Long Jawed Spider (Tetragnatha sp)Tetragnatha spp

The Long-jawed Orb-weavers (belonging to the genus Tetragnatha) are found all over the world. First described by Pierre André Latreille in 1804, there are hundreds of species within the genus. Usually found near water, many can run over water.

Long-jawed Orb Weaver Spider (genus Tetragnatha), Alice Springs NT
Long-jawed Orb Weaver Spider (genus Tetragnatha), Alice Springs NT

They are also commonly known as Stretch Spiders, in reference to their elongated body form and their ability to hide on blades of grass or similar elongated substrates by stretching their front legs forward and the others legs behind them.

Long-jawed Orb Weaver (genus Tetragnatha), Alice Springs NT
Long-jawed Orb Weaver (genus Tetragnatha), Alice Springs NT
Long-jawed Orb Weaver (genus Tetragnatha), Alice Springs NT
Dorsal view of the Long-jawed Orb Weaver (genus Tetragnatha), Alice Springs NT
Long-jawed Orb Weaver (genus Tetragnatha), Alice Springs NT
Ventral view of the Long-jawed Orb Weaver (genus Tetragnatha), Alice Springs NT
Long-jawed Orb Weaver (genus Tetragnatha), Alice Springs NT
Long-jawed Orb Weaver (genus Tetragnatha), Alice Springs NT

  • Scientific classification
  • Kingdom: Animalia
  • Phylum: Arthropoda
  • Subphylum: Chelicerata
  • Class: Arachnida
  • Order: Araneae
  • Suborder: Araneomorphae
  • Infraorder: Entelegynae
  • Superfamily: Araneoidea
  • Family: Tetragnathidae
  • Genus: Tetragnatha
  • Species:

Footnote & References

  1. Many thanks for ID to Matthew Connors, member of Entomology Australia “Invertebratology” Facebook group, https://www.facebook.com/groups/507004496955277/
  2. Tetragnatha, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetragnatha
  3. Long-jawed Orb Weavers (Genus Tetragnatha), iNaturalistAU, https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/taxa/47550-Tetragnatha

Long Jawed Spider (Tetragnatha sp)Tetragnatha spp

SpidersIndex of Spider Images Spiders in Australia Spiders Index Araneidae — Orb Weavers Arkys Australian Huntsman Spider Barking Spider Black House Spider Carepalxis sp Celaenia sp Crab Spiders Deinopidae — Net-casting Spiders Dolomedes sp Dolophones sp Euryopis umbilicate (Superb Ant-eater Spider) Flower Spiders Gnaphosidae (Stealthy Ground Spider) Hackled Orbweavers (Uloboridae) Herennia sp Jewel Spider Jumping Spider Long Jawed Spider (Tetragnatha sp) Lynx Spider (Oxyopes) Mangrovia albida Maratus Missulena occatoria (Red-headed Mouse Spider) Miturgidae Molycria burwelli Mopsus mormon Nicodamidae (Red and Black Spider) Nyssus coloripes (Orange-legged Swift Spider) Ogre-faced Net-casting Spider Poltys sp (Twig Spider) Redback Spider Scorpion-tailed Spider (Arachnura higginsi) Tetragnatha Thomisidae Tiger Spider (Trichonephila plumipes) White-spotted Swift Spider (Nyssus albopunctatus) Wolf Spider