Tarsi of leg I swollen

Hadrotarsus

Tarsi all equal and not swollen

  2  

Anterior median eyes smaller than other eyes

  3  

Anterior median eyes larger, eyes in two rows, males without scutum

  4  

Anterior median eyes very small, the other eyes in two groups, male opisthosoma with scutum, body length  1.2 - 1.5 mm

Pholcomma

Anterior median eyes smaller than the other eyes, eyes closely positioned together, semi-circular, opisthosoma without scutum, oval, but slightly longer than wide, males slim

Coscinida

Anterior and posterior lateral eyes separated from each other at least by one diameter

Latrodectus

Lateral eyes hardly separated from each other, nearly touching each other

  5  

Tarsi longer than metatarsi, small spiders, body length 1-2 mm

  6  

Tarsi shorter than metatarsi, body longer than 1.5 mm

  8  

Opisthosoma sclerotized, with humps

Phoroncidia

Opisthosoma not sclerotized, rounded

  7  

Male clypeus with conus-shaped projection, female unknown

Carniella

Clypeus not modified

Theonoe

Male with conspicuous frontal protrusions, opisthosoma conus-like extended, southern Europe

  9  

Male without frontal protrusions, opisthosoma different

  11  

General colouration light brown, opisthosoma uniformely light brown, without mottling, extruded into a long protrusion

Rhomphaea

Opisthosoma not extruded into a long protrusion

  10  

General colouration dark brown, opisthosoma with bright white shining guanine dots

Argyrodes

General colouration uniformely light brown, opisthosoma truncated, ending up with several humps

Neospintharus

Opisthosoma in females wider than long, with lateral protrusions, shiny, black and yellow or uniformely black coloured (except Theridula aelleni)

Theridula

Different

  12  

Opisthosoma elongate, clearly longer than wide, triangular,  truncated, slim in males

Episinus

Opisthosoma spherical or of different shape

  13  

Prosoma elevated, chelicerae short, anterior median eyes mostly larger than posterior median eyes, female pedipalp with comb-like claw, females with four receptacula

  14  

Prosoma comparably flat, chelicerae long,  anterior median eyes not larger than posterior median eyes, claw of female pedipalp not modified, females with two receptacula

  15  

Opisthosoma pointed, spinnerets visible in dorsal view, cheliceral claw long,  trichobothrium of metatarsus I at 0.8 - 0.9

Euryopis

Opisthosoma rounded, protruding over the spinnerets which therefore are not visible from dorsally,  , cheliceral claw mostly short, trichobothrium of metatarsus I at 0.3 - 0.5, only in  Dipoena braccata at 0.7 (trichobothrium difficult to detect)

incl. listed genera below

Dipoena

Dipoenata

Lasaeola

Phycosoma

Yaginumena

Colulus clearly protruding or invaginated and replaced by 2 setae

  16  

Colulus lacking

  22  

Colulus large and clearly visible, female chelicerae with 0 - 2 teeth at the posterior claw margin

  17  

Colulus invaginated, only detectable due to the 2 setae, female chelicerae with 4 teeth at the posterior claw margin

  21  

Prosoma rough

  18  

Prosoma smooth

  20  

Sternum comparably broad and posteriorly truncated, cymbium of the male pedipalpus with a prolateral projection, chelicerae in both sexes similar, body length 2 - 3 mm, colulus clearly visible, covered with 2 setae

Crustulina

Sternum posteriorly pointed, cymbium not modified, male chelicerae often enlarged, body length of European species 3.5 - 13.0 mm, colulus large, with 6 - 8 setae

  19  

Striking body colouration, opisthosoma dark with yellow spots or markings,  femora of the males thickened and ventrally with thorns

Asagena

Body colouration different, femora of the males ventrally not with thorns

Steatoda

Sternum protruding between coxae IV, opisthosoma often with dorsal pattern (except E. thoracica), male chelicerae strongly enlarged,  with distinct teeth, female chelicerae with one tooth at the posterior claw margin, receptacula seminis regularly rounded

Enoplognatha

Sternum not protruding between coxae IV, opisthosoma uncoloured grey to brown, chelicerae in both sexes similar, chelicerae with 2 teeth at the posterior claw margin, receptacula seminis posteriorly narrowed

Robertus

Male pedipalpus with conspicuous bristles, epigyne inconspicuous, without scapus, southern Europe

