In the animal world, a lost limb usually results in death. Whether it’s a loss of blood or being caught by a predator, death is more than likely. The world of insects, however, tells another story. Most insects can live with a missing leg or two. Take the Pholcus phalangioides for example. Commonly known as the “daddy long-legs”, it is one of the many spiders in the world and is characterized by 8 thin, long legs which are tipped with small claw-like extensions attached to its miniscule torso. When attacked, the daddy long-legs has the ability to detach any of its legs to escape, much like a gecko. The leg continues to twitch and writhe to distract the predator while the daddy long-legs makes a quick escape.
Most insects can even learn to move at the same speed as when it had all of its limbs. Of course, this change is not immediate, as it will take time in order to learn the new method of movement. A video by “Deep Look” on Youtube shows this phenomenone for those who are interested.