Tetragnatha extensa
Tetragnatha extensa is a species of spider found across the Northern Hemisphere. It has an elongate body, up to long, and adopts a straight line posture when alarmed. It lives on low vegetation in damp areas, and feeds on flying insects which it catches in its web. Description. "T. extensa" has an elongated, cream-coloured body. Males are smaller than females, at around body length, compared to for females. The four pairs of legs are very long, and are dark yellow. The carapace, which is around 1.8–2.6 mm long and 1.1–1.7 mm wide, is orange or dark yellow . The colouring of "T. extensa" is quite variable, ranging from creamy-yellow to green. On the underside, there is a thick black central band, with a silvery band on either side. "T. extensa" is distinguished from other members of the genus "Tetragnatha" by the minute curved tip of the male's conductor (part of the pedipalp), and the form of the female's spermatheca. Distribution. "T. extensa" has a wide distribution across the Northern Hemisphere (Holarctic). In North America, it is found from Alaska to Newfoundland, and its range extends south to Washington, Colorado and Pennsylvania. The species has a  broad ecological range, having been found at the tree line in the Rocky Mountains. It is found in coastal vegetation in Europe. "T. extensa" is found throughout the United Kingdom, where it is the commonest species of "Tetragnatha", and one of the commonest spiders. It is also found in Madeira. Ecology and behaviour. "Tetragnatha extensa" is found on low-growing vegetation, usually in damp areas. It feeds on insects, including mosquitos, midges and moths, which it catches in its loosely constructed web. When alarmed, it will sit along a plant stem, a blade of grass or the central vein of  a leaf, with its four front legs pointing forwards, and its four back legs pointing backwards for camouflage. "T. extensa" is able to walk on the surface of water, where it can move faster than on land. Life cycle. Adults are seen between May and September in the United Kingdom, and between May and July in Alaska. There is little courtship, and the male and female lock jaws, possibly to prevent the female from eating the male before mating. The egg sacs are globular and covered with grey tufted silk, resembling a bird dropping, and are pressed against a plant  stem. Overwintering occurs in the form of early-instar spiderlings. Taxonomic history. "Tetragnatha extensa" was first given a binomial by Carl Linnaeus in his "Systema Naturae" of 1758, the starting point of zoological nomenclature. In that work, it was included in the genus "Aranea" (now "Araneus"). "T. extensa" is a very common, widespread and variable species, and a number of synonyms have been published: