# Meta (spider)

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This article is about a genus of spiders. For other uses, see [Meta (disambiguation)](/source/Meta_(disambiguation)).

***Meta*** is a [genus](/source/Genus) of [long-jawed orb-weavers](/source/Tetragnathidae) that was first described by [Ludwig Carl Christian Koch](/source/Ludwig_Carl_Christian_Koch) in 1835.[3] They are often associated with caves, caverns, and recesses, earning some of them the name "cave orbweavers"

## Distribution

Spiders in this genus are found worldwide.[1]

## Description

*Meta* species have a [carapace](/source/Carapace) slightly longer than wide with eyes in two rows, evenly spaced. The [abdomen](/source/Opisthosoma) is long and oval, decorated with spots and silver coloration.[4]

## Life style

The inclination of *Meta* webs varies from vertical to horizontal, most often at a sharp angle to the vertical. The hub is open with widely spaced viscid spirals. Most species spin their webs in shadowy, dark and damp places such as caves and shaded ravines. They are more common at higher altitudes.[4]

## Species

As of October 2025, this genus includes 33 species:[1]

- *[Meta abdomenalis](/source/Meta_abdomenalis)* Patel & Reddy, 1993 – [India](/source/India)
- *[Meta birmanica](/source/Meta_birmanica)* [Thorell](/source/Tamerlan_Thorell), 1898 – [Myanmar](/source/Myanmar)
- *[Meta bourneti](/source/Meta_bourneti)* [Simon](/source/Eug%C3%A8ne_Simon), 1922 – Europe, [Georgia](/source/Georgia_(country)), North Africa
- *[Meta bowo](/source/Meta_bowo)* Wang, Irfan, Chen & Zhang, 2022 – [China](/source/China)
- *[Meta cona](/source/Meta_cona)* Wang, Irfan, Chen & Zhang, 2022 – China
- *[Meta dolloff](/source/Meta_dolloff)* [Levi](/source/Herbert_Walter_Levi), 1980 – [United States](/source/United_States)
- *[Meta gyirong](/source/Meta_gyirong)* Wang, Irfan, Chen & Zhang, 2022 – China
- *[Meta hamata](/source/Meta_hamata)* Wang, Zhou, Irfan, Yang & Peng, 2020 – China
- *[Meta hongyuan](/source/Meta_hongyuan)* Wang, Irfan, Chen & Zhang, 2022 – China
- *[Meta japonica](/source/Meta_japonica)* [Tanikawa](https://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/Akio_Tanikawa), 1993 – [Japan](/source/Japan)
- *[Meta longlingensis](/source/Meta_longlingensis)* Wang, Zhou, Irfan, Yang & Peng, 2020 – China
- *[Meta manchurica](/source/Meta_manchurica)* [Marusik](/source/Yuri_M._Marusik) & Koponen, 1992 – [Russia](/source/Russia) (Far East), [Korea](/source/Korea)
- *[Meta menardi](/source/Meta_menardi)* ([Latreille](/source/Pierre_Andr%C3%A9_Latreille), 1804) – Europe, [Turkey](/source/Turkey), [Iran](/source/Iran) (type species)
- *[Meta meruensis](/source/Meta_meruensis)* [Tullgren](/source/Albert_Tullgren), 1910 – [Tanzania](/source/Tanzania), [South Africa](/source/South_Africa)
- *[Meta mixta](/source/Meta_mixta)* [O. Pickard-Cambridge](/source/Octavius_Pickard-Cambridge), 1885 – [Pakistan](/source/Pakistan)
- *[Meta monogrammata](/source/Meta_monogrammata)* [Butler](/source/Arthur_Gardiner_Butler), 1876 – [Australia](/source/Australia) (Queensland)
- *[Meta montana](/source/Meta_montana)* Hogg, 1919 – [Indonesia](/source/Indonesia) (Sumatra)
- *[Meta nebulosa](/source/Meta_nebulosa)* [Schenkel](/source/Ehrenfried_Schenkel-Haas), 1936 – China
- *[Meta nigridorsalis](/source/Meta_nigridorsalis)* Tanikawa, 1994 – China, Japan
- *[Meta obscura](/source/Meta_obscura)* [Kulczyński](/source/W%C5%82adys%C5%82aw_Kulczy%C5%84ski), 1899 – [Madeira](/source/Madeira)
- *[Meta ovalis](/source/Meta_ovalis)* ([Gertsch](/source/Willis_J._Gertsch), 1933) – [Canada](/source/Canada), United States
- *[Meta qianshanensis](/source/Meta_qianshanensis)* C. D. Zhu & S. F. Zh, 1983 – China
- *[Meta serrana](/source/Meta_serrana)* [Franganillo](/source/Pelegrin_Franganillo-Balboa), 1930 – [Cuba](/source/Cuba)
- *[Meta shenae](/source/Meta_shenae)* Zhu, Song & Zhang, 2003 – China
- *[Meta simlaensis](/source/Meta_simlaensis)* [Tikader](/source/B._K._Tikader), 1982 – India
- *[Meta stridulans](/source/Meta_stridulans)* [Wunderlich](/source/J%C3%B6rg_Wunderlich), 1987 – Madeira
- *[Meta tangi](/source/Meta_tangi)* Wang, Zhou, Irfan, Yang & Peng, 2020 – China
- *[Meta tibet](/source/Meta_tibet)* Wang, Irfan, Chen & Zhang, 2022 – China
- *[Meta turbatrix](/source/Meta_turbatrix)* [Keyserling](/source/Eugen_von_Keyserling), 1887 – Australia (New South Wales)
- *[Meta wanglang](/source/Meta_wanglang)* Wang, Irfan, Chen & Zhang, 2022 – China
- *[Meta weining](/source/Meta_weining)* Wang, Irfan, Chen & Zhang, 2022 – China
- *[Meta yani](/source/Meta_yani)* Wang, Zhou, Irfan, Yang & Peng, 2020 – China
- *[Meta yinae](/source/Meta_yinae)* Wang, Zhou, Irfan, Yang & Peng, 2020 – China

### Synonyms

[Synonyms](/source/Synonym_(taxonomy)) include:[1]

- *Meta americana* Marusik & Koponen, 1992 = *Meta ovalis* (Gertsch, 1933)
- *Meta milleri* Kratochvíl, 1942 = *Meta bourneti* Simon, 1922

### Dubious names

*[Nomina dubia](/source/Nomen_dubium)* (dubious names) include:[1]

- *Meta nigra* Franganillo, 1920

## References

1. ["Genus Meta"](https://wsc.nmbe.ch/genus/3290). World Spider Catalog. [doi:10.24436/2](https://doi.org/10.24436/2). Retrieved 2025-10-01.

1. Lehtinen, P. T. (1967). "Classification of the cribellate spiders and some allied families, with notes on the evolution of the suborder Araneomorpha". *Annales Zoologici Fennici*. **4**: 217.

1. Koch, C. L. (1835). "Arachniden". *Favnae insectorvm Germanicae initia, oder, Deutschlands Insecten*. Herrich-Schäffer, G. A. W. (ed.). [Friedrich Pustet](/source/Friedrich_Pustet). pp. 127–134. [doi:10.5962/bhl.title.15007](https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.15007). LCCN ca11002214. [OCLC 4195853](https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/4195853)

1. Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Haddad, C.R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N. (2023). *The Tetragnathidae of South Africa*. South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. p. 26. [doi:10.5281/zenodo.7513261](https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7513261)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Meta (spider)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meta_(spider)) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meta_(spider)?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.