Longjawed Orb Weaver
Typically orb weavers are described as spiders in the Araneidae family. Tetragnathidae species, however, look a bit different and build a web that looks different from the common Araneidae.
The top picture shows the tetragnatha extensa, a species with very long legs and a dull brown and cream color body, typical longjawed orbweaver traits. Other species are characterized by more colorful green, blue, yellow, orange and red shaded bodies.
The the bottom picture is another member of the Tetragnatha genus, with a more colorful body. Their orb shaped webs are often built near water.
Like all spiders, longjawed orb weavers can bite humans, but more often than not, they are not inclined to bite.
© 2005-2008 Patricia A. Michaels