Loxosceles, Heineken & Lowe, 1835

Lotz, L. N., 2012, Present status of Sicariidae (Arachnida: Araneae) in the Afrotropical region, Zootaxa 3522, pp. 1-41 : 14-15

Key to the Afrotropical species of the genus Loxosceles :

Males

1. Embolus with a flattened spiral towards apex ( Fig. 9L).............................................. L. spinulosa

– Embolus with thin cylindrical shaft towards apex............................................................ 2

2. Cymbium lengthened, much longer than pulp bulb ( Fig. 9D, E, K)............................................... 3

– Cymbium short, not much longer than pulp bulb ( Fig. 9A, B, C)................................................ 5

3 Lengthened part of cymbium with an angular bend near palp bulb ( Fig. 9D).............................. L. meruensis

– Lengthened part of cymbium with smooth curve near palp bulb ( Fig. 9E, K)....................................... 4

4. Palp tibia parallel sided ( Fig. 9E)............................................................... L. parramae

– Palp tibia narrowing towards patella ( Fig. 9K).................................................. L. speluncarum

5. Palp cymbium about half to less than half tibia length......................................................... 6

– Palp cymbium slightly longer than tibia length............................................................. 10

6. Palp tibia length/height ratio more than 2.5 ( Fig. 9M)............................................... L. vonwredei

– Palp tibia length/height ratio less than 2.5 ( Fig. 9B, C, G, H).................................................... 7

7. Palp tibia length/height ratio less than 2.0 ( Fig. 9G)................................................. L. rufescens

– Palp tibia length/height ratio more than 2.0 ( Fig. 9B, C, H)..................................................... 8

8. Palp bulb width about half tibia length ( Fig. 9C)................................................. L. foutadjalloni

– Palp bulb width about a third tibia length ( Fig. 9B, H)........................................................ 9

9. Palp femur/cymbium ratio more than 4.5 ( Fig. 9H).................................................... L. rufipes

– Palp femur/cymbium ratio less than 4.5 ( Fig. 9H).................................................... L. fontainei

10. Palp femur shorter than patella + tibia length ( Fig. 9J).................................................. L. smithi

– Palp femur length equal to than patella + tibia length ( Fig. 9A, F, I)............................................. 11

11. Cymbium twice as long as patella ( Fig. 9A)......................................................... L. bergeri

– Cymbium length 1.5 times as long as patella ( Fig. 9F, I)...................................................... 12

12. Cymbium length 1.2 times as long as tibia ( Fig. 9F).................................................... L. pilosa

– Cymbium length 1.5 times as long as tibia ( Fig. 9I)................................................. L. simillima Females

1. Copulatory tubes connected or close together ( Fig. 10B, C, D, G, H)............................................. 2

– Copulatory tubes separated ( Fig. 10A, E, F, I, J, K, L)........................................................ 6

2. Copulatory tubes long and thin ( Fig. 10D).......................................................... L. neuvillei

– Copulatory tubes broad chambers ( Fig. 10B, C, G, H)......................................................... 3

3. Spermathecae far apart ( Fig. 10H)................................................................. L. rufipes

– Spermathecae close together ( Fig. 10B, C, G)............................................................... 4

4. Copulatory tubes without lateral sclerotized area ( Fig. 10C)............................................. L. lacroixi

– Copulatory tubes with lateral sclerotized area ( Fig. 10B, G).................................................... 5

5. Two spermathecae to a side ( Fig. 10B)......................................................... L. foutadjalloni

– One spermathecae to a side ( Fig. 10G)............................................................ L. rufescens

6. Spermathecae situated in book-lung area ( Fig. 10E)................................................. L. parramae

– Spermathecae situated between book-lung areas ( Fig. 10A, F, I, J, K, L).......................................... 7

7. One spermathecae on each side ( Fig. 10L)....................................................... L. vonwredei

– Two spermathecae on each side ( Fig. 10A, F, I, J, K)......................................................... 8

8. Spermathecae large ( Fig. 10A, F)......................................................................... 9

– Spermathecae small ( Fig. 10I, J, K)...................................................................... 10

9. Spermathecae pairs far apart ( Fig. 10A)........................................................... L. bergeri

– Spermathecae pairs close together ( Fig. 10F).......................................................... L. pilosa

10. Posterior copulatory tube strait ( Fig. 10J)...................................................... L. speluncarum

– Posterior copulatory tube curled ( Fig. 10I, K)............................................................. 11

11. Copulatory tube short before dividing ( Fig. 10I).................................................... L. simillima

– Copulatory tube long before dividing ( Fig. 10K)................................................... L. spinulosa