The mitochondrial haplotype network (Fig. 2) showed a dumbbell pattern of two divergent haplogroups, separated by 18 substitutions (groups A and B). Haplogroup A showed several closely related starburst patterns of haplotypic radiations, with most haplotypes divergent by 1–3 substitutions. In contrast, haplogroup B was quite homogeneous and consisted of only four haplotypes. Haplogroup A was found throughout the spider's range. Native European populations from the Iberian Peninsula, Italy, Slovenia and southwestern Germany almost all exclusively carried haplotypes of group A. The distribution of haplotypes within these native populations did not show pronounced geographic structure. A single Iberian specimen carried a haplotype of group B. This same haplotype was found at a much higher frequency in Russian populations (about 30%). Considering the high divergence between haplogroups A and B, Russian populations showed a higher nucleotide diversity than other native ones (π Russia = 0.0122, π Iberia = 0.0036, π Italy = 0.0038), while haplotype diversity was more comparable (HDRussia = 0.841, HDIberia = 0.679, HDItaly = 0.818). Similar to the Russian populations, about 30% of the specimens from the Baltic States also carried haplogroup B. Their haplotype was distinct from the Russian one by a single substitution. Their nucleotide diversity was high, while their haplotype diversity was reduced compared to native populations (π Baltic = 0.0115, HDBaltic= 0.617). An even more pronounced reduction of diversity was found for expanding populations in northeastern Germany, which carried only two slightly divergent haplotypes from group A (π NE‐Germany = 0.0002, HDNE‐Germany = 0.189). In contrast to the mitochondrial data, the 28S rDNA was completely monomorphic across all of Europe, with all 105 sequenced specimens sharing the same 28S alleles.