The long-jawed orb weavers or long jawed spiders (family Tetragnathidae) are elongated spider

Spider

Spiders are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, and chelicerae with fangs that inject venom. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species diversity among all other groups of organisms...

s with long legs and chelicerae

Chelicerae

The chelicerae are mouthparts of the Chelicerata, an arthropod subphylum that includes arachnids, Merostomata , and Pycnogonida . Chelicerae are pointed appendages which are used to grasp food, and are found in place of the chewing mandibles most other arthropods have...

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The spiders are orb web weavers, weaving small orb webs with an open hub and few, wide-set radii and spirals. The web

Spider web

A spider web, spiderweb, spider's web or cobweb is a device built by a spider out of proteinaceous spider silk extruded from its spinnerets....

s have no signal line and no retreat. Some species are often found in long vegetation

Vegetation

Vegetation is a general term for the plant life of a region; it refers to the ground cover provided by plants. It is a general term, without specific reference to particular taxa, life forms, structure, spatial extent, or any other specific botanical or geographic characteristics. It is broader...

 near water.

The genus Nephila, or golden silk orb-weaver

Golden silk orb-weaver

The golden silk orb-weavers are a genus of araneomorph spiders noted for the impressive webs they weave. Nephila consists of numerous individual species found around the world. They are also commonly called golden orb-weavers, giant wood spiders, or banana spiders...

s, named after the golden tint of their silk

Spider silk

Spider silk is a protein fiber spun by spiders. Spiders use their silk to make webs or other structures, which function as nets to catch other animals, or as nests or cocoons for protection for their offspring...

, has been separated into its own family, Nephilidae

Nephilidae

The Nephilidae are a spider family with 75 described species in four genera. They were formerly grouped in the families Araneidae and Tetragnathidae. The genus Singafrotypa was moved to Araneidae in 2002.All nephilid genera partially renew their webs....

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Systematics

The categorization into subfamilies follows Joel Hallan's Biology Catalog.

• Leucauginae
• Azilia Keyserling, 1881
• Dianleucauge Song & Zhu, 1994
• Eryciniolia Strand, 1912
• Leucauge
  Leucauge
  Leucauge is a spider genus with pantropical distribution.The body and leg shapes and the silver, black and yellow markings of Leucauge females make identification of the genus relatively easy. They have two rows of long, slender curved hairs on the femurs of the fourth leg...
  
  White, 1841
• Mecynometa Simon, 1894
• Memoratrix Petrunkevitch, 1942 † (fossil, oligocene
  Oligocene
  The Oligocene is a geologic epoch of the Paleogene Period and extends from about 34 million to 23 million years before the present . As with other older geologic periods, the rock beds that define the period are well identified but the exact dates of the start and end of the period are slightly...
  
  )
• Mesida Kulczyn'ski, 1911
• Nanometa Simon, 1908
• Okileucauge Tanikawa, 2001
• Opadometa Archer, 1951
• Pickardinella Archer, 1951
• Tylorida Simon, 1894

• Metinae
• Atelidea Simon, 1895
• Atimiosa Simon, 1895
• Chrysometa Simon, 1894
• Diphya Nicolet, 1849
• Dolichognatha
  Dolichognatha
  Dolichognatha is a widespread genus of tropical and subtropical spiders.-Species:*Dolichognatha aethiopica Tullgren, 1910 – East Africa*Dolichognatha albida – Sri Lanka, Thailand*Dolichognatha baforti – Congo...
  
  O. P.-Cambridge, 1869
• Homalometa Simon, 1897
• Meta
  Meta (spider)
  Meta is a spider genus that occurs worldwide.-Species:* Meta abdomenalis Patel & Reddy, 1993 * Meta aerea Hogg, 1896 * Meta aurora Simon, 1901 * Meta barreti Kulczyn'ski, 1899...
  
  C. L. Koch, 1836
• Metabus O. P.-Cambridge, 1899
• Metargyra F. O. P.-Cambridge, 1903
• Metellina
  Metellina
  Metellina is a genus of tetragnathid spiders that occurs mostly in Eurasia, with two species found in North America. M. segmentata was introduced to Canada.Some researchers consider this genus to belong to a distinct family, the Metidae.M...
  
  Chamberlin & Ivie, 1941
• Metleucauge Levi, 1980
• Nanningia Zhu, Kim & Song, 1997
• Parameta Simon, 1895
• Schenkeliella Strand, 1934
• Zygiometella Wunderlich, 1995

• Tetragnathinae Menge, 1866
• Agriognatha O. P.-Cambridge, 1896
• Antillognatha Bryant, 1945
• Cyrtognatha Keyserling, 1881
• Doryonychus Simon, 1900
• Dyschiriognatha Simon, 1893
• Glenognatha Simon, 1887
• Hispanognatha Bryant, 1945
• Mimicosa Petrunkevitch, 1925
• Mitoscelis Thorell, 1890
• Pachygnatha
  Pachygnatha
  Pachygnatha is a spider genus in the family Tetragnathidae.-Species:* Pachygnatha africana Strand, 1906 — Ethiopia* Pachygnatha amurensis Strand, 1907 — Russia* Pachygnatha atromarginata Bosmans & Bosselaers, 1994 — Cameroon...
  
  Sundevall, 1823
• Prionolaema Simon, 1894
• Tetragnatha
  Tetragnatha
  Tetragnatha is a genus of spiders containing hundreds of species. They are found all over the world, although most occur in the tropics and subtropics. They are commonly called stretch spiders, referring to their elongated body form...
  
  Latreille, 1804

• incertae sedis
  Incertae sedis
  , is a term used to define a taxonomic group where its broader relationships are unknown or undefined. Uncertainty at specific taxonomic levels is attributed by , , and similar terms.-Examples:*The fossil plant Paradinandra suecica could not be assigned to any...
  
  
• Alcimosphenus Simon, 1895 (formerly Araneidae)
• Deliochus Simon, 1894 (formerly Nephilinae)
• Eometa Petrunkevitch, 1958 † (fossil)
• Guizygiella Zhu, Kim & Song, 1997
• Leucognatha Wunderlich, 1992
• Macryphantes Selden, 1990 † (fossil, limestone)
• Menosira Chikuni, 1955
• Neoprolochus Reimoser, 1927
• Orsinome Thorell, 1890
• Palaeometa Petrunkevitch, 1922 † (fossil)
• Palaeopachygnatha Petrunkevitch, 1922 † (fossil)
• Parazilia Lessert, 1938
• Pholcipes Schmidt & Krause, 1993
• Phonognatha
  Phonognatha
  Phonognatha is a genus of spider. A small genus of seven species of the family Araneidae, it was previously placed in Tetragnathidae.The type species Phonognatha graeffei , is a common Australian spider found in urban areas as well as woodlands in the North-eastern, Eastern and Southern states.The...
  
  Simon, 1894 (formerly Nephilinae)
• Priscometa Petrunkevitch, 1958 † (fossil)
• Sancus Tullgren, 1910
• Sternospina Schmidt & Krause, 1993
• Theridiometa Petrunkevitch, 1942 † (fossil, oligocene)
• Timonoe Thorell, 1898
• Wolongia Zhu, Kim & Song, 1997

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)