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 ).