Long-jawed spider

Fact Box Species: Tetragnatha nitens (JS) Family: Tetragnathidae Body length: female: 19 mm male: 13 mm Habitat: In a circular web or along twigs or wires with minimal webbing Toxicity: Uncertain but probably harmless

Male, close-up Male, close-up Another male Another male

This species builds a circular web in shrubs, usually near water courses, but may also be found with legs extended fore and aft along twigs or strands of fencing wire, or even on flat surfaces.

The chelicerae of the male are unusually large and have bizarre shapes with clasping spurs that look like teeth. The palps are also long but are thin and the male genital structures at the end of the palps are quite small.

Known Range: This is a species that is not easy to identify to species level with confidence because of its lack of distinctive dorsal markings but it is alleged to be present along both the east and west coasts of Australia as well as in Tasmania but not in Central Australia from NT down to the Nullabor Plain.

Spider(s) with a very similar appearance: Tetragnatha demissa and other Tetragnatha species.