Key for the South and West African species of the Laonice -genus

1. Prostomium obviously fused anteriorly with peristomium (in dorsal view)......................................... 2

- No obvious anterior fusion (in dorsal view) of prostomium and peristomium....................................... 3

2. Anterolateral corners of prostomium fused with peristomuim by a thin fold, clearly visible in dorsal view (Figure 3 B, arrow); nuchal organ until chaetiger 20........................................................... L. cricketae sp. nov.

- Prostomium and peristomium forming anteriorly an entire head lobe; nuchal organ present on over 30 anterior segments..................................................................................... L. antipoda Sikorski, 2011

3. Capillaries arranged in more than two vertical rows in anterior chaetigers; genital pouches appear from chaetiger 5–6 and the number of segments bearing pouches could be from 4 to 10.................................... L. galatheae sp.nov.

- Capillaries arranged in two vertical rows in anterior chaetigers; GP=32............................... L. olgae sp.nov.