Mollemeta


Mollemeta is a monotypic genus of long-jawed orb-weavers endemic to Chile. It contains the single species, Mollemeta edwardsi, first described as Landana edwardsi, based on a female found in 1904. The name is a reference to "Molle", the Mapudungun word for "tree", because it builds its vertical orb webs on tree trunks. It is in a clade with Allende, Chrysometa, Dolichognatha, Meta, and Metellina due to several autapomorphies, including the unique shapes of the cymbium, conductor, and embolus.