Heteropoda verticalis, Korai & Jäger, 2024

Korai, Shakal Khan & Jäger, Peter, 2024, Five new species of Heteropoda Latreille, 1804 spiders (Araneae: Sparassidae) from Southeast Asia, Zootaxa 5481 (2), pp. 241-259 : 254

Heteropoda verticalis spec. nov.

Figs 9A–E , 11

Type material. Holotype male: MALAYSIA: Sabah State: Tongod District, Maliau Basin Conservation Area , 5°19′26″N, 117°00′59″E, 385 m, 17 October 2015, L.Y. Wang & G.Q. Huang leg. ( CBEE).

Etymology. The specific name is derived from the Latin adjective verticalis , -is, -e, meaning vertical, referring to the shape of the dorsal part of RTA in retrolateral view.

Diagnosis. This new species can be distinguished from all other Heteropoda species by the special tegular process located in proximal half of tegulum, with pointed apex, and relatively sharp in prolateral view ( Jäger 2008: figs 366–386). The male of this new species is most similar to Heteropoda martinae Jäger, 2008 , but can be distinguished from the latter by the following characters: 1. Distal part of conductor approximately straight, acuminate, and extending beyond retrolateral cymbial margin in ventral view (distal part slightly S-shaped, broader and not extending beyond retrolateral cymbial margin in H. martinae ); 2. dRTA long with long and roughly straight proximal section and widened tip in retrolateral view (not as long and with sharp tip in H. martinae ); 3. vRTA with distinct hump and enclosing almost a 90° angle with dRTA (inconspicuous and enclosing a distinctly obtuse angle with dRTA in H. martinae ) ( Figs 9A–C ).

Description. Male (holotype): Measurement: BL 10.9; PL 5.8, PW 5.0; AW 3.9; OL 5.1, OW 2.9. Eyes: AME 0.24, ALE 0.34, PME 0.29, PLE 0.42, AME–AME 0.13, AME–ALE 0.07, PME–PME 0.22, PME–PLE 0.38, AME–PME 0.30, ALE–PLE 0.32, CH AME 0.37, CH ALE 0.25. Spination: Palp 131, 101, 2121,–; Fe I–IV 323; Pa I–IV 101; Ti I–II 2326, III 2226, IV 2126; Mt I–II 1014, III 2024, IV 3036. Measurements of palp and leg: Palp 7.1 (2.3, 1.1, 1.4, –, 2.2); I 25.2 (6.5, 2.3, 7.1, 6.8, 2.3); II 29.1 (7.7, 2.4, 8.6, 7.9, 2.4); III 21.8 (5.9, 1.9, 6.2, 5.7, 1.8); IV 24.4 (6.8, 2.3, 6.2, 7.0, 1.9). Leg formula: II–I–IV–III. Cheliceral furrow with 3 promarginal, 4 retromarginal teeth and ca. 35 denticles.

Palp as in diagnosis. RTA arising subdistally from tibia. Cymbium at least two times as long as tegulum. Conductor arising in a 10:00-o’clock-position from tegulum. Embolus arising in a 6-o’clock-position from tegulum, running a semi-circle. Spermophor slightly curved, and undulating retrolatero-proximally, best seen in retrolateral view. Tegular process situated distally of embolus base, with pointed apex and additional hump, the latter best seen in retrolateral view ( Figs 9A–C ).

Colouration in ethanol. Dorsal shield of prosoma yellowish-brown to reddish-brown, with conspicuous dark patches around fovea, with lateral and posterior margins dark. Chelicerae deep yellowish to reddish-brown. Labium, sternum, and gnathocoxae yellowish-brown. Opisthosoma dorsally yellowish-brown, with distinct dark markings laterally, in posterior half with dark bridge; ventrally yellowish-brown, without distinct pattern ( Figs 6D–E ).

Female: Unknown.

Distribution. Malaysia (Sabah State) ( Fig. 11 ).

Notes. Although females of H. papilionacea spec. nov. occur syntopically, the present species is not considered conspecific. For reasons see notes there.

Figures

FIGURES 6A–C. Heteropoda cuspidata spec. nov., holotype male from Malaysia, Sabah, Mount Trusmadi. A–C Left male palp (A prolateral, B ventral, C retrolateral). Scale bars: A–C 1 mm.

FIGURES 9A–E. Heteropoda verticalis spec. nov., holotype male from Malaysia, Sabah, Maliau Basin Conservation Area. A–C Left male palp (A prolateral, B ventral, C retrolateral); D–E Habitus (D dorsal, E ventral). Abbreviations: C—conductor; dRTA—dorsal branch of RTA; E—embolus; SP—spermophor; T—tegulum; TP—tegular process; vRTA—ventral branch of RTA. Scale bars: A–C 0.5 mm; D–E 2 mm.

FIGURE 11. Locality records of the examined Heteropoda material.