Maorineta facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Maorineta
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Chelicerata
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Araneae
Infraorder:	Araneomorphae
Family:	Linyphiidae
Genus:	Maorineta Millidge, 1988
Type species
M. tibialis Millidge, 1988
Species
9, see text

Maorineta is a genus of very small spiders, often called dwarf spiders. They are part of a larger spider family known as Linyphiidae. These tiny spiders were first officially described in 1988 by a scientist named Alfred Frank Millidge.

About Dwarf Spiders

Dwarf spiders, like those in the Maorineta group, are among the smallest spiders in the world. Many are less than 2 millimeters (about 0.08 inches) long. Because they are so tiny, they can be hard to spot in nature.

These spiders often build small, flat, sheet-like webs. They usually live in leaf litter, moss, or low plants. Their small size helps them hide from predators and find tiny insects to eat.

Species of Maorineta

As of May 2019, scientists have identified nine different kinds, or species, of Maorineta spiders. These species are found in various parts of the world. They live in places like Indonesia, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, and New Zealand.

Here are the known species and where they have been found:

• Maorineta acerba Millidge, 1988 – Found in New Zealand
• Maorineta ambigua Millidge, 1991 – Found in the Marshall Islands, Caroline Islands, and Cook Islands
• Maorineta gentilis Millidge, 1988 – Found in New Zealand
• Maorineta minor Millidge, 1988 – Found in New Zealand
• Maorineta mollis Millidge, 1988 – Found in New Zealand
• Maorineta sulawesi Tanasevitch, 2012 – Found in Indonesia, specifically on Sulawesi island
• Maorineta sulcata Millidge, 1988 – Found in New Zealand
• Maorineta tibialis Millidge, 1988 (type) – Found in New Zealand. This is the type species, meaning it's the main example for the Maorineta genus.
• Maorineta tumida Millidge, 1988 – Found in New Zealand