Pseudopoda xiaozhua J. Zhang, H. Yu & Y. Zhong, 2025

Pseudopoda xiaozhua J. Zhang, H. Yu & Y. Zhong sp. nov.

Figs 1 View Figure 1 , 16 View Figure 16 , 17 View Figure 17 , 18 View Figure 18 , 19 View Figure 19 , 28 D View Figure 28

Holotype.

♂ ( YNZY 003 ), China: • Yunnan Pro.: Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Luechun Co., Huanglianshan Mt. , 22.99 ° N, 102.46 ° E, c. 1940 m, by hand, 16 IV 2024, Y. Zhong & S. Yang leg. GoogleMaps Paratypes: • 1 ♂ 2 ♀ ( YNZY 004 , YNZY 018 , YNZY 019 ), same data as holotype GoogleMaps .

Etymology.

The specific name is derived from the Chinese pinyin xiǎo zhuǎ, which means ‘ small claw’, referring to the embolic tip, which is shaped like an unguiculus; noun in apposition.

Diagnosis.

The males of new species can be easily distinguished from those of all other congeners by a combination of the following characters: (1) embolus (E) almost as long as tegulum (T), nearly column-shaped, distally with a small claw-shaped tip (ET), as in Figs 16 A View Figure 16 , 17 A, B View Figure 17 , 18 A – C View Figure 18 (vs. embolus (E) not as above); (2) tegulum (T) with a heavily sclerotised, strongly expanded tegular apophysis (TA), as in Figs 16 A View Figure 16 , 17 A, B View Figure 17 , 18 A – C View Figure 18 (vs. tegular apophysis (TA) absent). Female of P. xiaozhua sp. nov. is very similar to that of P. mingshengi Yang & Zhang, 2022 in the general appearance of the median field (MF) and vulva, but can be recognised by: (1) anterior margin of epigyne (aEF) with two small v-shaped incisions that are well separated by at least 3 × widths (vs. two wide incisions closely spaced, aEF nearly W-shaped) (cf. Fig. 19 A, B View Figure 19 and Yang et al. 2022: figs 2 D, 3 D); (2) membranous sac (MS) disc-shaped, located at posterior portion of vulva, anterior margin not beyond the contact point of lateral lobes (LL) (vs. membranous sac (MS) triangular, located at central portion, posterior margin beyond the contact point) (cf. Fig. 19 C View Figure 19 and Yang et al. 2022: figs 2 E, 3 E).

Description.

Male ( YNZY 003). Total length 10.9. Carapace 5.5 long, 5.2 wide; anterior width 2.7. Opisthosoma 5.4 long, 3.6 wide. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.31, ALE 0.44, PME 0.36, PLE 0.42, AME – AME 0.19, AME – ALE 0.09, PME – PME 0.27, PME – PLE 0.41, AME – PME 0.37, ALE – PLE 0.37, CH AME 0.58, CH ALE 0.45. Spination: palp: 131, 101, 2101; Fe: I – III 323, IV 321; Pa: I – IV 101; Ti: I – II 2026, III – IV 2126; Mt: I – II 1014, III 2024, IV 3036. Measurements of palp and legs: palp 8.4 (2.7, 1.3, 1.4, 3.0), I 27.7 (7.4, 3.5, 6.3, 7.8, 2.7), II 30.3 (8.1, 3.0, 8.2, 8.3, 2.7), III 23.0 (6.5, 2.4, 6.0, 6.2, 1.9), IV 26.6 (7.6, 2.4, 6.5, 7.9, 2.2). Cheliceral furrow with ~ 50 denticles.

Colouration in ethanol (Fig. 18 D, E View Figure 18 ). DS yellowish brown, marked with numerous small spots along radial grooves, clothed with fine hairs; lateral bands and median band inconspicuous, not distinctly delimited; cervical groove not distinct, fovea and radial grooves distinct. Cheliceral base light brown, with red fang. Sternum yellowish-white, margin slightly darker. Endites and labium coloured as cheliceral base. Legs coloured as DS, with numerous spots, and bearing short spines. OS oval, dorsum laterally with bright patterns, centrally with Y-shaped median band, with a pair of circular dots on each side of the median band, posteriorly with large ‘) (‘ - shaped black pattern, transverse line indistinct; venter of OS medially with a pair of diagonal broken lines.

