Pseudopoda ashcharya, Jaeger, Peter & Kulkarni, Siddharth, 2016

Jaeger, Peter & Kulkarni, Siddharth, 2016, An unexpected new species of the genus Pseudopoda (Araneae, Sparassidae, Heteropodinae) from the Western Ghats in India, ZooKeys 577, pp. 55-62 : 56-59

Taxon classification Animalia Araneae Sparassidae

Pseudopoda ashcharya sp. n. Figs 1-9, 10-17, 18

Type material.

Holotype male, India, Maharashtra State, Devrukh, 17.068°N, 73.626°E [180 m elevation], leaf litter, 30 August 2013, PJ 3630, SD 1221 (SMF). Paratypes: 1 female, India, Maharashtra State, Guravwadi, 16.876°N, 73.645°E [100 m elevation], leaf litter, 2 September 2013, PJ 3631, SD 1222 (SMF). 1 male, India, Maharashtra State, Guravwadi, 16.876°N, 73.645°E [100 m elevation], leaf litter, S. Kulkarni leg., by hand, 15 August 2015, Sp. 316 (BNHS).

Etymology.

The species name is taken from the Hindi, “ashcharya” meaning “surprise”, referring to the unexpected occurrence of the genus Pseudopoda in the Western Ghats, more than 1400 km away from the closest congener; term in apposition.

Diagnosis.

Small Heteropodinae, body length male 8. 4, female 8. 3. Males similar to those of Pseudopoda species described in Jäger (2015), Pseudopoda ohne Logunov & Jäger 2015 and Pseudopoda wu in having the conductor entirely reduced, most similar to Pseudopoda pingu Jäger 2015, Pseudopoda wamwo Jäger 2015 and Pseudopoda martinschuberti Jäger 2015 in having the embolus roughly sickle-shaped in ventral view, but can be distinguished from these species by the mesal embolic outgrowth (Figs 1-4). Females may be recognised by the medially fused lateral lobes, the unique pointed glandular appendages and by the sublobal pockets (Figs 5-9).

Description.

Male (holotype). DS length 4.3, width 3.8, anterior width 1.9, OS length 4.1, width 2.1. Eyes: diameters AME 0.22, ALE 0.35, PME 0.27, PLE 0.33; interdistances AME–AME 0.14, AME–ALE 0.05, PME–PME 0.17, PME–PLE 0.37, AME–PME 0.37, ALE–PLE 0.33, clypeus height at AME 0.49, at ALE 0.40. Spination: palp: 131, 11(small, distal)1, 2101; legs: femur I–II 323, III 322, IV 331; patella I–IV 101; tibia I–IV 2026; metatarsus I–II 1014, III 2025, IV 3036. Metatarsus IV ventrally with double row of bristles along entire length and with patch of bristles instead distal spine, I–III with scopula, without bristles. Leg formula: 2(14)3. Measurements of palp and legs: palp 6.0 (2.0, 0.8, 1.1., -, 2.1), leg I 19.7 (5.2, 2.1, 5.8, 4.9, 1.7), leg II 20.4 (5.5., 2.1, 6.0, 5.1, 1.7), leg III 15.8 (4.4, 1.7, 4.5, 3.9, 1.3), leg IV 19.7 (5.5, 1.6, 5.2, 5.7, 1.7). Promargin of chelicerae with 3 teeth, retromargin with 4 teeth; cheliceral furrow with ca. 15 denticles in patch close to anterior teeth; chelicerae with 1 bristle close to retromargin of fang base.

Palp as in diagnosis (Figs 1-4). Cymbium slender, with dorsal scopula in distal half, retrolateral bulge with small, proximad hump. RTA arising proximally to mesally, vRTA with 2 small pointed apices, dRTA with blunt end. Spermophor running submarginally retrolaterally, narrowing prolaterally when entering the embolus. Embolus arising from 9- to 10- o’clock-position from tegulum, with small hump at its base centrally, its widened tip situated close to a dense brush of setae at the proximal part of cymbium’s tip.

Colouration (Figs 10-13): Light yellowish brown with brown markings. DS dotted, with narrow dark longitudinal band running from PME to posterior end of fovea and slightly darker lateral margins as well as indistinct submarginal band. Sternum, labium, gnathocoxae and coxae ventrally pale yellowish without pattern. Chelicerae yellowish brown with two distinct longitudinal bands frontally and one indistinct band laterally, in distal half with dots. Legs spotted, femora with additional spine patches. OS dorsally with alternating dark and light bands in anterior half and paired patches in posterior half; laterally spotted; ventrally with dark triangle in front of spinnerets.

Female. DS length 4.0, width 3.4, anterior width 1.9, OS length 4.3, width 2.0. Eyes: diameters AME 0.19, ALE 0.32, PME 0.26, PLE 0.30; interdistances AME–AME 0.13, AME–ALE 0.05, PME–PME 0.15, PME–PLE 0.35, AME–PME 0.33, ALE–PLE 0.32, clypeus height at AME 0.49, at ALE 0.39. Spination: palp: 131, 101, 2121, 1014; legs: femur I–III 323, IV 321; patella I 001, III–IV 101; tibia I–IV 2026; metatarsus I–II 1014, III 2025, IV 3036. Metatarsus IV ventrally with double row of bristles along entire length and with patch of bristles instead distal spine, I–III with scopula, without bristles. Leg formula: 2413. Measurements of palp and legs: palp 5.4 (1.6, 0.8, 1.2, -, 1.8), leg I 15.4 (4.3, 1.8, 4.2, 3.7, 1.4), leg II 16.5 (4.7, 1.9, 4.5, 4.0, 1.4), leg III 12.7 (3.8, 1.5, 3.2, 3.0, 1.2), leg IV 15.8 (4.6, 1.5, 4.0, 4.2, 1.5). Promargin of chelicerae with 3 teeth, retromargin with 4 teeth; cheliceral furrow with 20-21 denticles in slightly elongated patch close to anterior teeth; chelicerae with 1 bristle close to retromargin of fang base. Palpal claw with 6 teeth.

Copulatory organ as in diagnosis (Figs 5-9). Epigyne wider than long, epigynal field without distinct anterior bands. Lateral lobes rounded at their posterio-lateral margin, protruding distinctly over epigastric furrow at about half of their length, with pockets between lateral parts and epigastric furrow; fused along the median line with indistinct external ledges and internal "fusion bubbles" ( Jäger and Krehenwinkel 2015). Internal duct system with first winding bulging laterally, spermathecae situated postero-laterally. Fertilisation duct arising posteriorly from spermathecae, apical end antero-mediad.

Colouration (Figs 14-17): As in male but inner frontal band on chelicerae developed as row of dots, lateral band lacking.

Distribution.

Known from two localities in the Western Ghats in India (Fig. 18).