Three new species of Huntsman spider (Pseudopoda Jäger 2000) from Qizimeishan National Nature Reserve

NEWS - A spider survey in Qizimeishan National Nature Reserve in Xuan’en County, southwest Hubei Province, adjacent to the northeastern edge of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, discovered three new species: arc huntsman spider (Pseudopoda arcuata ♀), Qizimeishan huntsman spider (Pseudopoda qizimeishanensis ♂ ♀) and Mian Wei huntsman spider (Pseudopoda weimiani ♂ ♀).

The reserve covers a total area of 345.5 km2 and the highest peak is about 2010 meters. It mainly protects the central subtropical mountain evergreen broadleaf forest and subalpine sphagnum swamp wetland area. The reserve is rich in wildlife resources and has been listed as a key biodiversity area in the China Biodiversity Conservation Action Plan.

Pseudopoda Jäger 2000 is the largest genus of the Sparassidae Bertkau 1872 with 256 species. Currently, 155 species of Pseudopoda are known in China. This genus is a small to large spider that lives mainly in leaf litter and less frequently in plants.

P. arcuata derives its specific epithet from the Latin word meaning "arch-shaped" referring to the curved LL. Females resemble P. allantoides Zhang, Jäger & Liu 2023, but P. arcuata can be recognized by its horizontally elongated S and FD appearing anterior to the S (vs. S elongated longitudinally and FD appearing medial to the S).

P. qizimeishanensis derives its specific epithet from the type locality, Mount Qizimeishan. Males resemble P. baoshanensis Zhang, Jäger & Liu 2023, but P. qizimeishanensis can be recognized by the long RTA and occurs in the basal part of Ti, T without prolateral growth and E tip pointing towards 11 o'clock (vs. short RTA, occurs in the medial part of Ti, T with prolateral growth, E tip pointing towards 7 o'clock).

Females resemble P. nanyueensis Tang & Yin 2000, but P. qizimeishanensis can be recognized by the long S, with wrinkles, almost parallel to the anterior edge of LL (vs. S without wrinkles and extending horizontally).

P. weimiani is named after one of the collectors, Mian Wei. Males resemble P. hongqi Deng, Zhong, Irfan & Wang 2023, but P. weimiani can be recognized by the short-smooth RTA and twisted EP (vs. RTA long and gradually narrowing towards the tip, EP without twists, terminal not exceeding E).

Females resemble P. taipingensis Zhang, Jäger & Liu 2023, but P. weimiani can be recognized by the nearly straight posterior margin of the LL, parallel to the anterior margin and the S with a clear bend in ventral view (vs. the W-shaped posterior margin of the LL, the S with a tube-like structure).

Pseudopods are widely distributed throughout China with 155 species accounting for about 61% of the world's total species. The majority are found in the southwest region, especially in the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, with 84 species highlighting the rich biodiversity and varied topography.

Qizimeishan National Nature Reserve, part of the northeastern extension of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, has a diverse landscape with elevations ranging from 650 to 2010 meters. This variation creates a variety of microclimates and habitats that support a variety of species. However, research on spiders in this area is still limited.

Original research

Chang J, Zhang H, Liu J, Zhu Y, Liu C, Chen K, Hu C (2024) Three new species of Pseudopoda Jäger, 2000 (Araneae, Sparassidae, Heteropodinae) from Qizimeishan National Nature Reserve of Hubei, China. ZooKeys 1214: 143-160, DOI:10.3897/zookeys.1214.130101

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