Peter Jäger

Cebrennus Simon, 1880 (Araneae: Sparassidae): a revisionary up-date with the description of four new species and an updated identification key for all species

The spider genus Cebrennus Simon, 1880 is revised again after thirteen years. Four new species are described: Cebrennus atlas spec. nov. from Morocco (female), C. flagellatus spec. nov. from Afghanistan (male), C. laurae spec. nov. from Canary Islands (male), and C. rechenbergi spec. nov. from Morocco (male and female). Cebrennus clercki (Audouin, 1826) comb. nov. is transferred from Philodromidae to Sparassidae and considered a nomen dubium. The holotype of C. aethiopicus Simon, 1880 is illustrated for the first time. Cebrennus tunetanus Simon, 1885 is re-described by illustrating its copulatory organs and some somatic characters, the internal duct system is shown for the first time supporting its placement in Cebrennus. An updated identification key for all species is provided. New records of Cebrennus species are listed: C. wagae (Simon, 1874) is recorded from Libya and Malta for the first time, the latter representing the first record for the entire genus from Europe. C. kochi (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1872) is recorded from Syria, C. aethiopicus from Sudan for the first time. Records from the Canary Islands and from Afghanistan extend the known generic distribution range further to the West and East. Behavioural aspects (burrowing, escaping, mating) of C. rechenbergi and partly of C. villosus (Jézéquel & Junqua, 1966) are described. Photographs of this behaviour as well as of the habitus of several species are provided.

Morphological and molecular taxonomic analysis of Pseudopoda Jäger, 2000 (Araneae: Sparassidae: Heteropodinae) in Sichuan Province, China

The genus Pseudopoda Jäger, 2000 is revised from material collected in Sichuan province. A molecular analysis shows the utility of DNA markers to support taxonomic hypotheses in Sparassidae. Two new species are described: Pseudopoda coenobium spec. nov. from Emeishan (male, female) and Pseudopoda wu spec. nov. from Lugu Lake at the border to Yunnan (male, female). The latter species exhibits a unique reduction of the conductor and a strongly developed embolus. The female of Pseudopoda virgata (Fox, 1936) is described for the first time, the male is redescribed, the known range of the geographical distribution is considerably extended to the East (Baoxing and Tienqiang County), the vertical distribution range is extended from 300 m to slightly more than 2000 m. The male of Pseudopoda signata Jäger, 2001 is described for the first time, the female is redescribed, the known distribution range of this species is extended from Muge Cuo Lake over Kangding town to the valleys of Paomashan, Gonggashan and Yanzi. It shows a strong morphological variation, which may be interpreted as developing subspecies status in different valleys. However, according to results from a molecular analysis it is clearly considered intraspecific variability. Three further species are recorded from Sichuan: Pseudopoda emei Zhang et al., 2013, Pseudopoda sp. cf. yunnanensis (Yang & Hu, 2001) and Pseudopoda rivicola Jäger and Vedel, 2007.

Six new species of the spider family Ochyroceratidae Fage 1912 (Arachnida: Araneae) from Southeast Asia

Five new Althepus species and one new Psiloderces species of the family Ochyroceratidae are described from Southeast Asia: Althepus erectus spec. nov. (male) and A. nophaseudi spec. nov. (male, female) from Laos, A. flabellaris spec. nov. (male, female) from Thailand, A. reduncus spec. nov. (male) from Myanmar, A. spiralis spec. nov. (male) from Malaysia, and Psiloderces dicellocerus spec. nov. (male) from Indonesia. Primary types are deposited in the Senckenberg Research Institute in Frankfurt, Germany (SMF).

Taxonomic revision of the huntsman spider genus Eusparassus Simon, 1903 (Araneae: Sparassidae) in Eurasia

The huntsman spider genus Eusparassus Simon, 1903 in Eurasia is revised to include 13 valid species. The type species is redescribed, and additional diagnostic characters are presented for the genus. Neotypes are designated for Eusparassus dufouri Simon, 1932 from Portugal, and Eusparassus walckenaeri (Audouin, 1826) from Egypt to establish their identity. Consequently, Eusparassus kronebergi stat. nov. Denis, 1958 from Afghanistan and Eusparassus doriae stat. nov. (Simon, 1874) from central Iran, which were considered junior synonyms of E. walckenaeri, are re-established as valid species. Three new combinations are proposed: Eusparassus xerxes (Pocock, 1901) comb. nov. from Makran coast in Pakistan and Iran, E. maynardi (Pocock, 1901) comb. nov. from Baluchistan in Pakistan and E. pearsoni (Pocock, 1901) comb. nov. from Ghats in India (all transferred from the genus Olios Walckenaer, 1805). The latter two species are proposed as valid species and are removed from junior synonymy with E. xerxes comb. nov. Lectotypes and paralectotypes are designated for: E. kronebergi stat. nov., Eusparassus maynardi (Pocock, 1901) comb. nov. and Eusparassus pearsoni (Pocock, 1901) comb. nov. A new synonymy is proposed: Eusparassus nanjiangensis (Hu and Fu, 1985) as junior synonym of Eusparassus potanini (Simon, 1895) from Xinjiang Uyghur autonomous region in China. One new species is described: Eusparassus mesopotamicus sp. nov. (male and female) from Iraq and Iran. New geographical records are presented: Eusparassus pontii Caporiacco, 1935 and E. kronebergi stat. nov. are recorded for the first time from India. Eusparassus fuscimanus Denis, 1958, Eusparassus oculatus (Kroneberg, 1846) and Eusparassus levantinus Urones, 2006 are redescribed using new material. Eusparassus lilus Strand, 1907, described from Java, is proposed as nomen dubium because the type material could not be found and no longer seems to exist. Misplaced Olios flavovittatus comb. nov. (Caporiacco, 1935) from Karakoram is transferred from the genus Eusparassus. Almost all the species are redescribed for the first time and illustrations of male and female copulatory organs including intraspecific variations are provided using a large number of specimens.

