# Metellina

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***Metellina*** is a genus of [tetragnathid](/source/Tetragnathidae) spiders that occurs mostly in [Eurasia](/source/Eurasia), with two species found in [North America](/source/North_America). *M. segmentata* was introduced to [Canada](/source/Canada).

Some researchers consider this genus to belong to a distinct family, the Metidae.[citation needed]

*M. segmentata* is probably the most abundant orb-weaving spider of [Germany](/source/Germany).[2]

Metellina Spiders are also called the Autumn Spider[3].

## Description

*Metellina* species have an [abdomen](/source/Opisthosoma) longer than wide, usually without tubercles. The secondary eyes have a canoe-shaped tapetum. The posterior lateral eyes are located on a single tubercle.[4]

The epigynal plate is flat with posterior-facing copulatory openings. The fertilization ducts originate near the anterior area of the [spermathecae](/source/Spermatheca) with a mass of accessory glands near the copulatory ducts. The palpal patella has one macroseta.[4]

The genus is most similar to *[Meta](/source/Meta_(spider))*.[4]

## Life style

*Metellina* species are web dwellers that make their webs low in vegetation.[4]

## Name

The genus name is an alteration of the related genus *[Meta](/source/Meta_(spider))*.

## Species

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

- *[Metellina barreti](/source/Metellina_barreti)* ([Kulczyński](/source/W%C5%82adys%C5%82aw_Kulczy%C5%84ski), 1899) – [Madeira](/source/Madeira)
- *[Metellina curtisi](/source/Metellina_curtisi)* (McCook, 1894) – North America (type species)
- *[Metellina gertschi](/source/Metellina_gertschi)* ([Lessert](/source/Roger_de_Lessert), 1938) – [DR Congo](/source/DR_Congo)
- *[Metellina haddadi](/source/Metellina_haddadi)* [Marusik](/source/Yuri_M._Marusik) & Larsen, 2018 – [South Africa](/source/South_Africa)
- *[Metellina kirgisica](/source/Metellina_kirgisica)* (Bakhvalov, 1974) – [Azerbaijan](/source/Azerbaijan), [Kazakhstan](/source/Kazakhstan), Central Asia, [China](/source/China)
- *[Metellina longipalpis](/source/Metellina_longipalpis)* ([Pavesi](https://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/Pietro_Pavesi), 1883) – [Ethiopia](/source/Ethiopia)
- *[Metellina mengei](/source/Metellina_mengei)* ([Blackwall](/source/John_Blackwall), 1869) – Europe to Caucasus, [Iran](/source/Iran), [Russia](/source/Russia) (Europe to Altai)
- *[Metellina merianae](/source/Metellina_merianae)* (Scopoli, 1763) – Europe, [Caucasus](/source/Caucasus), [Turkey](/source/Turkey), Iran, Russia (Europe to Central Asia)
- *[Metellina merianopsis](/source/Metellina_merianopsis)* ([Tullgren](/source/Albert_Tullgren), 1910) – [Tanzania](/source/Tanzania)
- *[Metellina mimetoides](/source/Metellina_mimetoides)* [Chamberlin](/source/Ralph_Vary_Chamberlin) & Ivie, 1941 – North America
- *[Metellina minima](/source/Metellina_minima)* ([Denis](https://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/Jacques_Denis), 1953) – [Canary Islands](/source/Canary_Islands)
- *[Metellina orientalis](/source/Metellina_orientalis)* (Spassky, 1932) – Turkey, [Armenia](/source/Armenia), Iran, Kazakhstan, [Turkmenistan](/source/Turkmenistan)
- *[Metellina ornata](/source/Metellina_ornata)* (Chikuni, 1955) – Russia (Far East), China, [Korea](/source/Korea), [Japan](/source/Japan)
- *[Metellina segmentata](/source/Metellina_segmentata)* ([Clerck](/source/Carl_Alexander_Clerck), 1757) – Europe, [Morocco](/source/Morocco), Turkey, [Israel](/source/Israel), Caucasus, Russia (Europe to South Siberia), Kazakhstan, Iran, China, Japan. Introduced to [Canada](/source/Canada)
- *[Metellina tangchao](/source/Metellina_tangchao)* Lin & Yang, 2023 – China
- *[Metellina villiersi](/source/Metellina_villiersi)* (Denis, 1955) – [Guinea](/source/Guinea)

## References

1. ["Genus Metellina"](https://wsc.nmbe.ch/genus/3292). World Spider Catalog. [doi:10.24436/2](https://doi.org/10.24436/2). Retrieved 2025-10-01.

1. Bellmann, H. (1997). Kosmos-Atlas Spinnentiere Europas. *Kosmos*.

1. Henriques, Sergio; Sivell, Olga; Natural History Museum Genome Acquisition Lab; Darwin Tree of Life Barcoding collective; Wellcome Sanger Institute Tree of Life programme; Wellcome Sanger Institute Scientific Operations: DNA Pipelines collective; Tree of Life Core Informatics collective; Darwin Tree of Life Consortium (2023). "The genome sequence of the Autumn Spider, Metellina segmentata (Clerck, 1757)". *Wellcome Open Research*. **8**: 221. [doi:10.12688/wellcomeopenres.19435.1](https://doi.org/10.12688/wellcomeopenres.19435.1). [ISSN 2398-502X](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/2398-502X). [PMC 11519618](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11519618). [PMID 39473876](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39473876)

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. 28. [doi:10.5281/zenodo.7513261](https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7513261)

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