Pseudopoda yangae J. Zhang, H. Zhang & Y. Zhong 2025, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Zhang, Jianshuang
name: Pan, Tianqin
name: Zhang, He
name: Xing, Yuanqian
name: Yu, Hao
name: Zhong, Yang
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Sparassidae
Pseudopoda
Pseudopoda yangae

description: Pseudopoda yangae J. Zhang, H. Zhang & Y. Zhong sp. nov.
Figs 1, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 28 E, F
Pseudopoda breviducta Zhang, Zhang & Zhang, 2013 in Zhang et al. 2013 a: 279, figs 29–31, 35, 36 (♀ only, ♂ mismatched).
Holotype.
♂ (YNZY 001), China: • Yunnan Pro.: Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture: Pingbian Co., Daweishan National Park, 22.94 ° N, 103.70 ° E, c. 2365 m, by hand, 14 IV 2024, Y. Zhong & S. Yang leg. Paratypes: • 3 ♂ 4 ♀ (YNZY 002, YNZY 005, YNZY 006, YNZY 008, YNZY 017, YNZY 020, YNZY 021), same data as holotype.
Etymology.
The specific name is dedicated to Ms. Siyu Yang (Xianning, China), collector of several specimens examined in this study.
Diagnosis.
The males of the new species resemble those of P. amelia Jäger & Vedel, 2007; P. putaoensis Zhao & Li, 2018; and P. zhangi Fu & Zhu, 2008 in having a ɔ-shaped embolus (E) (Figs 20 A, 22 B; Jäger and Vedel 2007: figs 32, 33; Jiang et al. 2018: figs 18 A, B, 19 A, B; Fu and Zhu 2008: fig. 4), but differs by: (1) dorsal branch of RTA (dRTA) blade-shaped, reaching basal part of cymbium (Cy) (vs. distinctly shorter, not reaching cymbial base in P. amelia; finger-like in P. putaoensis and P. zhangi) (cf. Figs 20 A, B, 21 B, 28 E, F and Jäger and Vedel 2007: figs 33, 34 and Jiang et al. 2018: figs 18 B, C and Fu and Zhu 2008: figs 4, 5); (2) in retrolateral view, ventral branch of RTA (vRTA) claviform and distinctly protruding (vs. papilliform in P. amelia, laminar in P. putaoensis and P. zhangi, humble and barely protruding in P. amelia, P. putaoensis and P. zhangi) (cf. Figs 21 B, 28 E, F and Jäger and Vedel 2007: fig. 34 and Jiang et al. 2018: fig. 18 C and Fu and Zhu 2008: fig. 5). Female of P. yangae sp. nov. is similar to that of P. emei F. Zhang, B. S. Zhang & Z. S. Zhang, 2013 by the similarly shaped median field (MF), but can be recognised by: (1) anterior bands (AB) indistinct (vs. distinct) (cf. Fig. 23 A, B, D, E and Zhang et al. 2013 b: fig. 25 and Jäger et al. 2015: figs 24, 29); (2) in dorsal view, lateral lobes (LL) without ridges, length of lateral margin of lateral lobes distinctly longer than that of median margin (mmLL) (vs. with distinct ridges, length of lateral margin almost equal to median margin) (cf. Fig. 23 C, F and Zhang et al. 2013 b: figs 26, 31 and Jäger et al. 2015: fig. 25); (3) first winding (FW) distinctly thinner, ca. 1 / 15–1 / 20 of epigyne width, widely separated by ca. 15–17 × diameters (vs. relatively thicker, ca. 1 / 10–1 / 12 of epigyne width, separated by ca. 5 × diameters) (cf. Fig. 23 C, F and Zhang et al. 2013 b: figs 26, 31 and Jäger et al. 2015: fig. 25); (4) first winding (FW) entirely covered by lateral lobes (LL) (vs. anterior half of first winding (FW) exposed, not covered by lateral lobes (LL)) (cf. Fig. 23 C, F and Zhang et al. 2013 b: figs 26, 31 and Jäger et al. 2015: fig. 25).