Kochiura

Bristles of the male pedipalpus different, epigyne with scapus

Anelosimus

Opisthosoma higher than long

  23  

Opisthosoma not higher than long

  27  

Opisthosoma with dorsal hump or conical

  24  

Opisthosoma without dorsal hump, rounded

  26  

Small, body length 1.2 - 1.6 mm, dark colouration, with irregular pattern of bright dots

Achaeridion

Larger, body length 1.7 - 4.1 mm

  25  

Bright body colouration, opisthosoma conically extended, with white or dark patterns of stripes or conspicuous spiny bristles

Chrysso

Body length 1.7 - 3.2 mm, body colouration bright or dark brown, opisthosoma with inconspicuous hump and with bright motting, introduced to Central Europe, only in greenhouses

Cryptachaea

Conductor exceeds cymbium clearly, epigynal depression large

Parasteatoda

Conductor does not exceed cymbium, epigynal depression and entrance duct small, inconspicuous

Cryptachaea

Tibiae I-IV with 1/1/1/1 setae

  28  

Sequence of setae at tibiae I-IV different, mostly 2/2/1/2

  29  

Trichobothrium at metatarsus III present, position of trichobothrium at metatarsus I-II at 0.9 - 0.95, body colouration bright yellow with black mottling

Platnickina

Trichobothrium at metatarsus III lacking, body colouration mainly red to orange brown, opisthosoma with dorsally serrated folium pattern

Simitidion

Legs, prosoma and opisthosoma with long, protruding bristles, metatarsi  dorso-basally with a long bristle, at hind legs longer, male pedipalp large and very prominent, with strongly sclerotized embolus, southern Europe

Anatolidion

Bristles of legs and body inconspicuous, metatarsi dorso-basally without long bristle

  30  

Sternum posteriorly wide, coxae IV by this widely separated, tibiae I-IV with 2/1/1/1 setae, metatarsus III without trichobothrium, body length 1.2 - 2.0 mm, legs relatively short

  31  

Sternum posteriorly pointed, metatarsus III with trichobothrium, body length 2-4 mm, legs longer

  32  

General colouration bright yellow  to bright brown, sometimes mottled

Paidiscura

General colouration bright red brown, southern Europe

Ruborridion

Tibiae I-IV with 2/2/1/1 setae, body length 2.5 - 3.0 mm, general colouration yellow–reddish, opisthosoma dorsally with ample black area, male pedipalpus very voluminous

Sardinidion

Tibiae I-IV with 2/2/1/2 setae, body length 2-4 mm

  33  

Male chelicerae clearly elongated, tarsal claws smooth or with a few small denticles, egigyne as figure

Rugathodes

Male chelicerae less elongated, tarsal claws with several large lateral teeth, epigyne different

  34  

Male opisthosoma constricted, anteriorly with a sclerotized ring , forming two lobes, each with setae, epigyne as figure, introduced to Europe, only in greenhouses

Coleosoma

Different

  1  

Ocular area of males slightly elevated when seen in a side view, with short hairs between median eyes, females with conspicuous protruding epigynal depression, northern Europe

Thymoites

Different

  36  

Male pedipalpal tibia with slim excrescence, male pedipalp with voluminous subtegulum, tegulum and numerous spermophor loops, cymbium apically with tubercular projection,  epigyne as figure, general colouration yellow, males with black spots

Heterotheridion

Different

  37  

Trichobothrium at metatarsi I-II at 0.6 - 0.7, body unicoloured reddish-brown, body length of males 3 - 4 mm, of females 4 - 6 mm; male pedipalp and epigyne as figure, introduced to Europe, only in greenhouses

Nesticodes

Position of the trichobothrium at metatarsus I-II in the basal half

  38  

Phylloneta

Different

  39  

Male clypeus projecting, cheliceral apodemes do not reach anterior median eyes, integument shiny, sparsely  pilose, opisthosoma of some species with small dorsal hump, legs long, slender, male epigaster not projecting, femur of the male pedipalpus long (0.7 - 1.1 mm), cymbium large, overtopping the bulbus

Neottiura

Male clypeus not projecting, cheliceral apodemes nearly reach anterior median eyes, integument faint, pilose, legs relatively short, male epigaster usually projecting, femur of the male pedipalpus short (0.3 - 0.6 mm), cymbium not modified, opisthosoma often with  undulated dorsal folium pattern

incl. genera listed below

Theridion

Canalidion

Ohlertidion