Palp (Figs 16 View Figure 16 , 17 View Figure 17 , 18 A – C View Figure 18 , 28 D View Figure 28 ). Femur and patella unmodified. Tibia (Ti) moderately long, ca. 2 / 5 cymbium length, with retrolateral apophysis (RTA) arising proximally to medially; RTA bifurcated, with ventral part (vRTA) and dorsal branch (dRTA): dRTA finger-like, distinctly long, nearly as long as tibia, almost reaching cymbial bulge (CB); vRTA humble and broad base and papilliform apex, ca. 1 / 2 of dRTA length. Cymbium (Cy) ca. 2.1 × longer than wide, basoretrolaterally with distinct, nearly triangular bulge (CB). Tegulum (T) egg-shaped, ca. 1.15 × longer than wide, relatively flattened, prolatero-apically slightly excavated, with heavily sclerotised tegular apophysis (TA); spermophor (Sp) distinct, V-shaped in ventral view. Tegular apophysis (TA) strongly expanded, inserted at apico-prolateral portion of tegulum; proximally exposed and petal-shaped; mesially and distally digitiform, hidden behind embolus. Embolus (E) almost as long as tegulum (T); basally and mesially thick and robust, nearly column-shaped, originated at ~ 8–9 o’clock; embolic tip (ET) distinctly narrowed and curved, claw-shaped in ventral view, apex sharp, terminated at ~ 11 o’clock position. Conductor (C) membranous, ca. 1 / 2 of the embolus length, extending obliquely, arising at ca. 1 o’clock position from tegulum, terminating at c. 11 o’clock position; conductor (C) proximally narrowed, its tip widened, shaped like the membranous wing of hymenoptera, directed prolaterally and apically beyond embolic tip (ET).

Female ( YNZY 004). Total length 13.4. Carapace 6.3 long, 5.5 wide; anterior width 3.3. Opisthosoma 7.1 long, 5.1 wide. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.32, ALE 0.47, PME 0.37, PLE 0.41, AME – AME 0.18, AME – ALE 0.07, PME – PME 0.32, PME – PLE 0.51, AME – PME 0.42, ALE – PLE 0.42, CH AME 0.63, CH ALE 0.51. Spination: palp: 131, 101, 2121, 1014; Fe: I – III 323, IV 321; Pa: I – IV 101; Ti: I – IV 2026; Mt: I – II 1014, III 2024, IV 3036. Measurements of palp and legs: palp 8.0 (2.5, 1.3, 1.7, 2.5), I 21.4 (6.4, 2.8, 5.1, 5.3, 1.8), II 22.4 (6.8, 2.6, 5.6, 5.7, 1.7), III 18.9 (6.0, 2.5, 4.8, 4.5, 1.1), IV 21.0 (6.5, 2.4, 5.3, 5.5, 1.3). Cheliceral furrow with ~ 56 denticles. Colouration in ethanol as in males, but generally distinctly darker (Fig. 19 D, E View Figure 19 ).

Epigyne (Fig. 19 A – C View Figure 19 ). Epigynal field ca. 1.5 × wider than long; anterior margin (aEF) trilobate, with two small v-shaped incisions that are well separated by at least 3 × widths; anterior bands (AB) indistinct, situated at the two incisions. Median field (MF) nearly heart-shaped, relatively small, no more than 1 / 3 epigyne length and 1 / 4 epigyne width. Lateral lobes (LL) distinctly longer than wide, slightly converged on the central axis; anterior margins (amLL) distinctly procurved and delimited; median margins (mmLL) touching each other along the middle line in anterior half; posterior margins (pmLL) with incision (PI) on each side. Copulatory openings (CO) indistinct, located at anterolateral margins of median field (MF). First windings (FW) represented by translucent, membranous short tube, starting from near copulatory openings (CO), descending obliquely, moving laterally to basolateral surfaces of spermathecae (S), ca. 1 / 2 of epigyne length. Spermathecae (S) clavate, at least 2.7 longer than diameters; surface wrinkled, provided with several depressions and anterior hump; spermathecae (S) widely separated by ca. 2.4 × diameters. Membranous sac (MS) disc-shaped, located at posterior portion of vulva; anterior margin separated from epigastric fold by ca. 1 / 3 epigyne length, reaching the contact point of median margins of lateral lobes (mmLL); posterior margin close to the epigastric fold. Fertilization ducts (FD) acicular, membranous, nearly 1 / 2 spermathecae length, proximally covered by membranous sac (MS).

Distribution.

Presently known only from the type locality (Fig. 1 View Figure 1 ).