Pseudopoda caoguii Zhang, Chen, Liu, Jäger & Hu, 2025

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, ZooKeys 1230, pp. 231-245 : 231-245

Pseudopoda caoguii Zhang, Chen, Liu, Jäger & Hu sp. nov.

Figs 4 , 5 , 11

Type material.

Holotype female: China, • Yunnan Province: Zhaotong City, Weixin County, Daxueshan Forest Farm , 27°52'48"N, 104°46'29"E, alt. 1560 m, 21 July 2024, Gui Cao leg. ( CBEE, LJ 2024001 ).

Etymology.

The specific name is derived from the name of the collector; noun in genitive case.

Diagnosis.

Females of P. caoguii Zhang, Chen, Liu, Jäger & Hu , sp. nov. resemble those of P. langyaensis Zhang, Jäger & Liu, 2023 (cf. figs 4 A – C vs. figs 140 A – C in Zhang et al. 2023) by having wide U-shaped anterior margins of LL and spherical S, but can be distinguished by: 1) the posterior margins of LL almost straight, 2) body colouration light yellowish-brown (vs. posterior margins of LL distinctly lobed and body colouration reddish-brown in P. langyaensis ).

Description.

Female (holotype): Measurements: Medium-sized. Body length 12.6, CA length 4.8, width 4.3; OS length 7.3, width 4.1. Eyes: AME 0.18, ALE 0.22, PME 0.19, PLE 0.29, AME – AME 0.22, AME – ALE 0.14, PME – PME 0.32, PME – PLE 0.34, AME – PME 0.21, ALE – PLE 0.28, CH AME 0.36, CH ALE 0.35. Spination: Pp 121, 101, 3130, 3030; Fe I 313, II 323, III 322, IV 321; Pa I – II 101, III 001, IV 000; Ti I – II 2226, III – IV 2126; Mt I – II 2024, III 2124, IV 3036. Measurements of palp and legs: Pp 7.2 (2.2, 1.0, 1.5, –, 2.5), I 22.9 (6.5, 1.8, 6.6, 5.8, 2.2), II 24.9 (7.2, 2.0, 7.1, 6.3, 2.3), III 17.6 (5.5, 1.8, 4.7, 4.1, 1.5), IV 19.5 (6.2, 1.5, 5.0, 4.9, 1.9). Leg formula: II-I-IV-III. Chelicerae with 3 promarginal, 4 retromarginal teeth, and c. 25 intermarginal denticles.

Epigyne (Figs 4 A – C ): as in diagnosis. EF wider than long, with distinct AB. LL touching each other along median line, anterior margins of LL forming a wide “ U ”. FW membranous, with straight lateral margins, covering whole IDS. FD short and narrow.

Colouration (Figs 5 A, B ): CA yellow, with black spots, median band of CA lighter than rest, fovea reddish-brown. Sternum light yellow. Legs yellow, with black spots. OS dorsally orange, with black marks, median band of OS lighter than rest; ventrally with a reddish-brown patch medially.

Male: Unknown.

Distribution.

Known only from the type locality (Fig. 11 ).

Remarks.

This species might potentially be conspecific with P. taoi Zhang, Jäger & Liu, 2023 , given that the two localities are only about 20 kilometres apart. However, there are distinct somatic differences in the female compared to the male of P. taoi , including: 1) yellow to orange habitus vs. reddish-brown habitus, 2) OS dorsally with several dark regularly arranged spots vs. OS dorsally dark brown with some light spots, 3) OS ventrally with a reddish-brown patch in middle part behind epigastric furrow vs. OS ventrally without such distinct patch, 4) prosoma dorsally with distinct light median band without dark pattern inside and only few dark dots in lateral parts vs. median band with distinct dark pattern anterior, along and posterior of fovea and distinct dark pattern, partly fused in lateral parts (cf. figs 5 A, B vs. figs 241 A, B in Zhang et al. 2023). These differences indicate that the present material likely represents a different species than P. taoi . Moreover, Pseudopoda species have a very similar colouration pattern in both sexes and colour dimorphisms are almost absent. Further research and future findings are needed to resolve this ambiguity conclusively.

Figures

Figure 4. Pseudopoda caoguii Zhang, Chen, Liu, Jäger & Hu, sp. nov., female A epigyne, ventral B vulva, dorsal C schematic course of internal duct system, dorsal. Abbreviations: AB, anterior bands; CO, copulatory opening; FD, fertilization duct; FW, first winding; LL, lateral lobes; S, spermathecae. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.

Figure 5. Habitus of female Pseudopoda caoguii Zhang, Chen, Liu, Jäger & Hu, sp. nov. A dorsal B ventral. Scale bars: 2 mm.

Figure 11. Distribution map of the four new Pseudopoda species 1 P. campylotropa Zhang, Chen, Liu, Jäger & Hu, sp. nov. 2 P. caoguii Zhang, Chen, Liu, Jäger & Hu, sp. nov. 3 P. yejiachangensis Zhang, Chen, Liu, Jäger & Hu, sp. nov. 4 P. ornithorhynchus Zhang, Chen, Liu, Jäger & Hu, sp. nov.