| Phalangid and Penis |
| What's
so interesting about this Daddy Longleg (pictured right) is not the
long legs but rather 'something' in between! Yes, males have penis for transfering sperm! Fertilization is direct. This Daddy Longleg is a Phalangid which though spider-like in appearance, is not a true spider (Order Araneida). It belongs to a related order called Phalangida. Besides having no penis, spiders have their body plan seperated into two distinct parts - namely, the cephalothorax and the abdomen. Phalangids have, on the other hand, a single bullet-like body unit whose head, thorax and abdomen are fused together as one. That is why the name Phalangid (Phalanx - meaning one solid body); the root word |
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See another species of Phalangid in Singapore here.