Spiders from Laos with descriptions of new species (Arachnida: Araneae)

• DOI: 10.2476/asjaa.56.29
• Publication Date: 2007-11-12T05:51:10Z
• Authors: Peter Jäger
• Keywords: 0106 biological sciences; Arthropoda; Liocranidae; Salticidae; Biodiversity; Hersiliidae; Theridiidae; Nephilidae; 01 natural sciences; Pisauridae; Psechridae; Oxyopidae; Tetragnathidae; Arachnida; Araneidae; Pholcidae; Animalia; Araneae; Sparassidae; Sicariidae; Zodariidae; Taxonomy

A total of 58 spider species is reported from material mainly collected on three recent expeditions to Laos. Out of these, five species are described as new: Psechridae — Psechrus khammouan sp. nov. (male, female), Psechrus luangprabang spec. nov. (male, female), Liocranidae — Sesieutes thakek spec. nov. (male), Zodariidae — Storenomorpha anne spec. nov. (male, female), Sparassidae — Pseudopoda houaphan spec. nov. (female). The males of Caerostris sumatrana Strand, 1915 (Laos; first record for Asia) and Eurychoera quadrimaculata Thorell, 1897 (Singapore) are described for the first time. Copulatory organs of the latter species are illustrated for both sexes to facilitate identification of Eurychoera banna Zhang, Zhu & Song, 2004. New records of species formerly known from Laos are listed: Heteropoda dagmarae Jager & Vedel, 2005, H. maxima Jager, 2001, H. tetrica Thorell, 1897, H. venatoria (Linnaeus, 1767), Rhitymna verruca (Wang, 1991), R. plana Jager, 2003.