Sinopoda steineri, 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 : 39-41

Sinopoda steineri spec. nov.

Figs 1–5 , 81

Type material. Holotype: female, LAOS: Luang Nam Tha Province: Tham Nam Eng, N 20°43'25.5'', E 101°9'18.6'' [730 m altitude], cave in limestone, by hand, 9 February 2005, H. Steiner leg., field number of H. Steiner 091/05 ( SMF, PJ 3383).

Diagnosis. Medium-sized Heteropodinae, body length of female: 12.7. Female ( Figs 1–3 ) intermediate between those of S. taa spec. nov. and S. tham spec. nov. in respect to the shape of epigynal pockets, orientation of lateral furrows, and the shape of the internal duct system, but can be distinguished from females of those species by 1. Parallel part of internal duct system similarly long as in S. tham spec. nov. (longer than in S. taa spec. nov.), but with width at glandular appendages wider than at posterior part (reverse in S. tham spec. nov.), 2. Lobal septum and epigynal pockets forming an anchor (triangle in S. taa spec. nov., broad reverse “T” in S. tham spec. nov.), 3. Lateral furrows long, reaching lateral margins of lateral lobes and running diagonally (mostly longitudinal in S. tham spec. nov., transversal in S. taa spec. nov.).

Etymology. The species is dedicated to Helmut Steiner who collected a large amount of cave spiders and other cave-dwelling animals from SE Asia; name in genitive case.

Description. Female (holotype): Prosoma length 5.6, prosoma width 5.9, anterior width of prosoma 3.1, opisthosoma length 7.1, opisthosoma width 4.1. AME 0.28, ALE 0.42, PME 0.34, PLE 0.43, AME–AME 0.19, AME–ALE 0.05, PME–PME 0.25, PME–PLE 0.38, AME–PME 0.36, ALE–PLE 0.37, clypeus AME 0.40, clypeus ALE 0.35. Spination: Palp: 131, 101, 2121, 1014; legs: femur I–III 323, IV 331; patella I–IV 000; tibia I 1026, II 1(2)026, III–IV 2026; metatarsus I–II 0 0 0 4, III 2016, IV 3036. Ventral metatarsus III with sparse double row of stiff bristles in proximal half, IV with dense double row of bristles along entire length and distal patch of bristles.

Leg formula: 2413. Measurements of palp and legs: Palp 9.4 (2.9, 1.4, 2.1, -, 3.0), leg I 26.2 (7.1, 2.8, 7.5, 6.6, 2.2), leg II 28.8 (7.9, 3.1, 8.5, 7.1, 2.2), leg III 24.5 (7.1, 2.6, 6.9, 5.9, 2.0), leg IV 27.1 (7.6, 2.5, 7.5, 7.2, 2.3). Cheliceral furrow with 3 anterior and 4 posterior teeth, and with ca. 60 denticles in elongated patch close to anterior teeth. Margin of chelicerae close to fang base with one bristle. Palpal claw with 8 teeth. Sternum, ventral coxae and ventral femora covered sparsely with long setae, appendages and body otherwise with shorter setae.

Copulatory organ in diagnosis ( Figs 1–3 ). Epigynal field wider than long, without anterior bands or slit sensilla. Lateral lobes fused, posteriorly with median incision. Epigynal pockets running from latero-posterior to medio-anterior, where copulatory openings are situated. Lateral furrows situated close to lateral ends of pockets, distinct, running to lateral margins of lateral lobes. Lobal septum moderately wide. Glandular appendages narrow, pointed, reaching posteriorly only barely posterior half of internal duct system. Posterior part of spermathecae bulging slightly laterally, fertilisation ducts arising posterio-laterally. Membranous expandable sac (as in Figs 19, 23 ) between fertilisation ducts reaching anterior end of internal duct system when expanded [dissected and stored in microvial]. Sclerotised spheres present along one epigynal pocket.

Colouration in ethanol ( Figs 4–5 ): Yellowish- to reddish-brown. Dorsal prosoma yellowish-brown with fovea and cuticular radial pattern reddish-brown. Sternum, ventral coxae and gnathocoxae yellowish-brown, labium reddish-brown with distal part brighter. Chelicerae deep reddish-brown. Legs deep yellowish-brown. Dorsal opisthosoma with irregular pattern especially in posterior half, ventral opisthosoma without pattern, but with velvet-like appearance through dense cover of setae.

Male. Unknown.

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

Figures

FIGURE 81. Records of Sinopoda spp. in Laos.

FIGURES 1 – 3. Sinopoda steineri spec. nov., holotype female from Ban Nam Eng, Luang Nam Tha, copulatory organ. 1 Epigyne, ventral; 2 Vulva, dorsal; 3 Schematic course of internal duct system, dorsal. EP—epigynal pockets, GA—glandular appendage, LF—lateral furrow, LL—lateral lobes, LS – lobal septum, PP—posterior part of spermathecae.

FIGURES 4 – 13. Sinopoda spp., habitus (4 – 11 preserved, 12 – 13 alive). 4 – 5 Sinopoda steineri spec. nov., holotype female from Ban Nam Eng, Luang Nam Tha; 6 – 13 Sinopoda tham spec. nov. from Oudomxai (6 – 7 holotype male from Chom Ong Cave System; 8 – 9 paratype female from Chom Ong cave system; 10 – 11 female from Tham Mokfek, 12 – 13 uncaught specimens from Chom Ong Cave systems). Photos 12 – 13 by H. Steiner.

FIGURES 18 – 23. Sinopoda tham spec. nov., females from Oudomxai, copulatory organ (18, 22 epigyne, ventral; 19 – 20, 23 Vulva, dorsal; 21 schematic course of internal duct system, dorsal). See text for explanation. LF—lateral furrow, MSe—membranous sac expanded, MSu—membranous sac unexpanded, SS—slit sensillum.