Long-jawed orb weaver


Long-jawed orb weavers or long jawed spiders 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:
Several extinct, fossil genera have been described:
  • Anameta Wunderlich, 2004
  • Balticgnatha Wunderlich, 2004
  • Corneometa Wunderlich, 2004
  • Eometa Petrunkevitch, 1958
  • Huergnina Selden & Penney, 2003
  • Macryphantes Selden, 1990
  • Palaeometa Petrunkevitch, 1922
  • Palaeopachygnatha Petrunkevitch, 1922
  • Priscometa Petrunkevitch, 1958
  • Samlandicmeta Wunderlich, 2012

    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''