What are these spiders?

[powyco]

My house, which is in the country, is overrun with spiders. I don't mind them, but they are a sort I've never seen before, tiny little bodies and very long thin legs which look very fragile. Has anyone any idea what variety they are, or can anyone give me information about them ? I can't find them in Google images.

[what..the?]

I think I may have the same visitors, are they very clear/pale in colour. My walls are very pale in colour so these guys are hard to spot. They seem to love walls and do not mind walking round in daylight.

If yours are dark in colour but you have dark walls do you think they might be the same but adapt to their surroundings (change colour) anyone know if spiders can do that??

[chijiki]

Is it a Cellar Spider?

Image here:
http://entomology.unl.edu/images/spiders/pholc us.jpg

[heathfield]

I wonder if it's this one

[what..the?]

Yeah I think thats the one I know the name daddy longlegs but not cellar spider but they are the same. The daddy longlegs I know are usually huge - size of your hand so these must be babbies - young adult.

Thanks,

Hope that answers your question also powyco

[tinkertontom]

they are probably harvest spiders that usually appear at this time of year and are quite harmless

[powyco]

Thanks for suggestions, everyone. It was good of you to give me the references to the photos, but they are not my spider. The bodies here are much smaller and the legs spindlier. The adults seem to grow to about 4cm from leg end to opposite leg end, the babies are so tiny you can hardly see them. The whole body is virtually colourless. They do indeed appear during the day, and are often in pairs. i have never seen them before in this house, so wonder if the heatwave has anything to do with it. I can't say what colour they are, as the body is so small and the legs so fragile.

[Nemesis9]

Sounds like a type of 'Harvestman' spider.
Do a google search for more pictures or take a look at the bottom picture in the link.
The first few pictures are a bit horrific!

http://www.geocities.com/jarmoholopainen/Spide rs.html

[Ed Strong]

powyco, I know exactly what you mean and I don't think the pictures shown are the ones. I had 2 in the bathroom, next day 3 and so on until there were 6 in different stages of size! I thought enough's enough and caught them and put them out of the window (2 floors up). I have never seen them before this year and they are definitely not the daddy-longlegs I know (round greyish body). Only the other day another one surfaced in my spare bedroom, but obviously word has spread and he has gone into hiding!

[Ed Strong]

PS. They are almost 'ghost-like' in appearance.

[powyco]

Ed, I know just what you mean by 'ghostlike'. I've searched Google, and spent ages looking at pictures of British spiders, but can't find anything which really looks like them.
Good job I'm not one of these women with arachnophobia!
There's something a bit pathetic about these critters, probably because they look so fragile. Annyway, thanks to everyone for suggestions.