Long-jawed orb weaver

Long-jawed orb weavers or long jawed spiders (Tetragnathidae) are a family of araneomorph spiders first described by Anton Menge in 1866. They have elongated bodies, legs, and chelicerae, and build small orb webs with an open hub with few, wide-set radii and spirals with no signal line or retreat. Some species are often found in long vegetation near water.

Systematics

, this family includes 45 genera and 990 species:

• Allende <small>Álvarez-Padilla, 2007</small> – Argentina, Chile
• Antillognatha <small>Bryant, 1945</small> – Hispaniola
• Atelidea <small>Simon, 1895</small> – India, Sri Lanka
• Azilia <small>Keyserling, 1881</small> – Central America to Peru
• Chrysometa <small>Simon, 1894</small> – North America, South America
• Cyrtognatha <small>Keyserling, 1881</small> – North America, South America
• Dianleucauge <small>Song & Zhu, 1994</small> – China
• Diphya <small>Nicolet, 1849</small> – Madagascar, South Africa, Eastern Asia, Russia, South America
• Dolichognatha <small>O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1869</small> – Africa, Asia, Cuba, North to South America, Ocenia
• Doryonychus <small>Simon, 1900</small> – Hawaii
• Dyschiriognatha <small>Simon, 1893</small> – Brazil, Malaysia, Oceania
• Glenognatha <small>Simon, 1887</small> – Africa, Asia, North America, South America, French Polynesia, Marquesas Islands. Introduced to Seychelles, St. Helena, Brazil, Ecuador, Galapagos
• Harlanethis <small>Álvarez-Padilla, Kallal & , 2020</small> – Australia
• Hispanognatha <small>Bryant, 1945</small> – Hispaniola
• Homalometa <small>Simon, 1898</small> – Cuba, Costa Rica, Panama, Mexico, Brazil, Lesser Antilles
• Iamarra <small>Álvarez-Padilla, Kallal & Hormiga, 2020</small> – Australia
• Leucauge <small>White, 1841</small> – Africa, Asia, Oceania, Americas
• Leucognatha <small>Wunderlich, 1992</small> – Kenya, Tanzania, Azores
• Mesida <small>Kulczyński, 1911</small> – Asia, Oceania
• Meta <small>C. L. Koch, 1835</small> – North Africa, Tanzania, South Africa, Asia, Australia, Madeira, Russia, Cuba, North America
• Metabus <small>O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1899</small> – Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Mexico
• Metellina <small>Chamberlin & Ivie, 1941</small> –Africa, Europe, Asia. Introduced to Canada
• Metleucauge <small>Levi, 1980</small> – Asia, Russia, United States
• Mitoscelis <small>Thorell, 1890</small> – Indonesia
• Mollemeta <small>Álvarez-Padilla, 2007</small> – Chile
• Nanningia <small>Zhu, Kim & Song, 1997</small> – China
• Nanometa <small>Simon, 1908</small> – Australia, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand
• Neoprolochus <small>Reimoser, 1927</small> – Indonesia
• Okileucauge <small>, 2001</small> – China, Japan
• Orsinome <small>Thorell, 1890</small> – Asia, New Guinea
• Pachygnatha <small>Sundevall, 1823</small> – Africa, Asia, Europe, Cuba, North America
• Parameta <small>Simon, 1895</small> – Sierra Leone
• Parazilia <small>Lessert, 1938</small> – DR Congo
• Pholcipes <small>Schmidt & Krause, 1993</small> – Comoros
• Pickardinella <small>Archer, 1951</small> – Mexico
• Pinkfloydia <small>Hormiga & Dimitrov, 2011</small> – Australia
• Schenkeliella <small>Strand, 1934</small> – Sri Lanka
• Taraire <small>Álvarez-Padilla, Kallal & Hormiga, 2020</small> – New Zealand
• Tawhai <small>Álvarez-Padilla, Kallal & Hormiga, 2020</small> – New Zealand
• Tetragnatha <small>Latreille, 1804</small> – Worldwide
• Timonoe <small>Thorell, 1898</small> – Myanmar
• Tylorida <small>Simon, 1894</small> – West Africa, Asia to Australia
• Wolongia <small>Zhu, Kim & Song, 1997</small> – China, India
• Zhinu <small>Kallal & Hormiga, 2018</small> – Japan, Korea, Taiwan
• Zygiometella <small>Wunderlich, 1995</small> – Israel, Cyprus

Fossil genera

Several extinct, fossil genera have been described:

• †Anameta <small>Wunderlich, 2004</small> (Palaeogene, Bitterfield and Baltic amber)
• †Balticgnatha <small>Wunderlich, 2004</small> (Palaeogene, Baltic amber)
• †Corneometa <small>Wunderlich, 2004</small> (Palaeogene, Baltic amber)
• †Eometa <small>Petrunkevitch, 1958</small> (Palaeogene, Baltic amber)
• †Huergnina <small>Selden & Penney, 2003</small> (Cretaceous, Las Hoyas, Spain)
• †Macryphantes <small>Selden, 1990</small> (Cretaceous)
• †Palaeometa <small>Petrunkevitch, 1922</small> (Palaeogene, Florissant)
• †Palaeopachygnatha <small>Petrunkevitch, 1922</small> (Palaeogene, Florissant)
• †Priscometa <small>Petrunkevitch, 1958</small> (Palaeogene, Baltic amber)
• †Samlandicmeta <small>Wunderlich, 2012</small> (Palaeogene, Baltic amber)

Formerly placed here

• Deliochus <small>Simon, 1894</small> – now in Araneidae
• Eryciniolia <small>Strand, 1912</small> – now a synonym of Nanometa
• Menosira <small>Chikuni, 1955</small> – now a synonym of Metellina
• Nediphya <small>Marusik & Omelko, 2017</small> – now a synonym of Nanometa
• Phonognatha <small>Simon, 1894</small> – now in Araneidae
• Prolochus <small>Thorell, 1895</small> – see Dolichognatha

See also

A few common spiders in this family include:

• Leucauge mariana
• Leucauge argyra
• Leucauge venusta

References

• Chickering, A.M. (1963). The Male of Mecynometa globosa (O. P.-Cambridge) (Araneae, Argiopidae). Psyche 70:180–183. PDF

External links

• Tree of Life Tetragnathidae
• Tatragnatha sp. Large format diagnostic photographs and information
• Reference Photos: Tetragnatha laboriosa
• Venusta Orchard Spider - Family Tetragnathidae
• Pictures of Tetragnatha sp. (free for noncommercial use)