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. segmentata is probably the most abundant orb-weaving spider of Germany.
Metellina Spiders are also called the Autumn Spider.
Description
Metellina species have an abdomen longer than wide, usually without tubercles. The secondary eyes have a canoe-shaped tapetum. The posterior lateral eyes are located on a single tubercle.The epigynal plate is flat with posterior-facing copulatory openings. The fertilization ducts originate near the anterior area of the spermathecae with a mass of accessory glands near the copulatory ducts. The palpal patella has one macroseta.
The genus is most similar to Meta.
Life style
Metellina species are web dwellers that make their webs low in vegetation.Name
The genus name is an alteration of the related genus Meta.Species
, this genus includes sixteen species:- Metellina barreti – Madeira
- Metellina curtisi – North America
- Metellina gertschi – DR Congo
- Metellina haddadi Marusik & Larsen, 2018 – South Africa
- Metellina kirgisica – Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Central Asia, China
- Metellina longipalpis – Ethiopia
- Metellina mengei – Europe to Caucasus, Iran, Russia
- Metellina merianae – Europe, Caucasus, Turkey, Iran, Russia
- Metellina merianopsis – Tanzania
- Metellina mimetoides Chamberlin & Ivie, 1941 – North America
- Metellina minima – Canary Islands
- Metellina orientalis – Turkey, Armenia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan
- Metellina ornata – Russia, China, Korea, Japan
- Metellina segmentata – Europe, Morocco, Turkey, Israel, Caucasus, Russia, Kazakhstan, Iran, China, Japan. Introduced to Canada
- Metellina tangchao Lin & Yang, 2023 – China
- Metellina villiersi – Guinea