Agelenidae: Histopona Thorell, 1870

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Epigynal valve (a glossy sclerite which limits the posterior epigynal atrium) very small, undivided (only female known, only record from Liguria, Italy)

Histopona palaeolithica (Brignoli, 1971)

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Epigynal valve larger, constricted in the middle or composed of two halves

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Males with distinct narrowly elongated cymbium and conductor, conductor tip almost reaching cymbium tip. Epigynal valve divided into two dropled-shaped halves, copulatory duct coiled

(myops-group)

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Cymbium and conductor not distincly elongated. Epigynal valve and copulatory duct different

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Retrolateral tibial apophysis bifid, with two well separated processes. Female as in fig. Only known from caves on the island Mljet, Croatia

Histopona bidens (Absolon & Kratochvíl, 1933)

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Retrolateral tibial apophysis with only one process. Female different

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Retrolateral tibial apophysis distally distincly truncated (for H. krivosijana only female known). Vulva: "Bursa copulatrix" (first part of copulatory duct) either small and not touching coiled part or inflated and as bulky as coiled part

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Retrolateral tibial apophysis distally pointed or only moderately stepped.  "Bursa copulatrix" (first part of copulatory duct) inconspicuous

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Ventral part of truncated RTA tip longer than dorsal part. Copulatory duct only moderately coiled,"Bursa copulatrix" (first part of copulatory duct) small and not touching coiled part

Histopona myops (Simon, 1885)

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Dorsal part of truncated retrolateral tibial apophysis tip longer than ventral part (for H. krivosijana only female known); Vulva: copulatory duct distinctly coiled, "Bursa copulatrix" (first part of copulatory duct) inflated, as bulky as coiled part

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6
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Male as in fig.; female prosoma length 3.68 mm, paired "Bursa copulatrix" only partly touching in the middle (less than half their length)

Histopona dubia (Absolon & Kratochvíl, 1933)

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Female carapace length 3.33 mm, paired "Bursa copulatrix" distinctly touching in the middle for most of their length

Histopona krivosijana (Kratochvíl, 1935)

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(4)

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Following 3 species are very hard to distinguish, please consult also table 1 in Gasparo 2005b:31

As fig.

 

Histopona hauseri (Brignoli, 1972)

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Different

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As fig., only known from Bulgaria

Histopona tranteevi Deltshev, 1978

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As in fig.

Histopona thaleri Gasparo, 2005

9
(2)

Tegulum broad ring-shaped, distally dividing into a relatively short filiform embolus and a plate-like apophysis (radix), conductor small and simple. Epigyne posteriorly limited by a glossy sclerite (“epigynal valve”), median deeply indented, vulva with an unpaired "Bursa copulatrix" (first part of copulatory duct)

(italica-group)

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Tegulum different, filiform embolus long, conductor larger and more complex; epigyne with a much larger plate-like posterior sclerite (“epigynal valve”), median sometimes indented, vulva with a paired "Bursa copulatrix" (first part of copulatory duct)

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10
(9)

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Conductor distally strongly elongated; Epigyne with anterior limitation of atrium almost straight, vulva with anterior part of copulatory duct V-shaped

Histopona fioni Bolzern, Pantini & Isaia, 2013

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Conductor distally only insdistinctly elongated. Epigyne with anterior limitation of atrium M-shaped, vulva with anterior part of copulatory duct straight or concave

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11
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Conductor-tegulum connection distinctly stepped, radix bifid with a pointed and a plate-like end. Epigyne with parallel median margins of glossy posterior sclerite, vulva with lateral lobes of copulatory duct very broad

Histopona italica Brignoli, 1977

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Conductor-tegulum connection continuous, radix plate or spoon-like; epigyne with diverging median margins of glossy posterior sclerite, vulva with narrow lateral lobes of copulatory duct

Histopona leonardoi Bolzern, Pantini & Isaia, 2013

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Patellar apophysis present (not in H. vignai and unsure in H. sinuata), conductor relatively complex with short connection to tegulum; epigyne mostly with large plate-like posterior sclerite

(torpida-group)

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Patellar apophysis absent, conductor relatively simple with long bandlike connection to tegulum; epigyne and vulva as in fig.

(strinatii-group)

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Patellar apophysis present, retrolateral tibial apophysis with very narrow and elongated process; epigyne and vulva as in fig.

  14  

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Patellar apophysis absent or inconspicuous, retrolateral tibial apophysis with broader process or different; epigyne and vulva as in fig.

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(13)

Patellar apophysis distinctly elongated  or complex; epigyne and vulva as in fig.

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Patellar apophysis short and simple; epigyne and vulva as in fig.

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15
(14)

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Patellar apophysis bifid with a distinct dorsal and ventral branche; epigyne and vulva as in fig.

Histopona torpida (C. L. Koch, 1837)

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Patellar apophysis only with one branch; epigyne and vulva as in fig.

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16
(15)

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Process of retrolateral tibial apophysis long and narrow, with hook-like tip, patellar apophysis distally truncated; epigyne with heart-shaped plate, vulva as in fig.

Histopona laeta (Kulczyński, 1897)

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Process of retrolateral tibial apophysis long and narrow, with straight tip, patellar apophysis distally pointed; epigynal plate  much wider than long, indented at anterior margin, vulva as in fig.

Histopona egonpretneri Deeleman-Reinhold, 1983

17
(14)

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Male prosoma length: 2.6 mm, female prosoma length: 2.55 mm, more intense coloured as H. conveniens with contrasting pattern; genitalia as in fig.

Histopona luxurians (Kulczyński, 1897)

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Male prosoma length: 2.6 mm, female prosoma length: 2.8 mm,  paler in colouration and lacking the contrasting pattern on the abdomen; genitalia as in fig.

Histopona conveniens (Kulczyński, 1914)

18
(13)

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Retrolateral tibial apophysis bifid with broad finger-shaped dorsal process and small ventral peak. Epigyne and vulva as in fig.

Histopona sinuata (Kulczyński, 1897)

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Retrolateral tibial apophysis differently shaped. Epigyne and vulva as in fig.

Histopona vignai Brignoli, 1980

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(12)

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Male prosoma length: 2.12 mm, female prosoma length: 2.50 mm; conductor relatively long and narrow; epigyne and vulva as in fig.

Histopona strinatii (Brignoli, 1976)

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Male prosoma length: 2.9 mm, female prosoma length: 3.65 mm. Conductor relatively short and broad. epigyne and vulva as in fig.

Histopona isolata Deeleman-Reinhold, 1983

This key is a kind contribution of Angelo Bolzern.

Further taxa

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1. Histopona breviemboli Dimitrov, Deltshev & Lazarov, 2017

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2. Histopona kurkai Deltshev & Indzhov, 2018

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3. Histopona petrovi Isaia & Mammola, 2019