Description.
Male (YNZY 001). Total length 7.5. Carapace 3.9 long, 3.6 wide, anterior width 1.9. Opisthosoma 3.6 long, 2.4 wide. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.19, ALE 0.31, PME 0.24, PLE 0.31, AME – AME 0.13, AME – ALE 0.04, PME – PME 0.20, PME – PLE 0.27, AME – PME 0.29, ALE – PLE 0.26, CH AME 0.29, CH ALE 0.20. Spination: palp: 131, 101, 2101; Fe: I – III 323, IV 321; Pa: I – IV 101; Ti: I – II 2126, III – IV 2226; Mt: I – II 1014, III 2024, IV 3036. Measurements of palp and legs: palp 6.0 (2.1, 1.0, 1.1, 1.8), I 19.2 (5.4, 1.8, 5.2, 5.1, 1.7), II 20.9 (5.7, 1.9, 5.8, 5.5, 2.0), III 15.3 (4.0, 1.4, 4.3, 4.1, 1.5), IV 17.6 (5.2, 1.6, 4.7, 4.5, 1.6). Cheliceral furrow with ~ 32 denticles.
Colouration in ethanol (Fig. 22 D, E). DS yellowish, marked with numerous small spots along radial grooves, lateral bands slightly darker, clothed with fine hairs; median band bright yellowish-brown, not distinctly delimited to lateral bands, with indistinct Ψ-shaped markings starting from behind PER, almost reaching fovea; fovea and striae distinctly marked. Cheliceral base yellowish white, fang reddish. Sternum yellowish white, margin slightly darker. Endites and labium light orange. Legs yellowish white, marked with numerous spots. OS oval, dorsum laterally with a pair of arc-shaped stripes, centrally with short, longitudinal median band, posteriorly with thick transverse line; venter of OS medially with a pair of indistinct, diagonal broken lines, posteriorly with triangular marking.
Palp (Figs 20, 21, 22 A – C, 28 E). Femur and patella unmodified. Tibia (Ti) moderately long, ca. 2 / 3 cymbium length, with retrolateral apophysis (RTA) arising proximally to medially; RTA bifurcated, both ventral and dorsal branches distinctly protruding: dorsal branch (dRTA) blade-shaped, basally slightly curved, no more than 1 / 2 of the tibia length; ventral branch (vRTA) almost as long as dRTA, claviform, basally and distally slightly widened, medially slightly narrowed. Cymbium (Cy) ca. 2.1 × longer than wide, retrolaterally with distinct blunt bulge (CB). Tegulum (T) elongate-oval, proximally strongly bulged and prolapsed, distinctly excavated on prolatero-apical side to accommodate embolus (E); spermophor (Sp) distinct, U-shaped in ventral view, oriented clockwise along tegular margin. Embolus (E) robust, slightly longer than tegulum, more or less ɔ-shaped in ventral view and Ƨ-shaped in prolateral view; embolic base (EB) broadened, inserted prolaterally (approximately 9 o’clock relative to tegulum); embolic tip (ET) distinctly curved, terminated at ~ 12 o’clock position, apex sharply pointed, directed prolaterally. Conductor (C) situated apically, irregularly shaped, covering embolic tip (ET) in prolateral and ventral views.
