SINOPODA, A NEW GENUS OF HETEROPODINAE (ARANEAE, SPARASSIDAE) FROM ASIA

Abstract

Sinopoda new genus (Araneae, Sparassidae, Heteropodinae) is described from Asia. It is recognizable only from genital characters. At present, the new genus comprises 25 species from Japan, Korea, China, Thailand, Malaysia and east India. Heteropoda campanacea , H. forcipata, H. hamata, H. koreana, H. licenti, H. marsupia (?), H. minschana, H. serrata, H. shennonga, H. stellata and Panaretidius microphthalmus are placed in Sinopoda new genus. Relationships to other heteropodine genera are dis- cussed. Jager (1998a) identified somatic characters, which are useful for distinguishing suprage- neric taxa in the Sparassidae. At present, nine heteropodine genera are known from Asia: Adrastis Simon 1880, Heteropoda Latreille 1804, Panaretidius Simon 1906, Panaretus Simon 1880, Pandercetes L. Koch 1875, Par- hedrus Simon 1887, Spariolenus Simon 1880, Torania Simon 1886, Yiinthi Davies 1994. Most of the species belonging to Sinopoda new genus were formerly described under Heteropoda. METHODS