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 Álvarez-Padilla, 2007 – Argentina, Chile Antillognatha Bryant, 1945 – Hispaniola Atelidea Simon, 1895 – India, Sri Lanka Azilia Keyserling, 1881 – Central America to Peru Chrysometa Simon, 1894 – North America, South America Cyrtognatha Keyserling, 1881 – North America, South America Dianleucauge Song & Zhu, 1994 – China Diphya Nicolet, 1849 – Madagascar, South Africa, Eastern Asia, Russia, South America Dolichognatha O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1869 – Africa, Asia, Cuba, North to South America, Ocenia Doryonychus Simon, 1900 – Hawaii Dyschiriognatha Simon, 1893 – Brazil, Malaysia, Oceania Glenognatha Simon, 1887 – Africa, Asia, North America, South America, French Polynesia, Marquesas Islands. Introduced to Seychelles, St. Helena, Brazil, Ecuador, Galapagos Harlanethis Álvarez-Padilla, Kallal & Hormiga, 2020 – Australia Hispanognatha Bryant, 1945 – Hispaniola Homalometa Simon, 1898 – Cuba, Costa Rica, Panama, Mexico, Brazil, Lesser Antilles Iamarra Álvarez-Padilla, Kallal & Hormiga, 2020 – Australia Leucauge White, 1841 – Africa, Asia, Oceania, Americas Leucognatha Wunderlich, 1992 – Kenya, Tanzania, Azores Mesida Kulczyński, 1911 – Asia, Oceania Meta C. L. Koch, 1835 – North Africa, Tanzania, South Africa, Asia, Australia, Madeira, Russia, Cuba, North America Metabus O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1899 – Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Mexico Metellina Chamberlin & Ivie, 1941 –Africa, Europe, Asia. Introduced to Canada Metleucauge Levi, 1980 – Asia, Russia, United States Mitoscelis Thorell, 1890 – Indonesia Mollemeta Álvarez-Padilla, 2007 – Chile Nanningia Zhu, Kim & Song, 1997 – China Nanometa Simon, 1908 – Australia, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand Neoprolochus Reimoser, 1927 – Indonesia Okileucauge Tanikawa, 2001 – China, Japan Orsinome Thorell, 1890 – Asia, New Guinea Pachygnatha Sundevall, 1823 – Africa, Asia, Europe, Cuba, North America Parameta Simon, 1895 – Sierra Leone Parazilia Lessert, 1938 – DR Congo Pholcipes Schmidt & Krause, 1993 – Comoros Pickardinella Archer, 1951 – Mexico Pinkfloydia Hormiga & Dimitrov, 2011 – Australia Schenkeliella Strand, 1934 – Sri Lanka Taraire Álvarez-Padilla, Kallal & Hormiga, 2020 – New Zealand Tawhai Álvarez-Padilla, Kallal & Hormiga, 2020 – New Zealand Tetragnatha Latreille, 1804 – Worldwide Timonoe Thorell, 1898 – Myanmar Tylorida Simon, 1894 – West Africa, Asia to Australia Wolongia Zhu, Kim & Song, 1997 – China, India Zhinu Kallal & Hormiga, 2018 – Japan, Korea, Taiwan Zygiometella Wunderlich, 1995 – Israel, Cyprus
Fossil genera Several extinct, fossil genera have been described:
†Anameta Wunderlich, 2004 (Palaeogene, Bitterfield and Baltic amber) †Balticgnatha Wunderlich, 2004 (Palaeogene, Baltic amber) †Corneometa Wunderlich, 2004 (Palaeogene, Baltic amber) †Eometa Petrunkevitch, 1958 (Palaeogene, Baltic amber) †Huergnina Selden & Penney, 2003 (Cretaceous, Las Hoyas, Spain) †Macryphantes Selden, 1990 (Cretaceous) †Palaeometa Petrunkevitch, 1922 (Palaeogene, Florissant) †Palaeopachygnatha Petrunkevitch, 1922 (Palaeogene, Florissant) †Priscometa Petrunkevitch, 1958 (Palaeogene, Baltic amber) †Samlandicmeta Wunderlich, 2012 (Palaeogene, Baltic amber)
Formerly placed here Deliochus Simon, 1894 – now in Araneidae Eryciniolia Strand, 1912 – now a synonym of Nanometa Menosira Chikuni, 1955 – now a synonym of Metellina Nediphya Marusik & Omelko, 2017 – now a synonym of Nanometa Phonognatha Simon, 1894 – now in Araneidae Prolochus Thorell, 1895 – 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)