Loxosceles Heineken & Lowe 1832

Key to the Afrotropical species of the genus Loxosceles Males

1. Embolus with a flattened spiral towards apex................................................................ 2

- Embolus with thin cylindrical shaft towards apex............................................................ 3

2. Basal part of embolus with a clear ridge (Fig. 17)................................................... L. spinulosa

- Basal part of embolus not clearly ridged (Fig. 2)............................................. L. dejagerae sp. nov.

3. Cymbium lengthened, much longer than pulp bulb (Figs 6, 9, 10, 16)............................................. 4

- Cymbium short, not much longer than pulp bulb (Figs 1, 3–5, 7, 8, 11–15, 18)..................................... 7

4. Lengthened part of cymbium with an angular bend near palp bulb (Figs 6, 9)...................................... 5

- Lengthened part of cymbium with smooth curve near palp bulb (Figs 10, 16)...................................... 6

5. Lengthened part of cymbium triangular (Fig. 9)..................................................... L. meruensis

- Lengthened part of cymbium cylindrical (Fig. 6).............................................. L. haddadi sp. nov.

6. Embolus base narrow at connection with bulb (Fig. 10)............................................... L. parramae

- Embolus base broad at connection with bulb (Fig. 16)............................................. L. speluncarum

7. Palp cymbium noticeably shorter than tibia length............................................................ 8

- Palp cymbium length close to tibia length................................................................. 14

8. Palp tibia length/height ratio more than 2.5................................................................. 9

- Palp tibia length/height ratio less than 2.5................................................................. 10

9. Embolus base broad at connection with bulb (Fig. 18).............................................. L. vonwredei

- Embolus base narrower at connection with bulb (Fig. 7)........................................... L. irishi sp. nov.

10. Palp tibia length/height ratio less than 2.0 (Fig. 12).................................................. L. rufescens

- Palp tibia length/height ratio more than 2.0 (Figs 3, 4, 8, 13)................................................... 11

11. Palp bulb width about half tibia length (Fig. 4).................................................. L. foutadjalloni

- Palp bulb width about a third tibia length (Figs 3, 8, 13)...................................................... 12

12. Palp patella less than half tibia length (Fig. 8)................................................. L. maraisi sp. nov.

- Palp patella more than half tibia length (Figs 3, 13).......................................................... 13

13. Palp femur/cymbium ratio more than 4.5 (Fig. 13).................................................... L. rufipes

- Palp femur/cymbium ratio less than 4.5 (Fig. 3)...................................................... L. fontainei

14. Palp femur shorter than patella + tibia length (Fig. 15).................................................. L. smithi

- Palp femur length equal to patella + tibia length (Figs 1, 5, 11, 14).............................................. 15

15. Embolus narrow at base (Figs 1, 14)...................................................................... 16

- Embolus broad at base (Figs 5, 11)....................................................................... 17

16. Embolus tapering from base to apex (Fig. 1)......................................................... L. bergeri

- Embolus very thing from base to apex (Fig. 14)..................................................... L. simillima

17. Broad basal part of embolus long (Fig. 11)............................................................ L. pilosa

- Broad basal part of embolus short (Fig. 5).................................................. L. griffinae sp. nov.