with the eggs or newly hatched offspring. Their reproductive role ends after mating. This lack of paternal care is typical for most arachnid species including spiders.
Development and Hatching of Daddy Long Legs Eggs
Let’s take a closer look at how the daddy long legs eggs develop without any parental supervision or transport:
- Eggs are cream colored spheres approximately 0.5 mm in diameter
- Initially the embryo develops inside the egg sac which provides protection
- After 20-60 days the hatchlings emerge from the egg sac
- Hatchlings resemble miniature adults but are wingless and pale white
- Molting occurs frequently as the juveniles grow and develop
- High mortality occurs at egg and early juvenile stages
Remarkably, daddy long legs hatchlings emerge from the egg fully formed and ready to survive independently without any post-hatching care. They immediately disperse to find food and avoid predators. This demonstrates how the eggs contain all the necessary provisions for development without parental assistance.
Why Don’t Daddy Long Legs Carry Eggs or Babies?
Not carrying eggs or babies after laying/birth allows daddy long legs to reproduce quickly and in high quantities. If they had to carry or protect the eggs, reproduction would be slower and more limited. Some key advantages of not providing parental care include:
- Females can lay eggs in multiple locations, spreading reproductive success
- More time and energy available to focus on feeding and self-preservation
- No need to return to the same egg site which may be difficult to locate or dangerous
- High egg numbers hedge bets against infant mortality
Therefore, while the lack of care may seem harsh, it is an effective reproductive strategy for daddy long legs species. They rely on quantity over quality when it comes to investing in offspring.
Comparison to Other Arachnids
It’s useful to compare the parental behavior of daddy long legs with other arachnids. Here are some key differences and similarities:
| Species | Carries Eggs/Babies? |
|---|---|
| Daddy long legs | No |
| Spiders | No |
| Scorpions | Yes |
| Mites | No |
| Ticks | No |
As we can see, daddy long legs share the lack of parental care with most other arachnids including spiders and mites. An exception are scorpions where the female carries the eggs and even newly hatched young on her back until the first molt.
Why Do Scorpions Carry Offspring But Not Daddy Long Legs?
Scorpions have evolved more intensive maternal care of eggs and babies for the following reasons:
- Scorpion eggs take much longer to hatch (4-12 months) so the female must protect them
- The young are also relatively immobile and vulnerable after hatching
- Carrying the eggs and babies allows the female to regularly moisten them
- It enables safe transport to better environments
In contrast, daddy long legs eggs hatch quickly in 20-60 days. The nimble hatchlings are also immediately mobile and self-sufficient. So carrying eggs or babies would not confer the same benefits as it does for scorpions. The lack of post-hatching care allows daddy long legs to reproduce rapidly and abundantly.
Maternal Care in Other Animal Species
For an interesting comparison, let’s take a brief look at parental egg and baby carrying behavior in some other animals besides arachnids:
Insects
- Earwigs – Females carry eggs in a brood pouch and care for young after hatching
- Giant water bugs – Females carry eggs on their backs, no care after hatching
- Assassin bugs – Females lay eggs in batches then guard them, no transport
Fish
- Seahorses – Males carry eggs and babies in a brood pouch
- Catfish – Mouthbrooding of eggs by females
- Cichlids – Transport of eggs/fry in mouth by both parents
Amphibians
- Tree frogs – Males carry eggs embedded in skin on back
- Caecilians – Females incubate eggs internally then birth live young
- Salamanders – No transport but stand guard over eggs
This highlights the wide variety of parental care strategies seen in the animal kingdom. Daddy long legs represent a “hands off” approach compared to carriage by seahorses or mouthbrooding in catfish.
Conclusion
In summary, daddy long legs definitely do not carry their eggs or babies. The female deposits her eggs then abandons them. Upon hatching the offspring immediately disperse and fend for themselves with no post-hatching maternal care. This allows daddy long legs to reproduce efficiently and abundantly. The lack of egg/baby carriage behavior contrasts with examples like scorpions and earwigs who have evolved more intensive parental care. However, it is shared with many arachnids as well as insects, fish, and amphibians who also do not actively transport their eggs or babies. Ultimately for daddy long legs, not carrying eggs or babies is an effective reproductive strategy despite the harshness of leaving their offspring to hatch and survive independently.
