Sinopoda guap, Jäger, Peter, 2012

Jäger, Peter, 2012, Revision of the genus Sinopoda Jäger, 1999 in Laos with discovery of the first eyeless huntsman spider species (Sparassidae: Heteropodinae), Zootaxa 3415, pp. 37-57 : 49-50

Sinopoda guap spec. nov.

Figs 46-54, 81

Type material: Holotype: female, LAOS: Khammuan Province: Tham Nam Non, 25 km SE Na Hin , N18°01'42.3'', E104°41'24.0'', [260 m altitude] river cave in limestone, by hand, 16 February 2004, H. Steiner leg., field number 118/04 ( SMF, PJ 3370 ) .

Additional material examined. 1 juvenile, with same data as for holotype except: 15 February 1999, Lordon & Vacquie leg., field number LAO-070 NamNon1 ( SMF, PJ 3371 ) .

Diagnosis. Medium sized Heteropodinae , body length of female: 13.6. Females (Figs 51-54) may be distinguished from other Sinopoda spp . by having six small lenses without pigments with AME lacking (Fig. 50). Epigynal pockets forming unique circular margin around copulatory atrium. Lateral lobes fused, strongly developed, bulging ventrally and with two distinct posterior lobes. Internal duct system diverging from copulatory openings, only posterior part subparallel.

Etymology. The species name is derived from the Lao word “guap” meaning "almost, nearly" and referring to the almost completely reduced eyes; term in apposition. Pronunciation note: the vowel “ua” of the Lao alphabet is pronounced as “ür” in the German “Tür”.

Description. Female (holotype): Prosoma length 5.8, prosoma width 5.0, anterior width of prosoma 2.8, opisthosoma length 7.8, opisthosoma width 3.4. AME including lenses and pigments absent, remnants of lenses of ALE, PME and PLE present (Fig. 50): ALE 0.15, PME 0.03, PLE 0.05. Spination: Palp: 131, 101, 2121, 1114; legs: femur I-III 323, IV 321(211); patella I-IV 000; tibia I 20 (2)26, II-III 2226, IV 21 (0)26; metatarsus I-II 1014, III 2014, IV 3026. Ventral leg metatarsus I without distal bristles, II with a single bristle, III with a bunch of short bristles distally, IV with distal bunch of bristles and a double row of bristles along entire length. Leg formula: 2143. Measurements of palp and legs: Palp 10.9 (3.3, 1.4, 2.6, -, 3.6), leg I 32.4 (9.1, 3.0, 9.8, 8.3, 2.2), leg II 35.3 (9.6, 3.5, 11.0, 9.0, 2.2), leg III 31.4 (8.8, 3.2, 9.2, 8.1, 2.1), leg IV 32.2 (8.9, 2.8, 9.3, 8.9, 2.3). Cheliceral furrow with 3 anterior and 4 posterior teeth, and with restricted patch of denticles close to anterior teeth. Margin of chelicerae close to fang base with one bristle. Palpal claw with 9 teeth. Sternum (Fig. 49), ventral coxae and femora, distal legs as well as frontal chelicerae with long setae, otherwise with short setae.

Copulatory organ as in diagnosis (51-54). Epigynal field wider than long, with only short and narrow anterior bands, no slit sensilla could be recognised. Glandular appendages short, only seen in lateral view, duct system simple, almost linear with one widened chamber in the middle part. Many sclerotised spheres present dorsally along posterior margin of internal duct system.

Colouration in ethanol (Figs 46-50): Yellowish-brown without pattern. Dorsal prosoma with gnathocoxae, labium and cephalic part slightly darker than thoracic part, fovea marked reddish-brown. Chelicerae strongly reddish-brown.

Male. Unknown.

Distribution. Only known from the type locality (Fig. 81).