New species of Pseudopoda Jäger, 2000 from Southern China (Araneae, Sparassidae)

Abstract Four new species of the huntsman spider genus Pseudopoda Jäger, 2000 are described from Southern China: Pseudopoda acuminata sp. n. from Suiyang County, Guizhou Province, P. emei sp. n. from Emei Mountain, Sichuan Province, P. lacrimosa sp. n. from Fugong County and Tengchong County, Yunnan Province, and P. robusta sp. n. fromJinyun Mountain, Chongqing Municipality.

The genus Pseudopoda, established by Jäger (2000), belongs to the subfamily Heteropodinae Thorell, 1873. After that, Jäger (2001) made a major revision on Himalayan representatives and described 51 new species, for which he proposed five species groups. Jäger and Vedel (2007) revised the genus Pseudopoda of Yunnan Province, China and described 15 new species, they discussed species groups proposed by Jäger (2001) with respect to the new results of their study. Several papers with descriptions of species from Asia have been published. Seven new species from India (Jäger 2001(Jäger , 2002(Jäger , 2008a, five new species from Laos (Jäger 2007;Jäger et al. 2006;Jäger and Praxaysombath 2009), two new species from Japan (Jäger and Ono 2002;Ono 2009;) and one new species from Vietnam (Jäger and Vedel 2005), have been described. Several papers also included transfers, twelve taxa were transferred from Heteropoda to Pseudopoda (Jäger 2000(Jäger , 2001(Jäger , 2002Jäger and Yin 2001) and two taxa from Sinopoda to Pseudopoda (Jäger 2001;Jäger and Vedel 2007). To date, 98 species of the genus Pseudopoda have been recorded from Asia, of which 37 have been recorded from China (Jäger 2008b;Jäger and Ono 2001;Liu et al. 2008;Sun and Zhang 2012;Tang and Yin 2000;Xu and Yin 2000;Yang and Chen 2008;Yang and Hu 2001;Yang et al. 2009;Zhang and Kim 1996).
During the examination of spider specimens collected from Southern China, four new species, P. acuminata sp. n., P. emei sp. n., P. lacrimosa sp. n. and P. robusta sp. n. were recognized and are here described. The systematic position of the new species within the genus is discussed. A distribution map of the new Pseudopoda species in China is also provided.

Material and methods
All specimens were kept in 75% ethanol and examined, drawn and measured under a Nikon SMZ1500 stereomicroscope, equipped with a camera lucida. Photos were taken with a Leica M205A stereomicroscope equipped with a DFC450 CCD camera. Measurement system mostly follows Jäger (2000). Carapace length was measured from the anterior margin to the rear margin of the carapace medially in dorsal view. Two eye rows were described in dorsal view. Eye sizes were measured as the maximum diameter of the lens in dorsal or frontal view. The measurements of legs are shown as: total length (femur, patella, tibia, metatarsus, tarsus). Spine notation follows Davies (1994). Spines are listed for each segment in the following order: prolateral, dorsal, retrolateral, ventral; a three digit formula indicates ventral spines missing. The epigyne was cleared in a warm solution of potassium hydroxide (KOH), transferred to 75% ethanol for drawing. All measurements are in millimeters. All specimens studied are deposited in the Museum of Hebei University (MHBU, curator: Prof. Guodong Ren), Baoding, China and School of Life Science, Southwest University, Chongqing, China (SWUC, curator: Prof. Zhisheng Zhang).
Etymology. The specific name is derived from the Latin word 'acuminatus, -a, -um', meaning 'acuminate', referring to the acute shape of the embolic projection; adjective.
Diagnosis. Male and female of P. acuminata sp. n. resemble those of P. contentio Jäger & Vedel, 2007 by: embolus sickle-shaped and bent in a semicircle, embolic projection small, anterior margins of lateral lobes diagonal, internal duct system visible through cuticle in a ventral view as large, rather elongated patches. They are distinguished from the latter species by the following combination of characters: embolic projection spine-shaped (Figs 4,11,13); dorsal branch of retrolateral tibial apophysis slightly curved, ventral branch as a small hump (11)(12); anterior rims of lateral lobes curved, running more diagonal and pointing 30° anterio-laterally (Figs 8,14); extending part of lateral lobes more narrow in dorsal view (Figs 9,15); posterior end of first winding of internal duct system covered by lateral lobes (Figs 9, 15).
Comments. Males of Pseudopoda acuminata sp. n. could be included in the Pseudopoda martensi-group (Jäger, 2001). Males of Pseudopoda martensi-group are characterized by: embolus sickle shaped, strongly flattened, and arising in a prolateral position on the tegulum, first bending in a retrolateral direction and then running in a distal direction; small embolic projection present. Females are difficult to distinguish (Jäger 2001). Etymology. The specific name refers to the type locality, the mountain Emei; noun in apposition.
Diagnosis. Males of P. emei sp. n. resemble those of P. virgata (Fox, 1936), P. kalinchoca Jäger, 2001 andP. khimtensis Jäger, 2001 by the strongly flattened embolus and long embolic tip, but can be distinguished by the following combination of characters: basal and middle part of embolus very broad, but with slender tip, embolic tip filiform, curving slightly upward (27)(28), prolateral margin of embolus with a small embolic projection, embolic projection shorter than 1/3 length of embolic tip (Figs 21,28). Females can be distinguished from those of other Pseudopoda species by: posterior epigynal field wider than anterior part; anterior margin of the lateral lobes  distinctly curved and pointing anterior-laterally (Figs 25, 30); lateral lobes large, with distinct ridges in dorsal view, the length of lateral margin of lateral lobes almost equal to that of median margin in dorsal view (Figs 26,31); posterior half of first winding of internal duct system covered by lateral lobes (Figs 26, 31).
Distribution. Emei Mountain, Sichuan Province, China. Comments. Males of Pseudopoda emei sp. n. could be included in the Pseudopoda martensi-group by: embolus sickle-shaped, strongly flattened, and arising in a prolateral position on the tegulum, first bending in a retrolateral direction and then running in a distal direction; small embolic projection present. Etymology. The specific name is derived from the Latin word 'lacrimosus, -a, -um', meaning 'lachrymal', referring to the tear-drop shape of the epigynal median field; adjective.