Female (YNZY 002). Total length 9.7. Carapace 4.5 long, 4.3 wide, anterior width 2.5. Opisthosoma 5.2 long, 3.8 wide. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.22, ALE 0.36, PME 0.28, PLE 0.34, AME – AME 0.20, AME – ALE 0.11, PME – PME 0.26, PME – PLE 0.39, AME – PME 0.38, ALE – PLE 0.37, CH AME 0.45, CH ALE 0.36. Spination: palp: 131, 101, 2121, 1014; Fe: I – III 323, IV 321; Pa: I – IV 101; Ti: I – II 2026, III – IV 2126; Mt: I – II 1014, III 2026, IV 3036. Measurements of palp and legs: palp 6.0 (1.9, 1.1, 1.2, 1.9), I 16.7 (4.8, 2.1, 4.3, 4.1, 1.4), II 17.6 (5.2, 2.2, 4.6, 4.2, 1.5), III 14.1 (4.4, 1.8, 3.5, 3.2, 1.3), IV 15.8 (4.9, 1.7, 3.8, 4.1, 1.5). Cheliceral furrow with ~ 44 denticles. Colouration in ethanol as in males, but generally distinctly darker (Fig. 24 A, B).
Epigyne (Fig. 23 A – C). Epigynal field nearly as wide as long; anterior margin (aEF) recurved, without incision; anterior bands (AB) indistinct. Median field (MF) more or less cordiform, large, more than 1 / 2 epigyne length and 2 / 3 epigyne width, anterior margin (amMF) indistinct. Lateral lobes (LL) distinctly longer than wide; anterior margins (amLL) distinctly delimited, V-shaped; median margins (mmLL) touching each other along the middle line in anterior half; posterior margins (pmLL) curved, with distinct median indentation and distinct posterior incisions (PI) on each side. Copulatory openings (CO) indistinct, located at anterolateral borders of median field (MF). First windings (FW) entirely covered by lateral lobes (LL), represented by translucent, slightly curved long tubes, starting from near copulatory openings (CO), descending longitudinally, almost extending posteriorly to level of posterior parts of spermathecae (S), nearly as long as epigyne. Spermathecae (S) fist-shaped, ca. 1.5 × wider than long; relatively sclerotised, surface wrinkled, provided with several depressions and lateral hump; inner parts of the spermathecae covered by membranous sac (MS), separated by 0.3 × widths. Membranous sac (MS) hyaline, nearly trapeziform, located at posterior portion of vulva; anterior margin separated from epigastric fold by ca. 1 / 2 epigyne length, beyond the contact point of lateral lobes (LL); posterior margin close to the epigastric fold. Fertilization ducts (FD) acicular, membranous, nearly 1 / 2 spermathecae length.
Distribution.
Presently known only from the type locality (Fig. 1).
Comments.
Both males and females exhibit some morphological variation among different individuals: for males, mostly related to different shapes of vRTA and dRTA (vRTA medially slightly narrowed, and dRTA apically more sharp in some males, such as in holotype, YNZY 001 vs. vRTA medially more narrowed, dRTA apically more blunt in some males, such as in YNZY 005; cf. Fig. 28 E and Fig. 28 F); for females, mostly related to different degrees of sclerotization of amMF and curve of amLL (amMF indistinct, amLL relatively straight in some females, such as in YNZY 002 vs. amMF distinct, amLL distinctly curved in some females, such as in YNZY 006; cf. Fig. 23 A, B and Fig. 23 D, E), and the different abdominal pattern (dorsum of abdomen posteriorly with a narrow, W-shaped transverse line in some females, such as in YNZY 002 vs. with a broad, W-shaped transverse band in some females, such as in YNZY 006; cf. Fig. 24 A and Fig. 24 C). However, all molecular species delimitation analyses results show that the different individuals exhibiting considerable morphological variations should be classified as the same species (Fig. 2; for details see the results and discussion section). After careful examination, the variations listed above were determined to be intraspecific differences.
description: Published as part of Zhang, Jianshuang, Pan, Tianqin, Zhang, He, Xing, Yuanqian, Yu, Hao & Zhong, Yang, 2025, Species delimitation of newly collected spiders of the genus Pseudopoda (Araneae, Sparassidae) from Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan, China: An integrated morphological and molecular approach, pp. 141-171 in Zoosystematics and Evolution 101 (1) on pages 141-171, DOI: 10.3897/zse.101.136177