Pseudopoda shuyue, Deng & Zhong & Irfan & Wang, 2023

Deng, Ming-Qin, Zhong, Yang, Irfan, Muhammad & Wang, Lu-Yu, 2023, Four new species of the spider genus Pseudopoda Jäger, 2000 (Sparassidae) from Yintiaoling Natural Reserve of Chongqing, China, Zootaxa 5257 (1), pp. 5-16 : 7-11

Pseudopoda shuyue sp. n.

Figures 2 , 11–21

Type material. Holotype male (SWUC-T-SP-02-01), China, Chongqing Municipality, Wuxi County, YNR, Linkouzi Administrative Station , Fenshuihe , 31°29′47″N, 109°55′33″E, elev. 1796 m, 13 April 2022, L.Y. Wang, Z.S. Zhang, F. Lu, B. Luo and B. Tan leg. Paratype: 1 female, (SWUC-T-SP-02-02), with same data as for holotype .

Etymology. The specific epithet is taken from the name of Ms. Shuyue Wang, the newborn of Luyu Wang; noun (name) in apposition.

Diagnosis. Male of Pseudopoda shuyue sp. n. can be distinguished from all other congeners by: vRTA somewhat crown-shaped in retrolateral view ( Figs 11 , 12, 17, 18). Epigyne of P. shuyue sp. n. resembles that of P. wuxi sp. n. in having a similar morphology of epigynal field (Figs 13C, 20; Figs 24 , 31) but can be distinguished by the anterior part of epigynal field with two distinct grooves separated by median septum in P. shuyue sp. n. (Figs 13, 20; grooves and medium septum absent, median field of epigyne sheet like, covering the copulatory opening in P. wuxi sp. n.).

Description. Male holotype ( Figs 2 , 15 ) total length 9.11. Prosoma 4.63 long, 4.17 wide; Opisthosoma 4.96 long, 3.31 wide. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.21, ALE 0.35, PME 0.24, PLE 0.29; AME–AME 0.20, AME– ALE 0.07, PME–PME 0.32, PME–PLE 0.42, ALE–PLE 0.39. MOA 0.85 long, anterior width 0.59, posterior width 0.83. Clypeus height 0.36. Chelicerae with 3 promarginal and 4 retromarginal teeth. Leg measurements: I 19.46 (5.40, 7.54, 4.73, 1.79); II 20.33 (5.88, 7.69, 5.05, 1.71); III 17.14 (5.12, 6.37, 4.05, 1.60); IV 18.12 (5.47, 6.07, 4.74, 1.84). Leg formula: 2143.

Palp ( Figs 11 , 12, 16–18): RTA with two branches; vRTA as wide as long with wave-like distal margin; dRTA longer than wide, gradually narrowing towards the tip; tegulum ventrally grooved, retrolaterally proximal half strongly bulged; spermophor running along retrolateral margin of tegulum. Embolus arising from 8-o’clock-position on tegulum, moderately curved with horn-shaped embolic projection; apical end of embolus dorsally grooved in retrolateral view, with pointed tip in prolateral view; conductor membranous, sheet-like.

Coloration ( Figs 2 , 15 ): Carapace yellowish, with many dots and linear trident pattern. Fovea brown. Chelicerae, labium, gnathocoxae and sternum yellowish. Legs yellowish, with small spots and slightly larger spine patches. Dorsal opisthosoma yellowish, with distinct brown pattern, posterior half with the narrow transversal light chevron line, two pairs of sigilla, venter yellowish, with black patches.

Female (SWUC-T-SP-02-02, Fig. 19 ) total length 10.05. Prosoma 4.64 long, 4.20 wide; opisthosoma 5.40 long, 3.80 wide. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.20, ALE 0.30, PME 0.22, PLE, 0.31; AME–AME 0.22, AME–ALE 0.12, PME–PME 0.31, PME–PLE 0.37, ALE–PLE 0.33. MOA 0.77 long, anterior width 0.57, posterior width 0.81. Clypeus height 0.36. Leg measurements: I 14.73 (4.23, 5.57, 4.43, 1.50); II 16.57 (4.95, 6.20, 3.94, 1.48); III 13.55 (4.20, 4.72, 3.27, 1.36); IV 14.74 (4.42, 4.95, 3.96, 1.41). Leg formula: 2143. Female opisthosoma pattern same as in male, except darker in color.

Epigyne (Figs 13, 14, 20, 21): Epigynal field wider than long, anterior margin with a pair of distinct grooves; lateral lobes as wide as long, posteriorly narrowing, touching each other medially, posterior margins of lateral lobes somewhat inverted V-shaped; first windings of internal duct system quite visible in dorsal view, posterior half covered by lateral lobes; internal duct system sinuous, covered by the lateral lobes in dorsal view; fertilization ducts laterad in dorsal view.

Distribution. Known only from the type locality, Yintiaoling Natural Reserve, Chongqing, China.

Figures

FIGURES 11–14. Pseudopoda shuyue sp. n. holotype male (11–12) and paratype female (13–14). 11. Left male palp, ventral view; 12. Same, retrolateral view; 13. Epigyne, ventral view; 14. Vulva, dorsal view.Abbreviations: C—conductor; CO—copulatory opening; dRTA—dorsal branch of RTA; E—embolus; EP—embolic projection; FD—fertilization duct; FW—first winding; LL—lateral lobes; Sp—spermatheca; ST—subtegulum; T—tegulum; vRTA— ventral branch of RTA.

FIGURES 15–21. Pseudopoda shuyue sp. n. holotype male (15–18) and paratype female (19–21). 15. Male habitus, dorsal view; 16. Left male palp, prolateral view; 17. Same, ventral view; 18. Same, retrolateral view. 19. Female habitus, dorsal view; 20. Epigyne, ventral view; 21. Vulva, dorsal view.

FIGURES 1–4. Photos of living specimens of Pseudopoda. 1. P. hongqi sp. n. (male); 2. P. shuyue sp. n. (male); 3–4. P. yintiaoling sp. n. (3 male; 4 female). (Photos by Qian-Le Lu).

FIGURES 22–25. Pseudopoda wuxi sp. n. holotype male (22–23) and paratype female (24–25). 22. Left male palp, ventral view; 23. Same, retrolateral view; 24. Epigyne, ventral view; 25. Vulva, dorsal view.Abbreviations: C—conductor; CO—copulatory opening; dRTA—dorsal branch of RTA; E—embolus; EP—embolic projection; FD—fertilization duct; FW—first winding; LL—lateral lobes; Sp—spermatheca; ST—subtegulum; T—tegulum; vRTA— ventral branch of RTA.