Pseudopoda lacrimosa
Diagnosis. Males of P. lacrimosa sp. n. resemble those of P. everesta Jäger, 2001 by the embolus with almost equal length of tip and projection, but can be distinguished by the following combination of characters: tip of embolus thin and long (Figs 37, 44); embolic projection large, strip-like (43)(44); tip of embolus and embolic projection pointed (44)(45); retrolateral tibial apophysis with a small tooth on anterior margin of ventral branch (44)(45). Females resemble those of P. diversipunctata group by: anterior edges of lateral lobes oval and constrict; internal borders of lateral lobes not touching each other, but can be distinguished from other species of this group by: median field of epigyne narrow, almost tear-drop-shaped (Figs 41,46); lateral lobes almost as an oblique rectangle, anterior margins of lateral lobes distinctly curved, bracket shaped and pointing medially (Figs 42, 47).
Distribution. Maji Town, Fugong County, Yunnan Province, China; Jietou Town, Tengchong County, Baoshan City, Yunnan Province, China.  Comments. Females of Pseudopoda lacrimosa sp. n. could be included in the P. diversipunctata-group (Jäger, 2001). Females of this group are characterized by: lateral lobes of epigyne touching each other only at posterior part, the first winding of internal duct system running from laterally to the median line and the loop situated ventrally (Jäger 2001). On the other hand, males of P. lacrimosa sp. n. have long embolic projection and tip, which could place them in the P. latembola-group (Jäger 2001). Etymology. The specific name is derived from the Latin word 'robustus, -a, -um', meaning 'strong', referring to the robust retrolateral tibial apophysis; adjective.
Diagnosis. Males of P. robusta sp. n. resemble those of P. sinapophysis Jäger & Vedel, 2007 by the simple embolus conformation, but can be distinguished by the following combination of characters: embolus large and long, flagelliform (59)(60); RTA massive in ventral view, with blunt tip (60)(61). Females of P. robusta sp. n. resemble those of P. diversipunctata group by: lateral lobes of epigyne touching each other only at posterior part; anterior edges of lateral lobes constrict, but can be distinguished from other species of this group by: median field of epigyne wider than long, distinctly U-shaped (Figs 57,62); anterior margin of the LLs pointing anteriorly (Figs 57, 62); internal duct system with visible lateral loops in dorsal view (Figs 58,(63)(64), the first winding wide, its length twice its width (Figs 58, 63-64).

Comments.
Females of Pseudopoda robusta sp. n. could be included in the P. diversipunctata-group by: lateral lobes of epigyne touching each other only at posterior part. On the other hand, males of P. robusta have simple embolus conformation, which could be considered really different and not similar to any group.