Genus Clubiona Wagner, 1887

Type species: Clubiona pallidula (Clerck, 1757) .

The genevensis group. Mikhailov (1992; 1995) accommodated some Clubiona species into the comta group, which also comprised the genevensis subgroup. According to him, these species differed from the others by some characters linked to the embolus in the males and to the copulatory apparatus of the females. All species but Clubiona comta were part of the genevensis subgroup. Actually, the representatives of the last group are well distinguished by conspicuous characters, and are treated here as belonging to a species group of their own. Clubiona comta remains therefore the only representative of the comta group, and the newly erected genevensis group includes therefore eight species: Clubiona decora Blackwall, 1859, C. diniensis Simon 1878, C. genevensis L. Koch, 1866, C. leucaspis Simon, 1932, C. minor Wunderlich, 1987, C. pseudominor Wunderlich, 1987, C. vegeta, Simon, 1918, C. wunderlichi Mikhailov, 1992 . Some of these species are not always easy to distinguish and often have broadly overlapping distributions (Helsdingen 1979). Two species described from China, i.e. C. parallela Hu & Li, 1987 and C. zhangmuensis Hu & Li, 1987, and originally included in the genevensis group (Mikhailov 1995), do not fit the diagnosis below. The strongly enlarged and protruding tegulum of the male palp and characteristics of the female epigyne and vulva of those two species fit perfectly with the diagnosis of the “ corticalis group” (subgenus Paraclubiona), to which they must be transferred.

Diagnosis. Representatives of the genevensis group are characterized in the males by the palp with an almost rounded or ovoid bulbus (Figs 4, 12, 17, 25, 38, 46) and bearing a group of modified dark setae on the retrolateral face of the cymbium (Figs 3–5, 11, 16, 24, 37, 45, 68–79). The females have an epigyne characterized by wide atria (or copulatory openings) and a deep notch in its ventral margin (Figs 6, 13, 18, 26–28, 39, 47).

Remarks. The examined species of the genevensis group, i.e. Clubiona diniensis, C. genevensis, C. leucaspis and C. vegeta, are provided with modified setae situated on the retrolateral face of the cymbium (Figs 11, 16, 24, 37, 45, 52, 53, 56, 57, 60, 61, 64, 71, 77). They also occur in C. decora (see Figs 3–5) but were not examined here with SEM. The group also includes C. minor from Tenerife and La Gomera (the Canaries), C. pseudominor from La Palma (the Canaries) (Wunderlich, 1987, 1991; World Spider Catalog 2017) and C. wunderlichi from Mongolia (Mikhailov 1992; World Spider Catalog 2017) but these were not examined. The special setae are inserted near the base of the cymbium and extend up to half its length (Figs 3, 4, 11, 52) or less (Figs 24, 37, 45, 56, 60, 64). The basal part is slightly barbed and is provided with a sub-basal enlargement that can be spherical (Figs 70, 76) or plate-shaped (Figs 73, 79). The extremity is needle like and barbed (Figs 57, 61, 71, 77) or flattened and lanceolate (Figs 16, 53, 68). The retrolateral tibial apophysis (RTA) is sometimes provided with a thin, translucent, needle-like extension at its apex. It was observed in one specimen of C. decora (Fig. 5), one specimen of C. vegeta (Fig. 65) and on one specimen of C genevensis (P. Oger, pers. comm.; see also on http://arachno.piwigo.com/). This structure appears to be fragile (e.g. it could break during copulation) and it was lacking on another C. vegeta male observed with SEM (Fig. 66). This character may be informative but was not used in the key since its presence in other species may be overlooked.

Inside the genevensis group, two well-defined subgroups (here called the genevensis subgroup and the decora subgroup) can be recognized. The genevensis subgroup includes Clubiona genevensis, C. leucaspis and C. vegeta . These species are characterized in the males by the palp with the embolus originating basally and directed laterally (Figs 25, 38, 46), by the basolateral extension of the bulbus and cymbium much longer than wide (Figs 59, 63, 67), and by the modified short cymbial setae (length less than half length of cymbium) (Figs 24, 37, 45, 56, 60, 64). The females have an epigyne with large, tightened and strongly convoluted copulatory ducts connected inferiorly to the atrio-spermathecal part (Figs 29–32, 40, 41, 48–51). The decora subgroup includes Clubiona decora, C. diniensis, C. minor, C. pseudominor and C. wunderlichi . Males of this subgroup are well characterized by the palp with embolus originating in distal or median part of bulbus and directed anteriorly (Figs 4, 12, 17) (origin of embolus basal and directed laterally in the other species of the genevensis group: Figs 25, 38, 46), short basolateral extension of bulbus and cymbium (Figs 54, 55) (much longer in the other species: Figs 59, 63, 67) and long modified cymbial setae (Figs 3, 4, 11, 52) (shorter in the others: Figs 24, 37, 45, 56, 60, 64). Females are characterized by the epigyne with copulatory ducts loose, slightly coiled and connected laterally to the atriospermathecal part (Figs 6–8, 13–15) (in the other species of the genevensis group, the tightened and strongly convoluted copulatory ducts are connected inferiorly to the atrio-spermathecal part: Figs 29–32, 40, 41, 48–51).