Pseudopoda yejiachangensis Zhang, Chen, Liu, Jager & Hu 2025, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Zhang, He
name: Chen, Hailun
name: Zhang, Fan
name: Liu, Jie
name: Jäger, Peter
name: Fan, Qiangyong
name: Cheng, Lin
name: Hu, Changhao
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Sparassidae
Pseudopoda
Pseudopoda yejiachangensis

description: Pseudopoda yejiachangensis Zhang, Chen, Liu, Jäger & Hu sp. nov.
Figs 6, 7, 11
Type material.
Holotype male: China, • Jiangxi Province: Shangrao City, Yanshan County, Jiangxi Wuyi Mountain National Nature Reserve, Yejiachang, 27°50'37"N, 117°44'00"E, alt. 889 m, 13 September 2024, Chenliang Li & Wanyu Li leg. (XTU, INS-R 001).
Etymology.
The specific name is derived from the type locality; adjective.
Diagnosis.
Males of P. yejiachangensis Zhang, Chen, Liu, Jäger & Hu, sp. nov. resemble those of P. shuqiangi Jäger & Vedel, 2007, P. lushanensis (Wang, 1990), and P. jiugongensis Zhang, Jäger & Liu, 2023 (cf. figs 6 A – D vs. figs 73–76 in Jäger and Vedel 2007, figs 4 A – C, 5 A – C in Quan et al. 2014, and figs 132 A – C in Zhang et al. 2023) by having a similar long filiform E and similar simple RTA, but can be recognised from P. shuqiangi by: 1) subterminal E with a tiny tooth-shaped EP, and 2) width of RTA obviously thinner than Ti in venter view (vs. E without EP, width of RTA almost equal to Ti in P. shuqiangi); it can be recognised from P. lushanensis by: 1) E thin throughout its entire length, except embolic base, 2) subterminal E with a tiny tooth-shaped EP, and 3) RTA broad throughout its entire length, arising from Ti proximally (vs. both basal and proximal E broad, EP absent, and RTA finger-shaped, arising subdistally from Ti in P. lushanensis); it can be recognised from P. jiugongensis by: 1) E arising from T at 9 o’clock position, 2) subterminal E with a tiny tooth-shaped EP, and 3) RTA broad throughout its entire length, arising from Ti proximally (vs. E arising from T at 10: 30 o’clock position, EP absent, and RTA finger-shaped with a blunt tip, arising medially from Ti in P. jiugongensis).
Description.
Male (holotype): Measurements: Small-sized. Body length 8.3, CA length 3.7, width 3.6; OS length 4.5, width 2.7. Eyes: AME 0.17, ALE 0.29, PME 0.20, PLE 0.27, AME – AME 0.13, AME – ALE 0.06, PME – PME 0.25, PME – PLE 0.32, AME – PME 0.26, ALE – PLE 0.23, CH AME 0.31, CH ALE 0.30. Spination: Pp 131, 101, 3000; Fe I 523, II 323, III 322, IV 331; Pa I – II 001, III – IV 000; Ti I 1118, II 1116, III – IV 2126; Mt I – IV 2024. Measurements of palp and legs: Pp 5.7 (1.9, 0.8, 0.9, –, 2.1), I 18.1 (4.8, 1.3, 5.4, 4.9, 1.7), II 19.7 (5.7, 1.4, 5.7, 5.2, 1.7), III 14.9 (4.6, 1.2, 4.1, 3.8, 1.2), IV 17.2 (5.3, 1.1, 4.7, 4.6, 1.5). Leg formula: II-I-IV-III. Chelicerae with 3 promarginal, 4 retromarginal teeth, and c. 33 intermarginal denticles.
Palp (Figs 6 A – D): as in diagnosis. T spherical. C long and membranous, arising from T in 12 o’clock position. E long and filiform, arising in 9 o’clock position from T; E running retrolaterally first, then distally, finally ventrally to distally; subterminal E with a tiny tooth-shaped EP. Length of RTA almost same as Ti.
Colouration (Figs 7 A, B): CA yellow, with brown spots and dense cover of setae, both latter forming two lateral bands. Fovea dark. Sternum yellow. Legs yellow, with brown spots and spine patches. OS yellow, dorsum with dark brown margin and brown patches pairwise arranged, posteriorly fused, venter with some small brown spots and dark transversal patch posteriorly.
Female: Unknown.
Distribution.
Known only from the type locality (Fig. 11).
Remarks.
This species was collected from the same mountain range as P. papilionacea Zhang, Jäger & Liu, 2023. However, both sexes of P. papilionacea are known (Zhang et al. 2023). In addition, the nearest species of the genus, P. longxiensis Zhang, Jäger & Liu, 2023, is distributed about 150 km from this species (outside the endemic range of most Pseudopoda species, personal observation), and the distinct differences of habitus (e. g., CA with brown patterns and dense cover of setae vs. CA with black spots, without setae) (cf. figs 7 A, B vs. figs 156 A, B in Zhang et al. 2023) indicating that they are likely not conspecific. Further research and future findings are needed to resolve this ambiguity conclusively.
description: Published as part of Zhang, He, Chen, Hailun, Zhang, Fan, Liu, Jie, Jäger, Peter, Fan, Qiangyong, Cheng, Lin & Hu, Changhao, 2025, Four new species of Pseudopoda Jäger, 2000 (Araneae, Sparassidae, Heteropodinae) from China and Vietnam, pp. 231-245 in ZooKeys 1230 on pages 231-245, DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1230.142418