The identity of Pardosa luciae Tongiorgi, said to occur in the Swiss Alps, is discussed. It is argued that the description was based on a misplaced male palp of the Nearctic species P. uintana Gertsch. Consequently, P. luciae is removed from current synonymy with the European species P. trailli (O. P.-Cambridge) which is known from Britain and Scandinavia (distribution meapped). Within the P. nigra group of species, P. trailli (with Lycosa carnifex Collett here placed as junior synonym), P. eiseni (Thorell) and P. uintana constitute a close group of species sharing a helical configuraton of the apical part of the embolus. Characteristics of these species and of P. giebeli (Pavesi), endemic to the Central European Alps, are illustrated.