New species in the family Ctenidae Keyserling, 1877 from high altitude habitats in Myanmar, with the first case of penetration of the female's cuticle by a male in the RTA-clade (Arachnida: Araneae: Ctenidae).

Specimens of the spider genera Ctenus Walckenaer, 1805 and Anahita Karsch, 1879 from Myanmar were investigated. Three species are described as new to science: Anahita popa spec. nov. (female; Mt Popa), Ctenus natmataung spec. nov. (male, female; Mt Victoria) and C. pingu spec. nov. (male, female; Mt Victoria). The female of C. cladarus Jäger, 2012 is described for the first time. Males of C. natmataung spec. nov. possess an easily breakable tip of their RTA. Two cases are reported where this part was clinging to the epigyne and a pointed appendix had penetrated the females cuticle. This is the first such case reported within the RTA-clade. All three Ctenus spp. have very similar copulatory organs and are interpreted as a product of relatively recent speciation events. According to their elevational zonation, the driving factor for this speciation could be different climatic conditions at different elevations.

Conductor-Less and Vertically Niched: New Species of the Genus Pseudopoda (Araneae: Sparassidae: Heteropodinae) from Myanmar

Summary Material of the genus Pseudopoda Jäger, 2000 from Myanmar is revised. Six new species are described: Pseudopoda tji sp. nov., P. pingu sp. nov., P. bangaga sp. nov., P. wamwo sp. nov., P. martinschuberti sp. nov. (all: male, female; Chin State) and P. huberi sp. nov. (male; Mandalay Region). All species were recorded from elevations above 600 m. All five species from Nat Ma Taung are vertically niched in zones of up to 500 m elevation difference. Moreover, males of all these species lack the conductor of the male palp, four of them exhibit a special glandular appendage in the female internal duct system, as well as a unique reduction of tibial spines in both sexes. A special brush of setae on the distal cymbium is identified as a possible surrogate structure acting as a secondary conductor.

Anapidae (Arachnida: Araneae), a spider family newly recorded from Laos.

The spider family Anapidae is reported from Laos for the first time. One new species is described: Pseudanapis namkhan n. sp. from Nam Khan Valley, Luang Prabang Province. Another species is recorded for the first time from Champasak Province, Laos and the following new synonymy is proposed: Sinanapis thaleri Ono 2009 = Sinanapis crassitarsus Wunderlich & Song 1995 n. syn. Morphological descriptions, diagnoses and comparative illustrations are provided for the two species.

Unexpected occurrence of the genus Eratigena in Laos with description of a new species (Araneae: Agelenidae)

During fieldtrips to Laos in 2009 and 2012, two male agelenid specimens were collected from two different caves in the Bolikhamsay Province. Examination of morphological and molecular (CO1) characters revealed, that these specimens belong to a new species, Eratigena laksao sp. n. The cheliceral retromargin of the examined specimens have more than six teeth and the most proximal tooth is distinctly smaller, two character states that are regarded as synapomorphic for Eratigena. Nevertheless, due to the presence of ventral spines at tarsus IV, the completely reduced distal sclerite at the median apophysis, and the lack of females, the genus affiliation of this species remains tentative. E. laksao sp. n. can easily be identified by the unique presence of distinct bristles at the distal palpal tibia.

Four new species of pholcine spiders (Araneae: Pholcidae) from Southeast Asia

Four new species belonging to four genera of the subfamily Pholcinae are reported from Southeast Asia: Belisana protumida spec. nov. (male, female), Khorata bayeri spec. nov. (male), Pholcus schawalleri spec. nov. (male), and Uthina khaosokensis spec. nov. (male).

The male of Heteropoda Ocyalina (Simon, 1887) (Araneae: Sparassidae: Heteropodinae)

Summary The previously unknown male of Heteropoda ocyalina (Simon, 1887) is described for the first time. The female is redescribed from new material from the south coast of Java, Indonesia. Illustrations of the female copulatory organs are provided showing new details such as glandular pores of the internal duct system and slit sense organs of the epigyne. According to the male copulatory organs, especially the shape of the RTA, the conductor apophysis and the embolic projection, the species is considered to belong to the Heteropoda javana-group.