Thread: New immigrants in EU - giant spiders specie invades us

In Europe an unknown specie of 7 - 8 inches big spiders is spreading from Netherlands throughout the continent (now detected in Switzerland, Germany and Austria). They are very social and create large groups of up to many hundreds individuals. People encountering them are frightened and even arachno-specialists do not know what place on Earth are they from. Fortunately they are not poisonous but even scientists are frightened when looking at their groups.

Unfortunately German link only:
http://www.spiegel.de/wissenschaft/natu ... 71,00.html

(Please can anyone explain me how to translate this with the help of google?)

Daddy Long Legs!!! Grew up in the Midwest and live in the Southeast...have had these little spiders around my whole life They are harmless. Used to keep them in pickle jars as a kid...with holes punched in the lid with a nail, of course.

You could probably use a google translation for the page.

FYI...those are not spiders. It is of the order Opililones and the family Phalangiidae. I think another name for it is Harvestmen. As a kid we called them Daddy Long Legs or Grandaddy Long Legs. But I did grow up in Mark Twain country

Hi ArticleIV,

so I understand this and similar species are common in the south-west of the USA.

Yet they are a total surprise in Europe and I find it scary .