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

• Large format diagnostic photographs and information

• Reference Photos:

• Venusta Orchard Spider - Family Tetragnathidae

• Pictures of (free for noncommercial use)