Characteristics & Similar species
The Clusiodes albimanus species group, characterized by three dorsocentral bristles and distally white fore tarsi, is represented in North America by four species. Clusiodes johnsoni is by far the most common and widespread member of the group, occurring throughout much of the northeast and northwest. There are also scattered records of C. johnsoni from the southwestern United States and central Canada.

The relatively uncommon eastern species C. americanus and C. apiculatus are similar to Clusiodes johnsoni but differ in having dark (rather than white) shoulders, entirely yellow fore femora (rather than with an inner-distal spot)

The uncommon western species Clusiodes niger is almost identical to C. johnsoni in underlying colour pattern (both species vary from relatively pale to quite dark), and both species have stout male vibrissae and identical male genitalia. These two taxa may prove to be to the same species, but at the moment relatively dark-coloured specimens are treated as Clusiodes niger.