Pseudopoda shuo Zhao & Li

Jiang, Tongyao, Zhao, Qingyuan & Li, Shuqiang, 2018, Sixteen new species of the genus Pseudopoda Jaeger, 2000 from China, Myanmar, and Thailand (Sparassidae, Heteropodinae), ZooKeys 791, pp. 107-161 : 127-128

Pseudopoda shuo Zhao & Li sp. n. Figs 22, 23, 24, 37

Type material.

Holotype ♂: China, Tibet Autonomous Region, Nyingchi Prefecture, Medog County, 44 km of the road of Bomi to Medog, 29°42.516'N, 95°34.650'E, 2787 m, 30 VIII 2015, J. Wu. Paratype: 1 ♀, same data as holotype.

Etymology.

The specific name is derived from the Chinese Pinyin word for ‘gigantism’ ( shuò), referring to the relatively larger bulb on male palp than other Pseudopoda species; noun in apposition.

Diagnosis.

Small-sized Pseudopoda species. Male resembles P. zhangi Fu & Zhu, 2008 (see Fu and Zhu 2008: 657, figs 1-5), P. gogona Jäger, 2001 (see Jäger 2001: 58, figure 36 a–e), P. gibberosa Zhang, Zhang & Zhang, 2013 (see Zhang et al. 2013a: 274, figs 1-12) and P. acuminata Zhang, Zhang & Zhang, 2013 (see Zhang et al. 2013b: 39, figs 1-17) by: 1. tip of embolus sickle-shaped and directing prolaterally (Figure 23A, B); 2. RTA dividing into dRTA and vRTA, dRTA hook-like rather than finger-like (Figure 22B, C). It can be distinguished from the four congeners by the following combination of characters: 1. cymbium shortened, while tegulum swollen, covering a prominently bigger proportion of cymbium in ventral view than in P. zhangi , P. gogona , and P. acuminata (Figure 22B); 2. embolic projection as a small hump on the basal part of embolus (Figure 23A, B; pointed and near the tip of embolus in P. acuminata ; at the same position but far more distinct in P. gibberosa ); 3. single hump arising from tegulum near the base of conductor, humble, almost entirely covered by embolus in ventral view (Figure 23A, B; more distinct and clearly visible in ventral view in P. zhangi ).

Female can be distinguished from other Pseudopoda species except P. contraria Jäger & Vedel, 2007 (see Jäger and Vedel 2007: 31, figs 114-119) and P. zhangi Fu & Zhu, 2008 (see Fu and Zhu 2008: 657, figs 1-5) by: 1. lateral lobes crescent-shaped (Figure 24A, B); 2. internal duct system with loops looming in ventral view as dark shades near the median margin of lateral lobes (Figure 24A); 3. posterior part of first winding of internal duct system hidden in lateral lobes in dorsal view (Figure 24B). It can be distinguished from the two congeners by the following combination of characters: 1. anterior bands poorly developed (Figure 24A; more distinct in P. contraria ); 2. median margin of lateral lobe intensely curved, extending in the anterior half of epigynal field (Figure 24A, B; moderately curved in P. zhangi ).

Description.

Male (holotype). Body length 6.5, DS length 3.3, DS width 2.9, OS length 3.2, OS width 2.0. Eyes: AME 0.14, ALE 0.25, PME 0.17, PLE 0.22, AME- AME 0.12, AME-ALE 0.03, PME-PME 0.20, PME-PLE 0.30, AME-PME 0.28, ALE-PLE 0.24, CH AME 0.28, CH ALE 0.24. Leg formula: II-IV-I-III. Spination: palp 131, 101, 2111; legs: femur I-III 323, IV 332; patella I-III 001, IV 000; tibia I-IV 2026; metatarsus I-II 2024, III 3025, IV 3037. Measurements of palp and legs: palp - (-, 0.7, 0.9, -, 1.6), leg I 12.5 (3.5, 1.5, 3.3, 3.1, 1.1), leg II 13.1 (3.7, 1.5, 3.3, 3.1, 1.1), leg III 11.7 (3.4, 1.4, 3.0, 2.9, 1.0), leg IV 12.9 (3.6, 1.2, 3.3, 3.5, 1.3). Promargin of chelicerae with three teeth, retromargin with four teeth. Cheliceral furrow with ca. 25 denticles.

Palp as in diagnosis. Cymbium relatively shortened compared to other Pseudopoda species. RTA arising basally from tibia (Figure 22 A–C). Sperm duct running submarginally and retrolaterally in tegulum. Embolus arising from tegulum at 10-11 o’clock position. Angle between the tip of embolus and the broad part of embolus is ca. 180°. Conductor arising from tegulum at 12 o’clock position (Figure 23A, B).

Coloration in ethanol: carapace bright brown with dark brown lateral bands. Radial furrows and fovea darker. Dorsal opisthosoma reddish brown with black pattern and a bright transverse band in the posterior half. Legs bright brown, with reddish brown patches (Figure 23C, D).

Female (paratype). Body length 8.8, DS length 3.8, DS width 3.3, OS length 5.0, OS width 3.5. Eyes: AME 0.14, ALE 0.24, PME 0.16, PLE 0.30, AME-AME 0.18, AME-ALE 0.21, PME-PME 0.25, PME-PLE 0.30, AME-PME 0.33, ALE-PLE 0.16, CH AME 0.28, CH ALE 0.24. Leg formula: II-IV-I-III. Spination: palp 131, 101, 1014, 2121; legs: femur I-III 323, IV 331; patella I-IV 000; tibia I-III 2026, IV 2025; metatarsus I-II 2024, III 3025, IV 3037. Measurements of palp and legs: palp 4.1 (1.5, 0.5, 0.7, -, 1.4), leg I 11.5 (3.4, 1.5, 3.0, 2.6, 1.0), leg II 12.2 (3.6, 1.6, 3.2, 2.8, 1.0), leg III 10.6 (3.2, 1.3, 2.8, 2.4, 0.9), leg IV 11.9 (3.5, 1.3, 2.9, 3.1, 1.1). Promargin of chelicerae with three teeth, retromargin with four teeth. Cheliceral furrow with ca. 28 denticles.

Epigyne as in diagnosis. Epigynal field longer in transverse axis, with poorly developed anterior bands and trilobate anterior margin. Lateral lobes longer in transverse axis, curved. Median margin of lateral lobe converged, with the posterior part V-shaped. Posterior incision of lateral lobe indistinct or absent (Figure 24A, B).

Coloration in ethanol: as in male, but generally darker. Ventral opisthosoma with a pair of bright, longitudinal, dashed lines (Figure 24C, D).

Distribution.

Known only from the type locality.