News Animals

Daddy longlegs look like they have two eyes. That doesn’t count the hidden ones

Two sets of vestigial eyes shed light on the arachnids’ evolutionary history

A macroscopic image of a daddy longlegs spider. Two eyes in the front of the head are clearly visible.

Despite its two-eyed appearance, Phalangium opilio has six peepers. The four extra eyes — leftovers of evolution — shed light on the evolutionary history of daddy longlegs.

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By McKenzie Prillaman

A species of daddy longlegs has been hiding four extra eyes.